Salaries are twice as high if they work in Japan.

Indeed.  Pinays work all over the world because salaries for what they do (or indeed just the work itself) are better or is available elsewhere.

Salaries are twice as high, but the cost of living may be 10 times as high (based on my experience visiting the Philipines).

Yeah right! That's a laugh! If that were the case, I wouldn't be thinking about my salary as much, more less, budgeting my monthly salary.

Reckless:

And salaries in the US are approaching double those of Japan.

As a result health insurance in US is crazy high.