Cost of living in Manila

Hello Aarizfayez,

It will depend on your lifestyle. Your children will be attending what kind of school ?

Till members provide you their insights, feel free to do some research here > https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Manila

All the best,
Bhavna

Hi Aarizfayez and welcome to the forum, Bhavna offers good advice "depends on your lifestyle" and with Numbeo, plenty of figures and facts but generalised and not exactly site specific.
Google will be your best friend as well as expat sites such as this.

We lived in Sta Cruz just north of Manila proper some 12 Kms from Makati, 3 bed, 3 bath, the 3rd bed and bath were maids quarters and became our junk room,,,,, very tiny. Negotiated rent for 12 months was PHP 25K per month, no condo dues as it was a new building and from memory was about 85 M2 with 2 balconies, A/C, swimming pool etc. in the complex.
Similar condo's around Makati area were PHP 40 to 60K and up.
We chose that area because it was only 3 kilometres to my better halves workplace, 10 mins on a bike. "traffic"!!! And at least halved the rent problem and an easier commute to Benjie's workplace daily.

Our budget in Manila was about (what we spent) 100K per month all up but we are drinkers and smoke lot's, eat out a fair amount of time etc. No children, good lifestyle, public transport apart from 1 motorbike for work travel. That was 6 or 7 years ago. We moved back to Australia for other work commitments.
Earlier this year we moved into our house and lot that we purchased a few years ago, 5 hours drive north of Sta Cruz  Manila so no rent or mortgage and in a province with most services available, but property maintenance, minimal Barangay rates, new car, new bike maintenance, insurances, rego's, house insurance etc. We kept the budget the same (100K) and seem to have 10 to 20K every month, sometimes 30K surplus. HOLIDAYS.

All aside if you are seeking advice from members here you could offer up more details to gain more accurate info: Your proposed/offered area for employment, private or public tuition for your children, lifestyle preferences, transport requirements and the list goes on.
Hope you find some answers to your questions, good luck and as said do offer specific info to gain better answers/responses.

Cheers, Steve.

Thanks alot ,,

Bhavna wrote:

Hello Aarizfayez,

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Manila

That source provides great details. In fact, comments from foreign peoples are very informational.

What would a monthly expense of 204,340PHP command in terms of living comfort in the Philippines  especially in Tagaytay?

robal

robal wrote:

What would a monthly expense of 204,340PHP command in terms of living comfort in the Philippines  especially in Tagaytay?

robal

The best of everything is available for about half of that amount.

mugtech wrote:

robal wrote:

What would a monthly expense of 204,340PHP command in terms of living comfort in the Philippines  especially in Tagaytay?

robal

The best of everything is available for about half of that amount.

Thanks for the info. How about the cost of living in Santa or Vigan? I might also come and visit to see what changed after 23 years.

robal wrote:

mugtech wrote:

robal wrote:

What would a monthly expense of 204,340PHP command in terms of living comfort in the Philippines  especially in Tagaytay?

robal

The best of everything is available for about half of that amount.

Thanks for the info. How about the cost of living in Santa or Vigan? I might also come and visit to see what changed after 23 years.

We own our house, real estate taxes are about 1000 pesos/year.  No a.c. but many fans, electric about 3,000 pesos/month.  Internet, not strong, 1,000 pesos/month.  Cable tv with two NBA channels, other ESPN channels doing Thursday night, Sunday night and Monday night NFL games live on Friday, Monday and Tuesday mornings.  Just watched the Patriots suffer their first loss against the Ravens.  Also 1,000 pesos/month  People tell me the food here is more expensive than other big city areas of the Philippines,  but I don't see it that way.  Plenty of markets and supermarkets have most everything.  Some fine restaurants with almost all Filipino foods available, even a Boodle Fight for hands on types.

mugtech wrote:

robal wrote:

mugtech wrote:

The best of everything is available for about half of that amount.

Thanks for the info. How about the cost of living in Santa or Vigan? I might also come and visit to see what changed after 23 years.

We own our house, real estate taxes are about 1000 pesos/year.  No a.c. but many fans, electric about 3,000 pesos/month.  Internet, not strong, 1,000 pesos/month.  Cable tv with two NBA channels, other ESPN channels doing Thursday night, Sunday night and Monday night NFL games live on Friday, Monday and Tuesday mornings.  Just watched the Patriots suffer their first loss against the Ravens.  Also 1,000 pesos/month  People tell me the food here is more expensive than other big city areas of the Philippines,  but I don't see it that way.  Plenty of markets and supermarkets have most everything.  Some fine restaurants with almost all Filipino foods available, even a Boodle Fight for hands on types.

Is there a supermarket now in Santa? So Vigan must now be very developed.

robal wrote:

Is there a supermarket now in Santa? So Vigan must now be very developed.

No, still have to go to Vigan, where there are at least two plus a mall.  Vigan has many restaurants, department stores, couple of Jollibees, Chow King, many drug stores.  Book stores very sparse, and ones I've ordered never came in.  Got Stieg Larson books cheaper than online or USA prices.  Starting very soon Vigan has a 30 minute Christmas show in the square with water, lights and music at 7:30 PM on some weeknights.  Those are the only nights I have ever seen a traffic jam in Vigan.  Royal Caribbean has three stops scheduled for ships to tender into Salomague on 12/26/19, 01/06/20 and 02/26/20.  The ships all have over 4,000 passengers plus crew, should be quite the event.  Just visited Port Salomague last week, dock was closed for improvements.

mugtech wrote:

robal wrote:

Is there a supermarket now in Santa? So Vigan must now be very developed.

No, still have to go to Vigan, where there are at least two plus a mall.  Vigan has many restaurants, department stores, couple of Jollibees, Chow King, many drug stores.  Book stores very sparse, and ones I've ordered never came in.  Got Stieg Larson books cheaper than online or USA prices.  Starting very soon Vigan has a 30 minute Christmas show in the square with water, lights and music at 7:30 PM on some weeknights.  Those are the only nights I have ever seen a traffic jam in Vigan.  Royal Caribbean has three stops scheduled for ships to tender into Salomague on 12/26/19, 01/06/20 and 02/26/20.  The ships all have over 4,000 passengers plus crew, should be quite the event.  Just visited Port Salomague last week, dock was closed for improvements.

Port Salomague... that´s a new port in Vigan or Caoayan? And where´s the Royal caribbean coming from or homeported at? Wow, what an improvement!

Cabugao is the municipality next to the port, also close to Sabang, the surfing capital of Ilocos Sur.  About a 50 minute trip north of Vigan, thinking the ship is listed as 7AM to 5PM  so the first tenders will probably hit the docks about 8AM, and most folks coming ashore will want to visit Vigan.  Royal Caribbean is not offering any land tours booked through the ship for Salomague but has at least three listed for ever other port.  Cruises are out of Hong Kong on Spectrum of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas, all also dock a day at Subic and the nine day one on Quantum includes Manila and two stops in Vietnam on the way to final destination, Singapore.  Far as I know this is the first time a major line ship is visiting Ilocos.  Celebrity has a cruise next December and another in January, 2021, which stops in Boracay and Puerto Princessa.

mugtech wrote:

Cabugao is the municipality next to the port, also close to Sabang, the surfing capital of Ilocos Sur.  About a 50 minute trip north of Vigan, thinking the ship is listed as 7AM to 5PM  so the first tenders will probably hit the docks about 8AM, and most folks coming ashore will want to visit Vigan.  Royal Caribbean is not offering any land tours booked through the ship for Salomague but has at least three listed for ever other port.  Cruises are out of Hong Kong on Spectrum of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas, all also dock a day at Subic and the nine day one on Quantum includes Manila and two stops in Vietnam on the way to final destination, Singapore.  Far as I know this is the first time a major line ship is visiting Ilocos.  Celebrity has a cruise next December and another in January, 2021, which stops in Boracay and Puerto Princessa.

Cabugao... I remember that place. Fascinating. Thanks!