I just got offered a remote role with a US tech vendor on a big project. Pay is about €1,000 net a month. I’m non EU but already have Portuguese residency and a local bank account, so on paper it all works.
Reality check is housing. Rents are way higher than I expected, and with deposits and upfront payments I’m looking at almost four months of income just to get into a place. That feels unsustainable.
Because of that I’m thinking about staying somewhere much cheaper for a while, like parts of the Balkans, and continuing to work remotely just to stay afloat and maybe save a little. The role is remote, but it’s implied I should be in Portugal.
I’m torn between trying to negotiate location flexibility upfront versus starting the job, getting stable for a month, and then bringing it up. I’m also worried that raising cost of living issues too early could get the offer pulled.
For anyone who’s been in a similar spot, how risky is it really to work from another country in situations like this? And is it better to negotiate early or later?
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