The real cost of earning in USD while living in Lagos

My guys, I finally ran the numbers on something that has been bothering me for months. I earn in USD, remote job, Victoria Island. On paper, I am winning. But here is the thing nobody tells you.

Last week my mother called. She said the generator repair man came, the inverter battery is finished, and the rent for the family house in Surulere is due. I did the math. That one call cost me roughly $380. At the current rate of about ₦1,360 to a dollar, that is over half a million naira. And I did not even flinch before transferring. That is the problem.

When you earn in dollars, your family assumes you have infinite money. They do not see the exchange rate eating your salary, the US taxes, the fact that Lagos rent in VI is basically Manhattan prices now. I am not complaining. I am just saying. The numbers say something interesting. The more you earn, the more you realise money is a weird dimension in this country. You can be rich on paper and still calculating if you can afford to eat out this weekend. Interesting life.