I'm new here. Can I live well on $1800 a month in Cebu

This is a great thread!
So much useful and clear information!

I am also relocating to the Philippines, possibly late this year, in december or early next year in january. There are some factors at play, but I am definately moving.

Like many others who seek out a new life in Phili, I am retired, albeit at an early age, I am only 37! My reason for the early retirement is mostly medical, but it is not something life-threatening or needs special meds. Does not require medication or treatment by professionals at all actually, just freedom and ability to control my own days and life.

My monthly income will be around *** with todays exchange rates, looks like that should be enough to take a big load off my shoulders. Here in Norway I'm almost considered poor!!

Anywhooooo.... Long enough text, don't want to be a bore!
Just sharing some thoughts

Good luck!  You can provide me with a small monthly stipend and still live very well.  I have about a dozen Norwegians that I play snooker/billiards/pool with and they like to drink but are all nice men

Haha, yeah we Norwegians are known for our taste for drink.. Not too fond of it myself, I'll have a few beers, sure. But thats it.

Looking forward to going, and hope the months fly by quickly!

I am in Cebu, Lapu-lapu City, Basangay (village) Basak.  If you are ever in the neighborhood just email me thru Expat or zarcon18@hotmail.com

Sincerely,

Arnold

Will do Arnold!
Thank you!

I am not sure about Cebu, but I have lived in Davao City for 4 years now on $1,084 USD a month and can support myself and my family comfortably. Dont know the rules in Thailand about property ownership but here in the Philippines foreigners are not allowed to own property unless its condominiums. I do have a friend in Cebu who is enjoying life on just his SSI check

Hello,

I lived for two years in Manila with my wife and her family.
Cost about $1,200 a month for transportation, groceries, eating in fast food restaurants often, and occasional visits to hospitals.

It should be easy to live on $1,800 a month in Cebu.
Have been to Cebu.

Read more advice at my blog at: timotraveling.blogspot.com
Start with the last article on the page (that was actually my first blog entry). The most recent is at the top left.

Most important advice is DO NOT live near Pig or Poultry farms.
You can get very sick from airborne bacteria from pig farms and you will be surrounded by flies often if living near poulty or pig farms. Been there done that while living in Magalang, Pampange, Luzon. Was diagnosed with bacteria in a lung.

can't get in without registering and timotraveling.blogspot.com does not appear in search results but TY

Hi. R u now in philippines? Why don't u try to live in manila?

AHAHAH

mugtech wrote:

Being a chef it should be easy on $1,800/month.  You will be able to make your own baluts.

Hi man ,,

I lived in CEBU with 1300 Eur ,,,, that's great enough if a part of your living is a little .... filipino .
Otherwise this is anyway enough , if you rent , fix and avoid hotels ,, in this case , 1800 Usd is very very very very enough .
Just consider average income is around 200 Eur / month , ok ?

Kd rgds

My friend , sure , cause life in Cebu is very pleasant ... Most of foreigner make nightmares in Mnl ,,, don't be sad , i love Manilla but maybe i am the only crazy foreigner , ahah     

jak123 wrote:

Hi. R u now in philippines? Why don't u try to live in manila?

You'll be tight - rents to foreigners are going up - I reckon you need US$2000.00 plus housing plus car to be comfortable

Domestic electricity in the Philippines is among the highest rates in the world - medical is awful but much more expensive than Thailand

Philippines is much more 3rd world than Thailand and they will continue to fall behind because of the simply terrible political system

The people are friendly when they think they can get something from you but that's as far as it goes

Hope this helps

ahahah , yes this helps that new people r scared to come ,, ok , do not show the map of the beach , ur right ;-)

petehuk wrote:

You'll be tight - rents to foreigners are going up - I reckon you need US$2000.00 plus housing plus car to be comfortable

Domestic electricity in the Philippines is among the highest rates in the world - medical is awful but much more expensive than Thailand

Philippines is much more 3rd world than Thailand and they will continue to fall behind because of the simply terrible political system

The people are friendly when they think they can get something from you but that's as far as it goes

Hope this helps

petehuk wrote:

You'll be tight - rents to foreigners are going up - I reckon you need US$2000.00 plus housing plus car to be comfortable

Domestic electricity in the Philippines is among the highest rates in the world - medical is awful but much more expensive than Thailand

Philippines is much more 3rd world than Thailand and they will continue to fall behind because of the simply terrible political system

The people are friendly when they think they can get something from you but that's as far as it goes

Hope this helps

And you still live in Cebu because......?

petehuk wrote:

You'll be tight - rents to foreigners are going up - I reckon you need US$2000.00 plus housing plus car to be comfortable

Not even close to being true. I'm living quite pleasantly in an overpriced apartment and spending under PHP50k/month. I have more than that available, but I don't need it.

I realize it's possible to spend almost any amount, here as elsewhere, but it's certainly not necessary to spend anything close to "US$2000.00 plus housing plus car to be comfortable."

Figure on $1100-$1200/month including housing. A car is not necessary (depending on where you live).

no , i returned France , but i go every 5 month because my wife get something from me , aha , come on ,, sir serial expat ..don't be like that , ..;-)
seriously i could not leave my easy good job there in france , but really 1800 usd is far enough , seriously ? and really twice , i would love to fix there ...

For me. I could never live in Manila or even Cebu city. That is why so many foreigners are now living in the provinces. Besides the much cheaper cost of living, the quality of life far surpasses that of big cities.
The island of Cebu is probably the best option as one can drive to Cebu City when required.
Leyte Island has become another expat hotspot. Dwellers in Ormoc can get the supercat to Cebu in a time of 2hrs. Ormoc is a nice clean city. Tacloban is another choice, but I find the city centre a bit 'old'.
Further south in Southern Leyte is the City of Maasin and the town of Sogod. There is a large expat population between these areas and most of the diving resorts are owned and managed by expats. In Maasin, a modern two-bedroomed townhouse costs between 4k and 6k per month. one bedroomed appartments start at about P2k. A beer in a proper restaurant is about 60 pesos going up to 70p or so in some hotels.

With $1,800? Sure! You can live like a king.

Wish people would quit using the phrase "Live like a king' on only xxx. It all depends on your lifestyle. Most will get married, have kids, support relatives, schools, get sick, need to travel back home for some reason, $1800 doesnt go that far. Modest lifestyle, yes. Like a king - no.

$1,800 can go far or not so far depending on where you live. Most will revolve around the rent you pay. far cheaper in province In the province yes and city no.  A guy supporting a GF, Wife and family no. Very subjective speaking. yourlifeinthephilippines.com

Hey there ChefWayne..

Ok.. I know everyone cant help but to throw in their two cents to your exponentially growing post,
but, I would like to throw you a small differently colored bone here !

You posted (   I didn't want to fly into Manila and Cebu is about the only other choice.From there I plan
on looking around to find a place that is a good fit for me.  ) and my reply / advice on this goes...

Manila and Cebu are NOT Your only choices for inbound travel to the Phils.  You can catch a OW or RT
from Bangkok direct non stop into Clark International Airport "CRK " (Formerly a US Air Base which is
located 3 miles from Angeles City, 20 miles from Subic Bay and about 40 miles NW of Manila ) on
Tiger Air for approximately $65 -$75 OW.

This can be a gateway for You to many other locales and options.. For instance, there is Zambales
Province ( in the Central Luzon Region of the main island ) which has a couple hundred miles of
coastline facing the So. China Sea. There is Mt. Pinatubo in the area and I believe something like
upwards of 30+ beach resorts, there are small towns and mid sized cities to visit as well..

I just thought I would take a minute or two to add to your available options... I have spent a good amount
of time since 2002 off an on wandering that coastline... Beautiful area..

Good luck on your trip to the Phils... It is a great place..  ( YES.. In my opinion !! )
As in life.. It is what You make it !

JB

Uhh ohh... I guess my posting was a bit too late for the Chef... Ohh well !  I suppose I should have read
Pg. 4 of the thread B4 posting..  Still.. I hope I added at least a small amount of good info !

Cheers

I think It depends on your lifestyle.

G'day folks,

I've read this topic from start to end and have found lots of yeah's and no's and great infor for living in what I'd call southern Luzon, but have read no mention of northern. (Unless my map reading skills have deteriorated that badly )

I'm over the materialistic thing and just want to live a 'reasonably comfortable' life when I call it quits with work and was after advice about living in the 'northern' parts of Luzon.

I've got the usual questions that everyone else does, so feel free to enlighten me on the pro's and con's of living further to the north.

Cheers from DownUnda

Senutyenool wrote:

G'day folks,

I've read this topic from start to end and have found lots of yeah's and no's and great infor for living in what I'd call southern Luzon, but have read no mention of northern. (Unless my map reading skills have deteriorated that badly )

I'm over the materialistic thing and just want to live a 'reasonably comfortable' life when I call it quits with work and was after advice about living in the 'northern' parts of Luzon.

I've got the usual questions that everyone else does, so feel free to enlighten me on the pro's and con's of living further to the north.

Cheers from DownUnda

The topic is Cebu, but I can tell you about Ilocos Sur and Norte.  There are few westerners around, I need to go to Vigan usually to see Americanos.  The beaches are not as good as down south, with the surf almost non-existant and many stony beaches.  Vigan is a beautiful old Spanish city with all the modern touches, including frequent electric brown outs.  The beaches further north up past Laoag, the closet airport, are quite undeveloped and land was cheap last I looked a few years ago.  What else do you want to know?

Thanks very much for that, happy to travel and see the 'perfect' beaches, but if I did that I would just travel to North Queensland

I'm more after the cultural aspects as I believe that if you want to fit in you need to reasonably act like a local and to do that you need to meet them.  And they're usually not in 'popular' cities.

Oh, and point me to the right topic so that this thread doesn't get hijacked.

Cheers

There are some nice museums in Vigan, plus you can  take rides on a horse with a buggy behind (calista).  Do you have a Philippines connection, like perhaps a wife?  Things like meeting people go a lot smoother if you have a local language expert.  Although English is taught in the schools, many drop out early or just don't use it for years, especially in the provinces away from the big cities.  The main language is Ilocano, not Tagolog, adding another layer of understanding required.  If you are Catholic, then church is a good place to meet people, and Sunday Mass is one of the few events that usually starts on time.  Good luck.

Am riding up to Vigan on Friday and to La Union on Sat before heading back to Manila on Sun. Typhoon Odette is skimming over the top of N Luzon, seems to have more than its fair share of bad weather, so also figure that into living there.

Thanks to both mugtech and dhnindc lot's of useful info for me to think over.

Oh, and typhoon's don't really worry me, not much different than our cyclones, just named differently

Cheers

$1K is more than enough to live VERY comfortably in Cebu, some expats live on just $500 a month including rental.

You're right friend ,, they just must not go to the radisson ,, but live like filipinos , ahah ...not so easy ..
At the beginning of this post , i reminded average income was around 200/250 USD/Month   

Peter1965 wrote:

$1K is more than enough to live VERY comfortably in Cebu, some expats live on just $500 a month including rental.

SInce you have lived in Thailand, you will be familiar with everyone trying and successfully cheating you. All the girls you meet will have family emergencies and need to borrow money.  All.  You will find if you hang around many Pinoy's, they will also need money.  And you will have the pleasure of paying the bill when you have a few drinks with them.  Hotels are very expensive.  Groceries are very expensive.  Electricity is very expensive. Restaurants with good food are very expensive. I have lived in Vietnam, Cambodia and China and the Philippines is the most expensive.  Good luck but always be suspicious.

why are you leaving thailand? i have been to both and Thailand is my choice; however, each has its own merit.

ahah , protecting the territory ...

garyww wrote:

SInce you have lived in Thailand, you will be familiar with everyone trying and successfully cheating you. All the girls you meet will have family emergencies and need to borrow money.  All.  You will find if you hang around many Pinoy's, they will also need money.  And you will have the pleasure of paying the bill when you have a few drinks with them.  Hotels are very expensive.  Groceries are very expensive.  Electricity is very expensive. Restaurants with good food are very expensive. I have lived in Vietnam, Cambodia and China and the Philippines is the most expensive.  Good luck but always be suspicious.

If only that were true.  I am leaving as soon as my lease is up.  Probably back to Viet Nam.  I have been here 4 months and have not met any Pinay that has not asked for money.  I don't go to bars or on the street to pick up girls.  Just normal girls.  Need phones, money , etc.  Very tiring.

It depends on the social life. Thailand is Buddist and Cebu is Catholic. People seem very different. It is possible to live on even less but what you do costs so the less you have the less you do. Life always comes down to routines it seems. Living as a tourist or as a residents makes a difference. Land can run 1000 peso a square meter. Only a filipina can own it. I spent time in both places. Seems Banking is easier in the Philippines. It is island life and shipping is high. As you get older you get interested in stability. Life is best with family. The cost is less in Dumaguete , Cebu is to busy for me.

Hello! I think You can live well in cebu with that amount or a little more depending on your lifestyle. But for rent and other expenses I think its well enough

I don't even spent $1800 a month here in the U.S.  With rent as low as $150 a month I would think that you could live on $500 a month or less.  Most people there make less than $5000 a year and they get by ok. 

Am I missing something?

Mike Wei wrote:

I don't even spent $1800 a month here in the U.S.  With rent as low as $150 a month I would think that you could live on $500 a month or less.  Most people there make less than $5000 a year and they get by ok. 

Am I missing something?

What you may be missing is the word 'well' in the heading: "Can I live well on $1800 a month in Cebu". The definition of living well is subjective, of course, but I don't think most westerners would consider the lifestyle of the average Filipino to fit into their definition.

So yes, certainly one can live here on very, very little. Most Filipinos, as you note, do so. But the sort of place you could rent for $150 in Cebu City would horrify most Americans.

I've been spending about $1100 or so and been happy.

I understand what you are saying.  Are you already living in Cebu?  If so about what is the monthly rent that you have to pay? 

Thanks.

Mike: I am paying 18,000PHP ($400+) per month. That's too high, and I could do just as well for probably 12k or so. We live and learn.

As in most places, the location is very important in the pricing. One reason I'm paying so much is because I'm centrally located (near Fuente Osmena). That saves me some money/time because I can walk to most anything. Housing is much cheaper on Mactan or other outer areas.

I posted my monthly budget on this thread. It was several months ago, bu not much has changed.