Actually sfxmum, you assume a lot, seeing as you dont know me. And as you have managed to make me feel like a total twit I have the need to explain.
My husband works in India. He is now there for 4 weeks. No point in having a hotel room for 4 weeks. Especially not when you go there 3-5 times a year. In the past he had to be for 3 months at the time. We have a small 2 bed apartment next door to the office. It is by no means luxurious. It has a one hob burner for cooking, a kettle, and a fridge. I havent been there since my second was born. There is no luxury in cooking for a family on a one hob burner. There is no luxury in doing the family washing in a bucket in the bathroom. There is no luxury in chasing monkeys to get your washing back.
There is luxury in having a chauffeur I suppose. But I could not possibly drive in that traffic. It is also too expensive to buy a car. You cant hire cars without a driver. So, it costs £10 to have a car and a driver for a full day. It makes sense.
There are NO playgrounds open to the public, there are NO softplay. As a foreigner NO local woman will be allowed to meet up with you for a playdate. Heck, even the consept is unknown.
Taking my son to a posh restaurant is a relief beyond anything you can imagine when you live far away, have no friends, struggle to cook something edible on tinned sausages,eggs, rice, veg and various pulses and lentils, you have no coffee shops, no playground, and you cant go to the park without being followed by hordes of people who wants to touch your baby.
So you are right, there is nothing like a bit of luxury in the third world.