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

it  doesn't matter  if  your  married  or  not  it  is  available  to foreigners

Cost are about right  if  you shop the  stores in the  Mall but  in the  smaller cities  a lot  cheaper, i go to the  Mall store  to get  a  few  imported items  ,such as  Flour and beans, other  than that i can beat  their  prices, in NCCC Davao they are  a lot  higher  than the  NCCC in Calinan i buy Magnolia Class A whole  Chickens  for  from P99 to P103 in Quantity, i get  sea food  and  beef  from same  wholesaler and  it  is  delivered from Davao to Calinan, i also find  most  hardware is  cheaper  in the  small cities, and  you can deal with them, i raise  my own pork, and  have bananas, coconut,mango pineapple, and  avacato trees we  have  small garden with Squash,tomatoes,okra i get  fresh Cabbage,Lettuce, onions and  other  vegetables from the  sellers who come  down from the  hill every day to sell in the  market, you can't beat the  small cities for  prices you just  won't have  all the  imported things

Hi! First welcome and good luck. I arrived Cebu, Mactan, Lapu Lapu City Sept '12. I came back Nov '13 and my attitude changed drastically in that time.  I always have enjoyed cooking, i love to eat and my son, in Canada, is past pres. of Chef's Ass'n.  Anyway I thought Phil has no cusisine, only food lol. No question that food here pales in comparison to Thai, Indian, Itaian etc etc but be flexible. I am retired and live comfortably on less than 1800.  My rent 2br, 1 cr, kitchen, lr is $4,000, water and electric 2,500. Me, gf and her 10 year old daughter had lunch yesterday 90pesos for 3ppl, dinner 123pesos. These prices are not atypical. Living within 20 min of beaches is good enough for me. BTW on less than 1800 in addition to the expense i mentioned, I also contribute 1,000p weekly to her large extended family of 12, and support another single woman and and and. I love it here.  Also I play snooker/billiards/cards 5 days a week with other expats.

Hey Zarcon:

Man, you're sure right about the food in the Philippines.  It's really terrible.  I was shocked when I saw what they eat and the way they eat here in comparison to S.Korea, Vietnam and (of course) Thailand.

I share an apartment with 3 ladies and I smell the crap they cook and eat, and then watch them eating with their hands....it just boogles my imagination. 

People sometimes say that Philippines culture is unique because it closely parallels US culture.  In some ways maybe that's true but they still have a long way to go.  The lady I share with her, who happens to be very successful with Avon too, even referred to 'fruit cocktail' as expensive.

I can't believe how little fruit the Filipinos eat and how they butcher vegetables beyond recognition.  you can't imagine how much I miss a really good American breakfast.

Regards,
Art

im happy for you enjoy life,you workrd hard for it,i plan to do something simular in the near future.Can you tell me more of MACTAN,if you could?My advice you should start a small bussiness then your living costs goes down.

wow thats great to hear,i wish you the best,you guys are giving great tips,especially for the newbies or rookies,thanks so much.

Wow im very impressed with your thinking,you really have your head on your shoulder,thats the type of thinking i have for the future too.i should be there sometime next year,but dont know exactly where to settle down yet,but for sure it will be in the province,its much better there,im trying to find a spot that doesnt have much rain,i dont like rainy season,hope we can meet someday,ive never been to Davao but its a beautiful city.Thats what my next trip will be to explore my possabilities.Im not that old but will be retired soon.Keep up the good works and help others along the way it will come back to you,as a blessing.Good luck.

Remember we must adjust to each countries culture and style,some use hands others sticks and utenzils,i personally adjust to anything,it makes it much easier,but we do have a few cultural differences,besides i come from a tropical island so its easy for me,im very simple,its best like that because you get undetected hahhahah,but i do understand your point of view,everyone is different with different experiances.

American breakfast?  That's ez and not asking for much. Don't you cook?  It sounds like you don't. Try fried rice with canned corned beef, veggies and an egg mixed in.  Make an omelette but use romano or parmesan 'cause the cheese here is crap. A few parallels I see between US and PH is longitude, latitude, up, down, moon, sun and all that falls into this category. OH people walk upright here too and they are friendly, helpful, polite and kind except Manila. BTW I didn't exactly say food here is terrible. They lack what more cultured nations call cuisine. These people are very friendly despite the fu..g Spanish and Japanese. I like Spain and it's culture but they did not much good for all the nations they plundered. They raped and enslaved the women and killed or enslaved the men and forced Catholicism on the people. Pick and choose and don't wait for someone else to choose for you. Be adventurous, try it maybe you'll like it. You're pretty ugly to be living with 3 ladies lol. How'd you pull that off? And maybe it's not food you're smelling.
About Mactan I hear stories of it being a little unsafe, but, you can;t prove it by me. At 2a.m. a couple months ago I walked from Tamiya to the old bridge which goes to Mandaue and Cebu city and then to home in Brgy Basak (Gaisano Grand Mall. I experience some karaoke bars and street prostitutes and the so called sidewalk had quite a few people chatting, but, didn't encounter anything that came close to a problem. Pretty much everything except for some imported item are pretty cheap. Hey borilove I think it's great you have some crops and a piggery, congrats. As far as starting a business to make money? There are no guarantees of success. I know first hand.  That being said i would like to do something. This being my second stay here my main regret is that i have not travelled around PH. I hope to change that when I come back in Sept '13.

Hello all -> Just to note that some off topic posts have been moved.

Thank you,
Aurélie
Expat.com Team

Quite odd that you have not experienced Filipinos calling you "SIR" in public places, stores, events, movies, etc. Especially since you seem to have knowledge of the PI. I am referred to as SIR where ever I go in the PI.

I always hear people complaining about the food in the Philippines. Yes, there are some dishes which I will not eat, but have never had a problem finding something tasty to eat. Lechon and all the varieties of Adobe come immediately to mind. Then if it's western food, there is not problem finding that as well, everything from western fast food chains to western restaurant franchises. Then comes the up-scale Filipinos places. Sorry, but if you find Filipino food bad, then quit eating crap that came out of a bucket. Just sayin'.

Hi thanks Joe. I have only been here a couple of weeks and I find that I can get good food anytime. I don't know where some of these people look to dine. I'm starting to think they just don't want anymore expats to come to the Philippines.
Spent 6 days in Cebu then some time in Bohol now I'm back in Cebu leaving for Leyte tomorrow. Everything I have seen so far shows me I can live pretty good on $1800 a month. I have been staying in hotels and eating out for all meals and I could still make it on my income.
And I get sir every where I go. I kinda like it. The most polite people I have ever met. That's after spending close to 2 years in the rest of SE Asia including Thailand, Malaysia,Laos and Viet Nam.
I like it here, have to go back to the states for 2 months but I have found the place I will retire to
Thank again

Good on you Wayne. Personally, I am torn between all of the places you mentioned as a place for retirement. Right now, as in this week, the winner appears to be Chiang Mai for a base, where I can live and then go walkabout to other SEA locations. The cost of living is still quite low in CM and it has an international airport in town, so quick hops to the PI, Singapore, KL, Hong Kong are all an affordable flight. Even if I have to connect in BKK. The one thing that gets to me in the PI is the vast poverty that you see everywhere. I'm a soft-hearted guy and it just kills me. Yet there is only so much one person can do. If not for this trait in the PI, I would be there in a New York minute. Davao is second on my list of places to retire though. Cebu, not so much.

yes you can live well on 1800 dollars no worries there .im paying 120 dollars for a 2 bed apartment in cebu foods cheap electric is the main expense i pay about 130 dollars a month with aircon on 24/7

Hey Joe,I love CM and it is still pretty cheap to live there. I also spent 4 months in Udon Thani got a studio there in a newer building for $200 a month TV ,cable,wi-fi,water, electric everything. Only problem it;s pretty rural not much to do.And even the movie theaters only have Thai language movies.
Guess I'll have to go to Davao and check it out.
The poverty gets to me to. It's not as bad as India but still.

Where in Cebu is that?
I have not really looked yet been looking areond the different islands more like a tourist

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Only $120 for a 2BR?

Is it nice?  "In" town?

Art

New house for  rent in subdivision close  to Davao City P4,000 one year contract 2 bed 1 bath paved streets good  water and  electric there  are  so many of  these new house  empty they are  starting to rent them out

I haven't been to Davao yet , how nice are those houses your talking about and where are they?
Or are there a lot of different ones around?

1800 US$ in Philippines, come on, this is a bog money and you can do whatever you want... o yea, whatever if you are not goin to buy the IT park
have fun

Thanks. I did spent 3 weeks looking around. Loved it.
Had to go back to America for 2 months to finish up old stuff. Then moving there

Okieboy wrote:

New house for  rent in subdivision close  to Davao City P4,000 one year contract 2 bed 1 bath paved streets good  water and  electric there  are  so many of  these new house  empty they are  starting to rent them out

It can't be P4,000.00 per year. That's too cheap.

gonzrule wrote:

Okieboy wrote:

New house for  rent in subdivision close  to Davao City P4,000 one year contract 2 bed 1 bath paved streets good  water and  electric there  are  so many of  these new house  empty they are  starting to rent them out

It can't be P4,000.00 per year. That's too cheap.

Probably meant 4,000 a month, year long lease.  $100/month is still very cheap.

That's what I thoght too.....but I assumed it was a monthly figure.

I'll tell you what though.....I see all the building they're doing here in Manila and I see BUBBLE big time. I saw it twice in Houston and I think it'll happen here.  I cannot believe intelligent people pay the prices they're asking for these little cracker box condo/apts that pass for luxurious living here.

I see some of the houses that Filipinos are building though...and many of them look very nice.  Not exactly a 'metro' situation but still...cute.

Art

I just started a new thread, detailing my actual monthly expenditures (about $1250) over the past several months. It might be helpful to some interested in this thread.

Bob

BobH wrote:

I just started a new thread, detailing my actual monthly expenditures (about $1250) over the past several months. It might be helpful to some interested in this thread.

Bob

Thanks Bob, you are a gentleman and a scholar.  This info is very useful.

I know who I want to hang out with when I make my move there! : )
Shipscook that was informative. Several informative posts here thank you all

I see some familiar user names here.

Anyway, I want to address this cost of living topic, as it is one that has been beaten to death on my Cebu Forums over the years.

This question is a very difficult one to answer, simply because of the differences in "creature comforts" each of us appreciates.

While I may be able to live on $1,500 USD per month in a given location within a country, the next guy may not be comfortable on anything less than $3,000. However, we are both living, appreciating our respective standards. Therefore, we are both happy and content with our lifestyles. We simply have differing views on exactly how much it costs to live in a given place.

Personally, I live on a budget anywhere from $1,500 USD to $2,000 USD, per month, and have for many years.

While I am currently in Cambodia (Sihanoukville), I have resided in the Philippines for more than eleven years, primarily in and around the City and Province of Cebu. So, I am aware of various costs in the Philippines.

The best advice I can give anyone who is concerned about an accurate answer to this question is, go to the location you wish to consider living in, long term. Take time to do a bit of research for the things you wish appreciate and the housing where you find your most comfortable with. The the costs for those items will soon let you know if you can comfortably afford to live there - or not.

HTH

Paul

Hi Paul,

Welcome to expat-blog!

Regards,

David.

wanderingsalsero wrote:

That's what I thoght too.....but I assumed it was a monthly figure.

I'll tell you what though.....I see all the building they're doing here in Manila and I see BUBBLE big time. I saw it twice in Houston and I think it'll happen here.  I cannot believe intelligent people pay the prices they're asking for these little cracker box condo/apts that pass for luxurious living here.

I see some of the houses that Filipinos are building though...and many of them look very nice.  Not exactly a 'metro' situation but still...cute.

Art

It makes me wonder too why it hasn't occurred in the Philippines as well. I still can't understand the reason why so many people are buying condos which are very small and relatively expensive than building a 'real' house.

One thing I can think of, though, is that they make the market think it is  a good investment to own a 'cracker box'. A two-bedroom unit can cost as much as 5 million pesos and that's 40 sqm. only. One can build a 1000-square foot villa with that amount of cash.

Buying a condo is something that is being built by a major contractor and title is usually not an issue. Buying a house with land, there are so many title issues. If your buying land and building your own house, then have to deal with unscrupulus contractors.

Condos are just easier and often cheaper. This is at least more true in Makati.

Yeah right. Buy a unit at the 50th floor. Suppose fire breaks out at the 2nd floor and the entire structure's integrity is compromised, say goodbye to your 5 million. That is true elsewhere and in Makati.

I'd really like to just let this thread alone but it seems to have a life of its own :-)

So...I'll make another comment:

I still cannot believe the prices for acceptable quality in apartments around here...especially considering how low the wages are here, I just can't understand why apartments have to cost so much. 

I think it's just opportunism...which Filipinos are very good at.

It just continually boggles my mind the difference in what you get for your money vs. either in Thailand or even in Cambodia.

Part of the problem might just be that I've been living in Pasay City too long, eh?

I remember reading in sovereignman.com where, in observing the building bubble here now, they said they thought the bubble would eventually bust...and when it did that there would be a great opportunity for brokers who help people find livable apartments and rental homes to live in. 

I think that opportunity exists now.

IMHO...of course.

Regards,
Art

Who is talking about fires in a 50 story building. I am discussion investments, return, and available resources. Of course if a condo and a villa cost the same, you would choose a villa. But I have not found a villa in makati that does not cost at least 10 times as much as a condo.

Its a matter of available resources. You are asking why would people rather live in a small condo in the fort or makati rather than in a villa.  The only areas that have a decent infrastructure are those that have less land available for single family homes. A small condo in the fort is around 4-6 million. A place in lorenzo village is 40-60 million.

The people who are buying condos are mostly ofws, they are looking to invest in areas that will appreciate and dont have the capital to buy a villa.

And yes you can buy a decent place out in the province, or even in Alabang, but for us who work in Manila, this is not an option. If your a retiree or work from home, then you have that luxury. Most people dont.

yes that is enough for your monthly expenses. welcome to cebu

Thanks I was there for a month but had to go back to the States till Aug.. As soon as I finish up some old stuff I will be back to stay . I really like the Philippines
Wayne

wanderingsalsero wrote:

I'd really like to just let this thread alone but it seems to have a life of its own :-)

So...I'll make another comment:

I still cannot believe the prices for acceptable quality in apartments around here...especially considering how low the wages are here, I just can't understand why apartments have to cost so much. 

I think it's just opportunism...which Filipinos are very good at.

It just continually boggles my mind the difference in what you get for your money vs. either in Thailand or even in Cambodia.

Part of the problem might just be that I've been living in Pasay City too long, eh?

I remember reading in sovereignman.com where, in observing the building bubble here now, they said they thought the bubble would eventually bust...and when it did that there would be a great opportunity for brokers who help people find livable apartments and rental homes to live in. 

I think that opportunity exists now.

IMHO...of course.

Regards,
Art

Spot on. I can't wait for the bubble to bust, so to speak.