{"id":169748,"date":"2025-05-23T17:12:30","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T23:12:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/?p=169748"},"modified":"2025-05-29T13:04:30","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T19:04:30","slug":"decent-living-standard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/cities-and-prosperous-communities\/decent-living-standard\/","title":{"rendered":"A Project Exploring the Standard for a Decent Life in Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What does it take to live a decent life in Mexico\u2014and how much does it cost?<\/strong> A team of researchers at Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey is tackling these questions with a method that links the minimum income<\/strong> families need to the essential conditions<\/strong> for a good quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about meeting basic needs\u2014like food<\/a>, decent housing, clothing<\/strong>\u2014as well as having access to good jobs<\/strong>, quality healthcare and education<\/strong>, and even some free time<\/strong>,\u201d explains Christiane Molina<\/a>, a researcher at EGADE Business School<\/a> and the university\u2019s Conscious Enterprise Center<\/strong> (CEC). \u201cIt also includes being informed and connected, living in a safe and stable environment<\/a>, and feeling a sense of belonging in society.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Decent Living Standard<\/strong> project puts forward something like a living wage calculator. It\u2019s inspired by the Minimum Income Standard<\/a> (MIS) developed at Loughborough University<\/strong> in the UK, but it\u2019s tailored to reflect the realities of life in Mexico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through this initiative, the team hopes to pinpoint what it takes for various types of households across Mexico to meet a basic\u2014but decent\u2014living standard<\/strong>. Not luxurious, but certainly more than just scraping by. The idea is to calculate how much income it takes to cover each family member\u2019s share of a dignified life<\/strong>. The researchers are also preparing a comprehensive report to support better public policies, business planning, and service delivery\u2014all with the goal of improving overall quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research Toward a Standard for a Decent Life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Mexican Constitution mandates that the minimum wage<\/strong> must meet not only material needs but also social and cultural ones, including the well-being and education<\/a> of workers\u2019 children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Mexico\u2019s general minimum wage<\/a> stands at about 278.80 pesos per day\u2014roughly 8,480.17 pesos per month. Yet the monthly cost of a basic food basket<\/a> alone is around 2,379.47 pesos per person, and when you include other essentials, the total basket reaches 4,680.15 pesos per person. For a family of four, the math is clear: the minimum wage falls short<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building on this reality, researchers at the Conscious Enterprise Center are conducting a study based on three distinct approaches. The first is quantitative<\/strong>, relying on official statistics and economic models to calculate the bare minimum income needed for survival\u2014for instance, based on the number of daily calories a person should consume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that method alone misses a crucial element: people\u2019s lived experiences. That\u2019s why the team also uses a mixed-methods approach<\/strong>, blending statistical data with public consultation. Finally, there\u2019s a qualitative track<\/strong>\u2014similar to the UK\u2019s MIS method\u2014that gathers insights through focus groups<\/strong>. In these sessions, people from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds discuss and reach a consensus on a key question: What does it truly take to live with dignity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis methodology aims to simulate what would happen if you threw the question out to the public and sparked a debate on what\u2019s needed for a decent life,\u201d says Molina. \u201cUnlike other studies where an expert makes the call from behind a desk, here it\u2019s regular people who decide<\/strong>. We\u2019re not in a position to tell someone what their needs should be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group Discussions to Identify Real Needs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The research team is conducting the study in six Mexican cities: Monterrey, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Saltillo, Le\u00f3n, and Veracruz<\/strong>. In each location, they organize discussion groups made up of about ten participants from various socioeconomic backgrounds, reflecting the country\u2019s real demographic mix and ensuring a wide range of perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These sessions take into account different types of families<\/strong>\u2014by age and household composition\u2014including groups with mothers, fathers, children of various ages, and single parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each session, which can last anywhere from three to six hours, begins with a baseline definition of what it means to live a decent life. From there, participants build detailed lists of what families actually need. That might include the quantity and types of clothing a child should have or home services such as internet access, among other essentials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The factors discussed include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n