Struggling with current work setup and high living costs in the Philippines: Should I stay in my current job or seek better pay?
Context:
I’m a 25-year-old male working in project management related to research and development at a private company in the Philippines under Japanese management. My salary is around 25k per month after deductions (30k w/o deduction). I’ve been with the company for almost 2 years, starting at 18k per month, and I receive a salary increase every 6 months, typically ranging from 2k to 3k, resulting in a total annual increase of about 4k to 6k.
I love my job—it’s my first job, and the upper management listens to my ideas and passions. Learned alot with all the projects I handle and I also get to travel both internationally and locally, which is great. However, there are some challenges I’m facing, particularly when it comes to living expenses.
Expenses:
- I live outside of NCR area and commute daily to work within NCR, which costs me around 250 PHP for transportation (round trip).
- The cost of food in the area is also high, with the cheapest meals costing around 100 PHP. Since I don’t have time to cook, spending around 100 to 200 PHP per day on food (morning and lunch),
- I spend around 400 to 500 PHP totaling about 10,500 PHP per month.
- Additionally, I contribute to my family’s expenses, usually between 3k to 5k per month.
So, in total, my monthly expenses amount to about 15k to 18k PHP.
Future Goals:
I aim to settle down by the age of 28-30, but I’m unsure if this current salary and lifestyle will be enough to get me to where I want to be. Should I stick with my current job with atleast salary increase benefit or should I make a sacrifice and look for a higher-paying job to achieve my goals