How do you work in Asia where there is a low cost of living (IE Philippines) and have a high paying job?

I'm thinking international wage, like having a US Salary (even 20 thousand a year could get me by for a couple of years in asia). Because when I go there everyone is either really poor, or someone has a big house. How?

The very rich local families live in big, expensive houses (what we call Class AB houses like those in Dasma, Forbes, and Alabang). Only 1% of total homes in the Philippines falls in this category. Some expats and foreign dignitaries / ambassadors get to live in these homes, paid for by their companies or their governments.

Foreign retirees and some "upper-middle class" locals live in decent, but not big Class A houses because they can't afford the Class AB homes, nor the maintenance costs for a really big and expensive house. But these would be pretty comfortable and presentable homes. These are called "Upper C" homes.

Other dwellings would include the low-cost single detached homes or apartments. These would be for "Class Lower C" types.

Finally, those who live in structures obviously needing repair, or made of light materials without a decent coat of paint, or those in shanties - - these are the "D" and "E" type of homes.

If you earn US$20,000 a year, and assumning that that will be net after tax, your monthly budget will be around Pesos 75,000.00. If you assume that 1/3 of that will be for rent and electricity and water, then that means all you can rent will be something for P25,000 including water and electricity. That means rent will be around P20,000.00 per month, leaving P5,000 for the utilities. You can rent a 30 square meter studio unit in Makati for that budget. Or a house in Cebu or Iloilo where rent is cheaper.

Yes, for someone living alone, that will be quite sufficient.

Working for the government is one way. The United States has government jobs and like you said you could live like a king.

if you're a native english speaker, try getting a teaching job in Thailand. The salary is good and the cost of living is low.

I live in the Philippines and have been retired and living with my wife here since 2002.

Jobs like that are extreamy rare and usually in the high cost big cities like Manilla or Cebu working for a big coorporation.

There are a few foreigners living here. Most are retired and on a pension like myself. Most foreigners that are not retired are working in Saudi and the UAE. There is a handfull teaching English and tutoring, but it only pays around $500 a month.

People that own the big houses here are retirees like myself or OFW's.

Business ownership, entrepruneurship is the best way. Set up a business or franchise and operate your own businesses.

In the Philippines you can earn the equivalent of USD20thousand a year or higher if you were a corporate executive (VP and above), an IT professional with rare in-demand skills (like SAP), a businessman, or a corrupt government official, or if you're a real good salesman go into real estate or insurance selling.

Many big houses in the Philippines are funded by overseas Filipino workers.