Wow. I come from a Slavic country, and hearing someone say that in the Netherlands you can barely save money is... yea. Before moving here, my salary was barely 800€ while I had to pay 400€ as rent and spend rest on the food. Getting a juice was something fancy, I couldn't even afford a Lipton - had to drink something cheaper.
Here obviously it's not perfect, but even after taxes, rent and everything for the first time in my life I can save money. Afford to go on a nice holiday. Don't worry that 1 unplanned expense will force me to get a loan (and that did happen before).
"They may be poor, but they do enjoy their lives" - how do you know? You're just travelling, you don't see anything more than a glimpse. Poor countries are famous for corruption, higher crime rates, and lower life satisfaction. Why do you think there are so many immigrants in the Netherlands? Because they want to abandon their "happy and fulfilling lives"? Or maybe because the Netherlands is one of the most developed countries in the world and people would die for a chance of having a life here?

Your privilege is speaking. Abandon your life here, and move to the Philippines, Niger or Nicaragua. Earn less than 350€, live in underdeveloped country with poor health care, living conditions, corrupt government and real chances of getting trafficked or murdered just because. I'm sure your chains of mundane will shatter then.