My(23M) girlfriend(24F) and I have been in a relationship for almost 15 months. We live in a third-world country where the average salary is around $180 per month. A few days ago, she shared her expectations for our future together. For her 25th birthday, she expects an iPhone and a MacBook from me, and for her 26th birthday, she expects a car. She also wants me to propose a few months after her 26th birthday with a diamond ring worth several thousand dollars. Additionally, she expects me to cover the wedding expenses and wants to move with me when I apply for a PhD program in the U.S. or the U.K. She emphasized that she is serious about these expectations.
I know that in the first world, an iPhone and a Mac are equivalent to a month's salary, but in my country, considering the government taxes and low wages, an iPhone costs the equivalent of 8-10 months of an average person’s salary.
Currently, I’m working as a backend intern at a company (earning $130 per month). When I told my girlfriend that for me to be able to propose and marry her in two years, I would need to start earning at least $1,500 per month right now to cover the expenses. I told her that I would do my best, but I might only be able to propose when I’m 27 or 28. She rejected this and insisted that I propose when she’s 26. She also suggested that if I can't afford the engagement and wedding expenses by then, I could ask my parents for help.
Some time ago, I mentioned to her that I wanted to dedicate two hours a day to learning new things because I’m just starting out and have a lot to learn. She got upset and said that I was neglecting her, that she wasn’t important to me, and that I cared more about my work than about her. However, she eventually agreed that I could study for 1.5 hours after I got home (though she still made me feel guilty by saying I was neglecting her).
My daily routine usually involves waking up at 5:00 AM, studying until 7:00 AM, then going to work and returning home around 5:30 PM, and immediately after that, I start studying until 7:00 PM, so I can spend more time talking with my girlfriend. From 7:00 PM until I fall asleep, we text and talk.(During the day, I also try to text and call her whenever I get a chance.)
Yesterday, I told her that the expectations she shared with me are causing me to overthink and that it's stressing me out. She replied that a lot of the overthinking is caused by me and blamed me for unnecessarily stressing myself out. Then, she changed the subject. I understand that people can have different expectations of their partners (which can be reasonable or unreasonable)
TL;DR: My girlfriend and I have been together for 15 months in a low-income country where the average salary is $180. She has some expectations for the future, including an iPhone and MacBook for her 25th birthday, a car for her 26th, and an expensive engagement ring. Currently I’m working as a backend intern and earn about $130 a month and told her I need to make at least $1,500 to meet these expectations, but she insists on a proposal by her 26th birthday, and I’m stressed about her demands.