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What level of income provides a decent standard of living in a given country?

3 posts
Missing user
November 27, 2015
I don't think I've seen this question here before (or how impossible it may be to answer!) but here goes anyway.
What level of income is needed (per person) in, say, the Philippines to have a decent life; enough to eat, frugal but decent clothing and housing, and able to attend school.  I realize this may vary from area to area in the country but a ball park figure would be nice.  
Missing user
November 28, 2015 in reply to Missing user
Maynard, this is something I've been curious about as well. It may help to know what the average (monthly) salary is in each country. Here is a list made by the International Labor Organization for 2009, so salaries might have risen a little since then. The average monthly salary for the Philippines in 2009 was 279 dollars: http://1-million-dollar-blog.com/average-monthly-salary-for-72-countries-in-the-world/. Other CI countries: Columbia 692 dollars, Dominican Republic 462, India 295, Mexico 609, US 3263. For countries not included, you can probably just Google the country's name and "average salary".
Anna_ver
December 19, 2015
I just found some estimates for Colombia, Guatemala and India (this is where I sponsor children myself)

Colombia: "According to DANE the amount of money below which a person in Colombia would be considered in poverty was COP$208,404 per month ($105), broken down to a daily income of COP6,947 CP ($3.50) which would provide a sufficient amount of food and services to live." It is a little bit higher for urban areas and a little bit lower for rural. But keep in mind this is a "poverty line", not an income for a normal life.

Guatemala: "it appears the 2010 minimum monthly wage is between $209 and $252." "In December (2011)  the (Guatemalan) National Statistics Institute estimated that the minimum food budget for a family of five was 2,440 quetzales ($312) per month. The basic basket for vital needs, including food and housing, was 4,452 quetzales ($570/month). Labor representatives noted that even where both parents worked, the minimum wage did not enable a family to meet the basic basket of vital needs."

India: Poverty line in India in 2005-2006 was $368 in rural areas, and $558 in urban.
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