How many days it’ll take average workers in SEA to afford the base iPhone 14 Pro

Apple recently released its latest lineup of iPhones, including the iPhone 14 Pro , which this year has gotten rid of the large notch in favor of the ‘Dynamic Island’, which shape-shifts according to the apps you’re running. Aside from impressive new features such as ‘Crash Detection’ and ‘Emergency SOS’ via satellite, what surprised most people was the price of the base model iPhone 14 Pro (128GB) – US$999, which is exactly the same as the preceding iPhone 13 Pro. Nope, not the rumored US$100 price hike we were all expecting.

But what does that mean for people who earn average salaries in Southeast Asia? Naturally, with weaker currencies (except Singapore) and lower earnings compared to our Western counterparts, it’s gonna be more difficult for us to shell out the cash for an iPhone in the first place. In the latest iPhone index by discount aggregator Picodi , average net monthly salaries in 46 different countries across the globe were compared to their local iPhone 14 Pro prices in order to determine just how many days an average earner would need to work in order to afford the 128GB iPhone 14 Pro. While not all Southeast Asian nations were featured in the list, we still have enough to provide a good gauge.

At first glance, Turkey (or actually, Türkiye) has it the worst on this list, with 146. 7 working days needed in order to afford the mere base model iPhone 14 Pro. Of course, it’s important to remember that these working days are calculated based on average net salaries, after tax deductions – in other words, your take-home salary.

Your mileage may vary, depending on how much (or how little) you earn. But when focusing on Southeast Asian countries exclusively, we can see a big disparity in working days needed. Just below Türkiye is the Philippines, with average income workers needing about three whole working months (90.

9 working days) in order to afford the 128GB iPhone 14 Pro. According to Numbeo , a global crowd-sourced statistics database, the average net salary in the Philippines is ₱16,352 (US$287. 43) per month.

And that’s only if all the money earned is used to buy the iPhone 14 Pro. More than 90 days’ salary for a phone? No thanks. Trailing not too far from the Philippines is Thailand, which requires average earners to work a total of 48.

7 days in order to afford the iPhone 14 Pro. Numbeo states that the current average net salary in the Land of Smiles is ฿18,179. 35 (US$500.

81) per month. The next Southeast Asian country to follow definitely shows a marked difference in the number of working days needed, but it’s still far from ideal. Of course, we’re talking about Malaysia, with average earners needing to work for 29.

2 days in order to get their hands on a brand new iPhone 14 Pro. With an average net monthly salary of RM3,807. 59 (US$844.

72) , it’s clear that the country is definitely better-off compared to most of its neighbors. However, like any developing country battling inflation and rising costs, it might not be the smartest financial decision to buy a new iPhone while earning average income. The remaining Southeast Asian country on the list is, unsurprisingly, Singapore.

In Lion City, the average earner – with a net monthly salary of S$6,067. 82 (US$1,346. 16) – only needs just a little over seven-and-a-half (7.

6) working days to get the iPhone 14 Pro. It’s the only Southeast Asian country on the list that doesn’t exceed 10 days. In this case, it would be a relatively safe decision to purchase Cupertino’s latest iPhone.

But again, mileage may vary. This doesn’t mean, however, that workers in countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand can’t buy iPhones whenever they want. There are instalment plans on offer, which allow buyers to pay for their devices in smaller sums throughout a set period of time.

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