The article isn't insinuating that various expenses are coming out of a basic salary, it is simply breaking down the cost of living.
The value of this report is to hopefully answer the repeated question from Western expats asking "Is this offer enough?"
With a breakdown of all expenses, an offer can be lookied at point by point. If a package is offered and allowances are in the range of this report, then they need only to look at the basic salary and decide if it's worth the move.