You can't get a one bedroom apartment locally for less than nearly $2000 unless it is in a kinda bad area here. Food has gotten crazy too. Gas is still $3 a gallon and people think that is cheap now, although it was under $2.00 two years ago. I guess it depends on where you live in each country.

My step-granparents who came from and lived in Manilla most of their lives had a maid they back in the 60s that they paid only a few dollars a month if I recall correctly! I doubt you could get one that cheap today!

Grampa worked for the post office in San Francisco and sent money back home. They were pretty wealthy with a nice walled coumpoundfor their home. That was nearly 60 years ago thought! Loooong time back!