Eight months ago, I was earning $36,000 annually as a Senior .NET Architect at an MNC in one of Asia’s biggest tech hubs. Same perks like other multinational comp → Corner office, free meals, stock options — the whole package.

And today, I’m writing this from a** $500/month apartment in Portugal**, making $8,000/month as a remote consultant.

Was trading tech job security for nomad uncertainty worth it?

🔺Breaking Point

When things go wrong in life.. just remember it’s because God has another good plan for you!

It was late night when our US client was in trouble and while debugging a memory leak in our .NET API, I realized something!

I was earning one-sixth of what my peer made after moving to Europe, yet handling the same complex enterprise systems..

And everything in this simulation is MATH! and this time it changed everything —

  • Monthly salary: $3,000
  • Local rent: $540 for a decent 2-bedroom apartment
  • Food/transport/basics: $420
  • Actual savings: $2,040

but, I knew developers billing $150/hour remotely from affordable European cities. That’s when I started planning my exit…

🔺Financial Reality Check

Before you see me sipping port wine by The Douro, here’s what digital nomad finances actually look like for .NET developer —

Portugal requires proof of a €3,480/month income for digital nomad visas, but offers lower living costs compared to many Western European countries…

And my current stats —

  • Hourly rate: $150/hour (up from $18/hour salary equivalent)
  • Monthly client retainers: $6,000-$8,000
  • Living expenses: $970/month in Portugal
  • Net savings: $5,500+/month

but before you think doing the same remember to reach here it nearly broke me financially and mentally

First Major 3 Months

My first three months were terrifying. I had saved $14,400 (six months of living expenses), but European costs ate through it faster than expected, right!?

let me be more transparent —

  • Month 1 income: $1,800 (one small project)
  • Month 2 income: $3,400 (two clients)
  • Month 3 income: $5,200 (finally stabilizing)

— and it was not money that broke me! It was the imposter syndrome.

In my home country, I was “the senior” and In the global remote market, I was just another developer from an emerging market competing on price.

.NET will save you here…

While developers in many emerging markets earn $20,000–40,000 annually, most surveys miss the consulting arbitrage opportunity..

European and US companies desperately need .NET expertise for —

— Legacy migrations (.NET Framework to .NET 8)  — Azure cloud architecture  — Performance optimization** (my specialty from writing about it)**

and the company pay more to us because this work requires deep enterprise experience, the business stakes are massive and Senior .NET architects who understand both legacy and modern(are rare)

Let me transparent the Cost

  • Visa Complexity: Portugal’s digital nomad visa took 4 months and $2,200 in legal fees. You need to provide $11,500 in bank balance proof, as well as evidence of your monthly income.

2. Tax Issues: Managing home country taxes, Portuguese taxes, and client withholdings. I pay $440/month to a cross-border tax consultant.

3. Healthcare: European coverage costs me $200/month. Better than most developing country options, but it adds up unfortunately.

4. Setup Costs: My remote office setup cost $2,800 (MacBook Pro, 4K monitor, reliable internet backup).

5. Currency Risk: INR-EUR fluctuations affect my savings when I send money home.

I can show you the whole process but that can distract you from what you doing and I don’t wanna do that

🔺What I Learned About Indian Developers Going Global

India’s low cost of living makes it attractive for nomads, but it also anchors client expectations. I had to actively fight against $20/hour stereotypes.

I work 2 PM — 10 PM Portugal time (evening hours in my origin country). This gives me —

  • Full overlap with US East Coast clients
  • European lifestyle during mornings
  • Premium rates (most developers from my region won’t do US hours from Europe)

Generic “.NET developer” gets commoditized rates. “.NET modernization architect with enterprise scaling experience” commands premium. Remember

I won but at What Cost?

— Video calls with family aren’t the same. Cultural festivals feel different then celebrated alone in a foreign country.

— No promotion path. No equity potential. No team to lead.

— Remote networking is harder. I miss the local tech community energy.

— Client contracts end. No employer benefits, no social security safety net.

Would I Go Back ever?

may be some days, when client payments are delayed or visa paperwork piles up… may be,

or may be when I miss the simplicity of a monthly salary and free office chai(tea).

But when I look at my savings rate and lifestyle quality, the numbers are clear.

*thank you *🖤

Maybe one day I will quit this too… when you support me enough to actually research practically by going and finding everything on the internet to show you the real reality… maybe