Country comparison · Updated November 2026
Philippines vs India vs Latin America: hiring cost
On published direct-hire pay the three overlap heavily: the Philippines has the lowest starting figure in 6 of 8 roles, while India has the lowest midpoint in 6 of 8, mostly from a single job ad per role. With ranges this close, time zone and the person you actually find will usually matter more than the price gap.
Direct-hire pay, role by role
What foreign businesses pay remote workers they hire themselves, in USD per hour, with full-time pay converted to an hourly figure. Latin America runs from the lowest to the highest figure across Colombia, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.
| Role | Philippines | India | Latin America | Lowest midpoint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual assistant | $3.46–$10.00 | $3.00–$9.00 | $6.92–$17.31 | India |
| Customer support agent | $2.65–$20.19 | $4.57–$7.21 | $5.19–$15.87 | India |
| Bookkeeper | $5.00–$15.00 | $5.77–$11.54 | $3.78–$18.46 | India |
| Digital marketer | $2.31–$23.08 | $6.00–$16.49 | $2.88–$24.04 | India |
| Social media manager | $2.88–$15.00 | $4.05–$10.13 | $5.77–$10.58 | India |
| Graphic designer | $3.00–$10.00 | $5.77–$8.65 | $8.08–$11.54 | Philippines |
| Web developer | $2.88–$14.00 | $6.92–$8.65 | $6.92–$11.70 | India |
| Software developer | $4.50–$30.00 | $12.02–$48.08 | $8.65–$38.46 | Philippines |
How solid is each number?
This matters as much as the numbers themselves, so here's the count behind the table:
- Philippines31 published figuresAt least 3 per role, from job ads and a salary guide. The deepest data of any single country here.
- India10 published figures7 of 8 roles rest on one figure each. Treat India's cells as a first signal, and its "lowest midpoint" wins as weak.
- Latin America60 published figuresSpread across four countries, so a single country often has only one or two per role.
One more caution on virtual assistants: the figures for India, Colombia, Brazil and Argentina come at least partly from executive-assistant ads, which pay more than general admin work. That's a big part of why Latin America's VA range reads higher here.
Philippines vs India
Comparing midpoints, the Philippines is lower in 2 of 8 roles and India in the other 6. Many of those gaps are small next to the width of the ranges, and India's side rests on thin data, so don't read it as a clear win. Both are far from US and UK daytime, so both usually mean someone working a night shift or a split schedule, or you working with a delay.
The practical differences are elsewhere. The Philippine VA figures rest on more ads and a dedicated salary guide, which makes rates easier to check before you hire. For software roles, India's top figure runs well above the Philippines', so don't assume it's the cheaper route there.
Philippines vs Latin America
The middle of the Philippine range is lower in 4 of 8 roles. What you're really choosing is the clock: a Latin American hire shares a US working day without a night shift, which matters for live calls, sales and teams that work together in real time. If the work is asynchronous, that advantage is worth less, and the Philippine figures deserve a look first.
Latin America isn't one price. Compare the four countries below before you settle on the region.
Inside Latin America
| Role | Colombia | Mexico | Brazil | Argentina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual assistant | $7.00–$17.31 | $6.92–$8.65 | $14.42–$17.31 | $7.50–$17.31 |
| Customer support agent | $5.19–$14.42 | $5.19–$15.87 | $5.19–$8.08 | $5.19–$8.08 |
| Bookkeeper | $5.77–$6.92 | $8.00–$14.42 | $3.78 | $8.65–$18.46 |
| Digital marketer | $2.88–$17.31 | $6.92–$24.04 | $5.48–$23.08 | $5.48–$17.31 |
| Social media manager | $5.77–$10.38 | $7.50–$10.58 | $7.50–$10.38 | $7.50–$10.38 |
| Graphic designer | $8.08–$11.54 | $8.08–$11.54 | $8.08–$11.54 | $8.08–$11.54 |
| Web developer | $6.92–$8.65 | $6.92–$8.65 | $6.92–$8.65 | $6.92–$11.70 |
| Software developer | $14.42–$26.44 | $14.42–$38.46 | $14.42–$38.46 | $8.65–$34.62 |
Why local pay is the wrong number to compare
Articles on this topic often compare local salaries, which makes India and the Philippines look cheaper than they are for a foreign business. Local pay is what employers there pay local staff. Direct-hire pay is what remote work for a foreign client pays, and the gap isn't the same anywhere:
| Country | VA: hiring directly | VA: local employers | Median gap, all roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | $3.46–$10.00 | $1.65–$2.63 | 3.4× |
| India | $3.00–$9.00 | $1.14–$2.56 | 4.6× |
| Colombia | $7.00–$17.31 | $2.72–$2.98 | 2.1× |
| Mexico | $6.92–$8.65 | $2.82–$3.27 | 3.3× |
| Brazil | $14.42–$17.31 | $2.16–$3.68 | 2.9× |
| Argentina | $7.50–$17.31 | $2.75–$7.74 | 2.1× |
The clock
The time difference from the place you work to the place you hire. Each pair shows two numbers because of daylight saving.
| Hire in | From New York | From London | From Sydney |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines (Manila) | 12–13 hours ahead | 7–8 hours ahead | 2–3 hours behind |
| India (Delhi) | 9.5–10.5 hours ahead | 4.5–5.5 hours ahead | 4.5–5.5 hours behind |
| Colombia (Bogotá) | 0–1 hour behind | 5–6 hours behind | 15–16 hours behind |
| Mexico (Mexico City) | 1–2 hours behind | 6–7 hours behind | 16–17 hours behind |
| Brazil (São Paulo) | 1–2 hours ahead | 3–4 hours behind | 13–14 hours behind |
| Argentina (Buenos Aires) | 1–2 hours ahead | 3–4 hours behind | 13–14 hours behind |
Read it from your own row of the map, not from a general reputation. A UK business has a decent overlap with India and with Brazil and Argentina. An Australian business shares most of its day with the Philippines. A US business gets a full shared day only from Latin America, or a night-shift arrangement from Asia.
Which one to look at first
The Philippines
Start here for general VA and admin work, especially from Australia, or when the work doesn't need to be live. It has the most published data, so you can check a quote against real ads. English is an official language there.
India
Look here for technical and back-office work, where you can test the skill directly, and when you work from the UK or Europe. English is an official language there too. Budget from the direct-hire figures and not from local pay, because the gap is the widest on this page.
Latin America
Look here when you're in the US and the job needs live conversation in your working day. Spanish is the main business language in Colombia, Mexico and Argentina, and Portuguese in Brazil, so test spoken and written English in the interview.
Wherever you land, run the same interview questions and paid test. A good hire at the top of a range beats a poor one at the bottom.
If you'd rather not source this yourself
An agency's rate also pays for the recruiting and admin. The example below is priced by role category.
Published by Outsourcing Insider, a VA MASTERS company. The example below is VA MASTERS' own published rate card, shown because it's public; other agencies' prices vary. About us
| Agency example | Per hour | 160 hours a month | Covers these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| VA MASTERS Parent company | $6.50–$10.00 | $1,040–$1,600 | Virtual assistant, Customer support agent |
| VA MASTERS Parent company | $7.50–$14.00 | $1,200–$2,240 | Bookkeeper |
| VA MASTERS Parent company | $8.50–$15.00 | $1,360–$2,400 | Digital marketer |
| VA MASTERS Parent company | $7.50–$9.00 | $1,200–$1,440 | Social media manager |
| VA MASTERS Parent company | $8.00–$14.00 | $1,280–$2,240 | Graphic designer |
| VA MASTERS Parent company | $12.00–$25.00 | $1,920–$4,000 | Web developer, Software developer |
FAQ
Is the Philippines cheaper than India for outsourcing?
It depends on the role, and the published ranges overlap a lot. Comparing the middle of each direct-hire range, the Philippines is lower in 2 of 8 roles and India in the rest, but 7 of India's 8 cells rest on one published figure. The Philippines has the lowest starting figure in 6 of 8 roles across the three markets. Treat a small gap as a tie.
Is the Philippines cheaper than Latin America?
In 4 of 8 roles the middle of the Philippine range is lower than the Latin American average, on published direct-hire figures. The bigger difference is the clock: Colombia and Mexico work within two hours of US Eastern time, while the Philippines is 12 to 13 hours ahead of it.
Why do some articles say India is far cheaper than this?
They're usually quoting local pay. Local employers in India pay about $1.14–$2.56 an hour for an admin assistant, but direct-hire pay for remote work for foreign businesses runs far higher: India has the widest gap of the markets on this page, about 4.6 times local pay across 8 roles.
Which country is best for customer support?
Pay won't settle it, because the ranges overlap. Decide on the hours your customers need, then test spoken and written English on real tickets. For US daytime calls, Latin America needs no night shift. For overnight cover, the Philippines and India work US nights during their own day.
Which country is best for hiring developers?
Published figures for developers vary more within each market than between them, because seniority and stack matter so much. Compare on a paid test and on how much your team needs live overlap. The software developer salary page has every country side by side, including Eastern Europe.