[ev1]

What is equally, and how would this be determined?

A top percentile salary in Romania would likely result in not even being able to rent a microstudio or afford food in San Francisco.

[uberman]

I want to strongly echo this. I personally manage a VERY talented Eastern European developer. I recently raised their compensation in a way that shocked them as it was a 20% raise in the middle of a global pandemic.

Their pay is now ABOUT 1/4 of the current poverty line for someone living in San Francisco (as determined by HUD).