His brother-in-law had hit the nail on the head. Living there was comfortable, but the key was your financial capability.
Although money isn't everything, you can't do anything without it. No matter where you live, you'll find it impossible to get by if you're broke. How comfortable can you really be, even in the countryside? The culture of comparison is even more intense in rural areas than in the city.
When you live in the city, everyone is a stranger. You don't know the neighbors upstairs, downstairs, or next door. They are no different from strangers, so there's not much to compare and no issues of face to worry about.
