Yup, the standard minimum wage today is close to a range of $260-$300 per month, and that already factors in the recent government-mandated minimum wage increase.
And I agree with your observation. The costs of living in urban areas is often underestimated. Sure, you can survive at $175/month but that means you'll have to seriously lower your living standards which, in Metro Manila, will mean renting a single bedspace in a dorm that is most likely poorly constructed/a fire hazard/cramped/not secure ($30-$90/month), and commuting ($30-$40/month), meals bought from unsanitary street food stalls or public markets (minimum $50-$65/month), social security and public health insurance deductions and... did I mention that this estimate is based on a single individual that doesn't have a family? But here, single lower to middle class people are usually working to support their parents and siblings, so for some people you can factor in 20% - 50% of the $175/month being sent back to the provinces. And if that doesn't add up, then said individual is probably living off on extended family for additional support, being creative at stretching everything, or borrowing from Peter this month to pay off Paul from last month (which is more common for families living close to the poverty line).
Three years ago when I was new in the Bank, I got to talking with a staff in another department. She had confided that she was thinking of quitting her job and going back to the province because she's struggling to make ends meet even though she's single. At that time, I guessed that her gross salary is $175 (average rate of Php46/$1 in 2007), but the deductions (social security, public health insurance, etc) and taxes mean that she was taking home a net pay between $120 to $130 per month in 2007.
Sorry if I'm not making sense. I don't know how those people can pay only $100-$175/month for an 8-hr/5day office work. I can assume that at $100/month, they're referring to net pay instead of gross pay but still, that's kind of too low to be minimum wage today.
And I agree with your observation. The costs of living in urban areas is often underestimated. Sure, you can survive at $175/month but that means you'll have to seriously lower your living standards which, in Metro Manila, will mean renting a single bedspace in a dorm that is most likely poorly constructed/a fire hazard/cramped/not secure ($30-$90/month), and commuting ($30-$40/month), meals bought from unsanitary street food stalls or public markets (minimum $50-$65/month), social security and public health insurance deductions and... did I mention that this estimate is based on a single individual that doesn't have a family? But here, single lower to middle class people are usually working to support their parents and siblings, so for some people you can factor in 20% - 50% of the $175/month being sent back to the provinces. And if that doesn't add up, then said individual is probably living off on extended family for additional support, being creative at stretching everything, or borrowing from Peter this month to pay off Paul from last month (which is more common for families living close to the poverty line).
Three years ago when I was new in the Bank, I got to talking with a staff in another department. She had confided that she was thinking of quitting her job and going back to the province because she's struggling to make ends meet even though she's single. At that time, I guessed that her gross salary is $175 (average rate of Php46/$1 in 2007), but the deductions (social security, public health insurance, etc) and taxes mean that she was taking home a net pay between $120 to $130 per month in 2007.
Sorry if I'm not making sense. I don't know how those people can pay only $100-$175/month for an 8-hr/5day office work. I can assume that at $100/month, they're referring to net pay instead of gross pay but still, that's kind of too low to be minimum wage today.
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