My parents took us to Applebee’s growing up. It was the “we’re not cooking tonight” restaurant. Nothing fancy. Nobody pretended the food was good. It was just…easy. And cheap.
Went back recently with my family and the bill for two adults and a kid was $82.48.
Applebee’s. The place that microwaves half the menu. Eighty dollars. For that.
And I sat there looking at the receipt thinking…this pretty much sums up everything about the US economy right now.
A million dollars used to mean you were rich.
Like, actually rich.
“Never worry about money again” rich. Now it barely buys a house in a good school district. After taxes and a down payment, you’re financing the rest like everybody else.
I think about this every time someone acts shocked that companies hire internationally.
Have they looked at a price tag recently?
In-N-Out pays $20/hour for entry-level associates. Twenty dollars. To flip burgers and wrap them in paper.
And look — I’m not knocking the In-N-Out workers. Good for them. Get yours.
But when that’s the floor…when the absolute entry-level minimum for fast food is $20/hour…what does an experienced Executive Assistant cost?
What does a skilled Project Manager run?
What does a mid-level Media Buyer go for?
More than most companies can sustainably afford. That’s the answer. And it goes up every year while the output stays the same. Or gets worse.
Running a company in 2026 means watching every line item creep up — rent, software, insurance, payroll — while your revenue fights for every inch of growth.
And here’s where I always lose people:
It ain’t about finding “cheap labor.” It’s not about evil exploitation.
That framing is lazy and it’s wrong.
A professional in Bogota or Belgrade earning $2,000/month isn’t being exploited. They’re upper-middle class in their market. They’re building a career. They’re supporting a family. They chose this opportunity over local alternatives because it pays well and offers real growth.
That same $2,000 in Manhattan doesn’t cover the broom closet pretending to be a studio apartment monthly rent. You’d need a roommate, a trust fund, or a miracle.
Same skill set. Same output. Same quality of work. Wildly different cost of living.
It’s not complicated math. It’s just math that most companies haven’t caught up to yet.
The question isn’t whether international hiring makes sense.
The question is how long you’re willing to overpay before you accept that it does.
To hire the top global talent, click here:
Kyle Mau
CEO & Founder, HireUA
Read Next: How to Hire Remote Developers (Without Getting AI-Faked, Overcharged, or Lied To)
