#iprice

In a July report of iPrice Insights Team—an e-commerce aggregator—showed that smartphones are the 'least affordable' in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia. [caption id="attachment_315974" align="alignnone" width="583"] Infographic/ IPrice[/caption] "High-end models are simply out of reach for many, costing from three (3) to six (6) times monthly salary," the report said. Although, iPrice noted out that their study on affordability of smartphones is not just derived from the levels of income but also the varying pricing of the smartphones in SEA markets. Yet a recent study by e-commerce platform iPrice showed that entry-level jobs related to digital and technology fields earn incomes relatively higher than minimum wage levels in the Philippines. Using data available from Payscale, the iPrice study found junior IT technicians averaging at PHP 15,000 per month. However, iPrice noted that the average monthly rent for one bedroom apartment in five major central business districts (CBDs) in Metro Manila would be around PHP 32,500, higher than any of the digital-related entry-level jobs earlier mentioned, and nearly triple the minimum wage. "If Filipino entry-level workers aspire to live independently at an early age like some of their Asian peers in Singapore or Malaysia, then it may be very difficult or even uncomfortable," stated iPrice, citing that they used data available from Numbeo to ascertain the average rent costs in Makati, Pasig, Taguig, Quezon City, and Manila. Read more in our articles including "iPrice: Smartphones are 'most unaffordable' in PH among other countries in SEA" and "High-paying entry-level IT Jobs in demand; still NOT enough".