As for taxes, yes I am avoiding taxes...legally. I live outside the US working for a US company. If you live outside the US for more than 330 days out of the year you qualify for the foreign earned income exclusion. This means that the first $100k of my salary is tax free and I can write off any housing costs. My situation is unique in that I work as a contractor for the US military so I do not have to pay taxes in the country I live in (I can even avoid paying VAT, but usually don't bother with the process).