Balanced or unbalanced by your thoughts.
Balance Sheet: A compensation system based on a home-country base salary.
Using that as a start, cost equalizers like various differentials, allowances, and other additions and deductions are applied.
The point is to ensure that "purchasing power" on assignment is equivalent to that at home.
Balance Sheet: Personal calculation about whether it's better to get away from the crimps and spungs and feebs in the home office (and, let's face it - in your entire country of origin) and take a chance on seeing (and possibly becoming) something different. Or not.