Cost of living in the Philippines - 2017

Never been to Bukidnon. I can say if heat, polution and health concerns are an issue I would avoid Manila, Cebu and Davao but I would also try to be close if getting to quality health care is of concern. Of all the places I have been (and there have been more than twenty) Dumagette might be a consideration. As well as San Carlos. And Iloilo.

Each have some city amenities. Development, giving you housing choices. An existing expat community. And good vquality of life - at least to me.

Again, my advice is try it for a while before deciding.


Good luck
Wayne

Thanks so much

Hi Dandunn,

As you mentioned you lived in Cebu city, should i consider the amount mentioned above related to Cebu. I m planning to move to cebu and will live for a year or so. Please help me out to understand the actual expenses. I will live alone as I am single. I will work near to Cebu IT park. I expect a good and decent lifestyle in around 20 to 24K pesos. I dont smoke and i would prefer eating outside except weekends. I will use Aircon around 10 hours when I am at home as it will be humid there, I am a social drinker and Socialize my life around in bars and pub (Not too much, once in a month),
I am concerned about my saving. I would like to save little more than what I am saving right now in India.
Please advise.

Hello Davtjo . Yes I see a lot of foreigners living on high money and complaining , I live well on an ordinary Pension , but I did buy and build my house and Lot 7 years ago . I am in Northern Samar , but have been to Davao 3 times , should of gone there , it's always greener on the other side 😁

The main problem I see in Philippines is medical care! That's why I would never give up Germany as my home and first domicile. Tens of  years I paid huge amount for health insurance here. Here my insurance covers almost everything. There in Philippines I must pay from my own pocket or saving! Anyone has good experience with private insurance company just for Philippines? With private insurance is so tricky, you only know how good the company is if it comes that they must pay.

John Les wrote:

The main problem I see in Philippines is medical care! That's why I would never give up Germany as my home and first domicile. Tens of  years I paid huge amount for health insurance here. Here my insurance covers almost everything. There in Philippines I must pay from my own pocket or saving! Anyone has good experience with private insurance company just for Philippines? With private insurance is so tricky, you only know how good the company is if it comes that they must pay.

We use self-pay and PhilHealth. I am told that major international insurers are okay for use here. In smaller towns and hospitals it may require payment by you and then be reimbursed by your provider. I've been here almost 15 years now and long ago took the time to find good doctors and hospitals. Lots of downsides to living here but none that can not be overcome -- well, except for substandard internet service. But that's a whole different subject matter  .

Nuvali Santa Rosa looks nice. Not far from Manila but more bang for your buck than Makati.

Hi,

Yes Santa Rosa looks nice around the Nuvali  area, West of city centre along Tagatay Road. Open spaces, wide roads and amenities and property prices are reasonable.

However having made a visit to the Laguna, Cavite, Batangas area early this year I'm afraid as a UK pensioner that retiring to the Philippines is not economically viable. My Filpina partner (of 8 years and also of pension age) and I have been researching the possibilities of retirement taking into account housing, living,medical, etc costs. For retirees with a basic pension from other western countries than the UK it may still be viable. But for UK retirees on a basic state pension and a small private pension (my ex wife takes half of my private pension as divorce settlement - UK law) I would have a better standard of living staying here. Reasons:

I live in an housing association (council) apartment for £450 month, Rates £75 (minus Housing/Rate benefit of £450 month) means "my housing costs are about £75 month" - I receive benefits since my private pension is low about £300 month, State pension about £600 a month.

So after housing costs I have about £825 month for food, elec/gas/water, etc. By careful monitoring usage and shopping at poundshops and supermarkets in the evenings when the 'Reduced to Clear' food is available at half price I can survive well on this budget.

From what I have seen and heard from the Philippines I would be spending about the same + having to pay for housing costs (no benefits). Coming to about the same £825 month.

The big issue that makes my retirement to the Philippines is Health Insurance. Here in the UK 'God Bless the National Health Service (NHS)' I pay nothing for medicines, GP's and full hospital treatment.

Being an expat in the Philippines we Brits lose our free NHS, so we can not travel back to the UK for treatment. The Government made this change a few years back, which for retirees like myself having worked for 50 years paying National Insurance every year it is a 'Rip Off'. I understand for those younger UK expats who are no longer paying National Insurance in the UK that they should not get the NHS benefit for free. But for those of us who have paid into the system all their lives why take the benefit away !!!!!!!.

That's the end of my rant for now, will be interested in all  your replies/opinions.

PS: Besides I will miss Football and Cricket, did manage to see a cricket match in Dasmarinas. Also  considered India as retirement location, but visa restrictions!!!!

kilgore99 wrote:

Hi,

Yes Santa Rosa looks nice around the Nuvali  area, West of city centre along Tagatay Road. Open spaces, wide roads and amenities and property prices are reasonable.

However having made a visit to the Laguna, Cavite, Batangas area early this year I'm afraid as a UK pensioner that retiring to the Philippines is not economically viable. My Filpina partner (of 8 years and also of pension age) and I have been researching the possibilities of retirement taking into account housing, living,medical, etc costs. For retirees with a basic pension from other western countries than the UK it may still be viable. But for UK retirees on a basic state pension and a small private pension (my ex wife takes half of my private pension as divorce settlement - UK law) I would have a better standard of living staying here. Reasons:

I live in an housing association (council) apartment for £450 month, Rates £75 (minus Housing/Rate benefit of £450 month) means "my housing costs are about £75 month" - I receive benefits since my private pension is low about £300 month, State pension about £600 a month.

So after housing costs I have about £825 month for food, elec/gas/water, etc. By careful monitoring usage and shopping at poundshops and supermarkets in the evenings when the 'Reduced to Clear' food is available at half price I can survive well on this budget.

From what I have seen and heard from the Philippines I would be spending about the same + having to pay for housing costs (no benefits). Coming to about the same £825 month.

The big issue that makes my retirement to the Philippines is Health Insurance. Here in the UK 'God Bless the National Health Service (NHS)' I pay nothing for medicines, GP's and full hospital treatment.

Being an expat in the Philippines we Brits lose our free NHS, so we can not travel back to the UK for treatment. The Government made this change a few years back, which for retirees like myself having worked for 50 years paying National Insurance every year it is a 'Rip Off'. I understand for those younger UK expats who are no longer paying National Insurance in the UK that they should not get the NHS benefit for free. But for those of us who have paid into the system all their lives why take the benefit away !!!!!!!.

That's the end of my rant for now, will be interested in all  your replies/opinions.

PS: Besides I will miss Football and Cricket, did manage to see a cricket match in Dasmarinas. Also  considered India as retirement location, but visa restrictions!!!!

I've lived here for many years but am not familiar with your currency vs the US dollar.
Thing is that the area(s) you mention as possible places to live here are or can be expensive. There are many other locations in country that would probably be most affordable for you and your wife. As an example, we live in Central Luzon in a rural area outside of Angeles City. Including rent, food, and most everything else we usually spend only about $700us dollars per month. On that amount we are raising 4 children.
We eat well and do the things we like within reason and thanks to my wifes abilities at budgeting it all works out---well, most of the time. Point is there is always a way to make things work. Especially in the Philippines where the cost of living is low in the right places.
Medical is another issue though. We usually just pay cash and use PhilHealth insurance. Nothing in life has a guarantee and things are always changing. But in my view, the options here are greater than in any of our home countries.
Try looking around more and really dig for information before you give up.
You might just be glad you did.

Navajo52

My wife is a teacher in Lapu-Lapu city and she is an Philippine, she earnening 30-35' php and I working in the North Sea area as a chef, and a make 400' php every month, but I have to pay the trips, now I will go down to 8 weeks per year, and still making 1.6” php per year.

Our budget is 600.000 per year to spend on everything.
And we saving 500.000 php every year.

Our budget to build a bungalow is 6.000.000 php because my wife have the land of 2000 square meters on the island of Olango island.

What else should we thinking about????

Stefan s

I suggest we adjust/convert the GBP 900 to $$USD, than to PHp to get the best understanding for expats that may be tuned in globally. 

When we start with GBP 900 we get ~ USD $ 1200 or ~ PHp 60,700.00/month budget.  A person can find many places to live in the higher elevation cities of Cavite, outside of the Tagaytay City center (i.e., Alfonso, Amedeo, Silang, Mendez etc.) for PHp 8-12K/month.  Assuming a 2 person family; utilities at PHp 4K/month, internet at PHp 2K/month, misc at PHp3k/month and food at PHp20K/month, there are expats in this area that are doing well on less than Php60K/month income/retirement. 

The medical coverage is an issue for sure.  In my situation, my coverage from the USA is not valid here (pending VA claims may soon remedy that).  However, when I balanced my current age (mid 60's) and health (with family history: parents passing at 90 & 91 with few major problems until about 6 month prior to passing) and the cost of local service for medical care, I elected to come to the Philippines and to remain in the Tagaytay City area. 

I believe a person with this budget range that can save Php 15k/month during any given year (i.e., set aside Php 180K/year) may be able to do ok when a medical situation hits. Obviously, each of our situations are different along with our retirement benefits varying from country to country.  That said, my personal choice was to select a location where the air, water and temperatures would be the best for my health and where I would not be forced to sleep under A/C nightly.  Tagaytay area meets these requirements most of the time.  YMMV for sure.

Regards

Hola a Todos.

Mexico city here; I was reading the posts, a lot of mixed info (I do not live in Philippines and have never been there) but I might move there at the end of the year; the company that I work at right now might send me, so for what I am reading if I make around 1800-2200 USD a month it will be a enough to have a decent life.
Now my questions is, what is a good area to search for a place to live in manila? I do not want a expensive or fancy in front of central park place, but something like middle class kinda place.

Happy new year everyone.

HI there I am not sure where you will be working in as Philippines is a big place, my guess is Manila right? but any way for that just search real estate in Manila, or if you can find privet owners and rent from them, hard maybe to do from there, you need to be here, but short term rent is god till you find what you like and learn about your surroundings, but with 1800 to 2200 USD a Month, well my Man for that much money you can live like a king, you can have what ever you wish for you never have to clean or cook for your self again, I am serious ok you can have beautiful life here for that money and you will never want to leave again.

Yes, it will be Manila.
Thank you, it will be my wife and me. So i am looking for a calmed life. I am from a crazy city, a big one so the chaos, I think, will not be a big issue. Is more about the life and basic things.

Thanks again

amrivas wrote:

Yes, it will be Manila.
Thank you, it will be my wife and me. So i am looking for a calmed life. I am from a crazy city, a big one so the chaos, I think, will not be a big issue. Is more about the life and basic things.

Thanks again

You may want to consider reviewing the greater Manila area or what is called the "NCR" (National Capital Region).  Major cities within the NCR spread across and intersect in complex ways within the NCR.  There are nice areas and not so nice areas in most of these cities, if city dwelling is your preference.  Some of your decision points may center around which city your new job will be in and it's proximity to your desired life style.  Nonetheless, researching in this manner may give you the best answers you need.  The NCR cities include:
Caloocan City (North)
Caloocan City (South)
Las Piñas
Makati
Malabon
Mandaluyong
Manila
Marikina
Muntinlupa
Navotas
Parañaque
Pasay City
Pasig
Pateros
Quezon City (districts/streets)
Quezon City (postal codes)
San Juan
Taguig
Valenzuela

The Manila NCR structure is very similar to Mexico City's sixteen "Delegaciones" (mayoralties or boroughs) and it's included "Distrito Federal's areas".  In general, the Mexican Boroughs in each sate are like large Filipino Barangays in each Region.  Los Angeles California is similar with the "Greater LA Area" encompassing many cities and even rural areas, all within the "Country of Los Angeles". 

Being a naive Californian, I am always considering "Seismic Activity" potentials...... so if you are concerned with earthquake fault lines in the NCR and you are considering a high-rise condo in the NCR, you may want to overlay this info within your search parameters:  http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/scitech/ … ult/story/


Happy researching and welcome to the PI.

There are bad apples everywhere but its 100% not true the mds are inferior in the Philippines. I know tons of them in the US and have visited them in their country.
The country offers free clinics for the poor with good quality MDs. Or you can go the private pay route.
Ignorance is free everywhere.

well, living expenses have gone UP every year.

you might get some idea's here: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/calculator.jsp

anyhow it very much deepens on your lifestyle. with the money we spend in  manila we could also live very well in germany. the philippines are only cheap if you live like a taxi-driver..

Well said jobanana

I read what you wrote about costs of delivering babies. My wife and I are blessed in that respect. I was a paramedic/medic and have delivered 10 so far, to include a set of triplets and I have full medic gear with me so we get to skip that part!

Well Good Afternoon Campers & Fellow Expats,
Long time listener/reader and posted very little…Mea Ah Cupla.
This is coming from Kabul as I am a true OFW (Overseas Foreign Worker) via East Texas.
As to the cost of living well it depends on the following:
1.    Renting a condo
2.    Renting an apartment
3.    Own your Home/s
I fall under #3, 2 of them in fact and paid after lunches etc etc $65K USD for the little house in Das Marinas and am finishing up on the retirement place in Abra that is coming in near $95K USD.
It also has the well being dug, holding tank, and the little goodies I wanted.
Monthly costs are a tad bit cheaper down south of metro Manila where $950 USD covers all needs.
Food, drinking water, propane, trips to Kadiwa (fish & meats) veggies, cell phone loads hikes to the SM Mall Pala-Pala for Gerry's Grill once in a while and kick-butt Pandesal…yummy.
Costs up in Abra are tiny bit more for half the items (Her Seafood is more but meat is cheaper yard bird (chicken) comes in two flavors no less (local & regular white looking critters). She and the family were surprised that the new Joe in town could pluck a bird as fast as they can…bwhahah grew up on a farm.
The only thing I haven't priced out yet is the home Satellite system for Internet & TV, and of course the 40 KW Generator for the house up in Abra.
Hope it helps out and as my Baby Ko    says when in those horrendous traffic jams…”life is funnier in the Philippines”

The doctor I use in the province has his medical degree from the United States has a lab, 11 bed hospital and pharmacy he is very good his father and mother both doctors educated in the USA