The verb exist has 2 senses (first 2 from tagged texts)
1. (113) exist, be -- (have an existence, be extant; "Is there a God?")
2. (5) exist, survive, live, subsist -- (support oneself; "he could barely exist on such a low wage"; "Can you live on $2000 a month in New York City?"; "Many people in the world have to subsist on $1 a day")