What kind of lifestyle will $5000.USD/mo. afford in the Philippines?

expat1 wrote:

Just trying to learn cost of living standards in real terms verses the western countries.  I see some of these costs (real estate, domestic help, etc...) online. What about utility costs, health insurance, medical care, automobile expenses, taxes, vistas, etc...?  I would appreciate any assistance.  Referrals to books, web sites, blogs or direct answers to any of these expenses. 

Thank you very much.....................

You are a MILLIONAIRE....WELCOME )

I was living on $4300 in the US and believe me I thought I had it good until I came here....I"M RICH....hehehe

You can afford anything you want. Just don't ever share with your Philippine friends your salary. They get one fiftieth of what you get. most live on 10,000 peso a month and your getting 200,000 +    so be careful who knows your worth .

sirrobcentral wrote:

expat1 wrote:

Just trying to learn cost of living standards in real terms verses the western countries.  I see some of these costs (real estate, domestic help, etc...) online. What about utility costs, health insurance, medical care, automobile expenses, taxes, vistas, etc...?  I would appreciate any assistance.  Referrals to books, web sites, blogs or direct answers to any of these expenses. 

Thank you very much.....................

You are a MILLIONAIRE....WELCOME )

I was living on $4300 in the US and believe me I thought I had it good until I came here....I"M RICH....hehehe

You can afford anything you want. Just don't ever share with your Philippine friends your salary. They get one fiftieth of what you get. most live on 10,000 peso a month and your getting 200,000 +    so be careful who knows your worth .

Filipinos knew your earnings as expats.... and expect how they love and respect you as it is a norm who ever is inclined in the society would expect and deserve higher respect.

Did you noticed that there are around 15 Million Filipinos working abroad.. 15 Million population it represents a country. Millions of them are in the United Stated earning as much as  other Americans... Most of them are medical practitioners (Doctors, Nurses and other Professionals) Earning $5000 USD -up a month but there are also several domestic helpers in Singapore and Saudi Arabia earning at least $450 USD a month..

All of Filipinos working in the other country, they are Millionaires back in the Philippines.. and its no longer a secret but considering the cost of living in the Philippines is very low then expect also a very low salary... Everybody must be familiar how economy works and what is the formula in it.. [The higher the cost of living, the higher the salary required]

When I was in Paris France,  3 slices of bread plus vege salad would cost $80 US dollars or around ₱3,600.00 Philippine Peso...  well that's France... The Standard, the cost of living in France is high...  if you will buy 3 slices of bread plus vege salad in the Philippines the price would be only a maximum of $3 Dollars or around ₱140.00 Pesos. so see the difference...

prince_denison wrote:

sirrobcentral wrote:

expat1 wrote:

Just trying to learn cost of living standards in real terms verses the western countries.  I see some of these costs (real estate, domestic help, etc...) online. What about utility costs, health insurance, medical care, automobile expenses, taxes, vistas, etc...?  I would appreciate any assistance.  Referrals to books, web sites, blogs or direct answers to any of these expenses. 

Thank you very much.....................

You are a MILLIONAIRE....WELCOME )

I was living on $4300 in the US and believe me I thought I had it good until I came here....I"M RICH....hehehe

You can afford anything you want. Just don't ever share with your Philippine friends your salary. They get one fiftieth of what you get. most live on 10,000 peso a month and your getting 200,000 +    so be careful who knows your worth .

Filipinos knew your earnings as expats.... and expect how they love and respect you as it is a norm who ever is inclined in the society would expect and deserve higher respect.

Did you noticed that there are around 15 Million Filipinos working abroad.. 15 Million population it represents a country. Millions of them are in the United Stated earning as much as  other Americans... Most of them are medical practitioners (Doctors, Nurses and other Professionals) Earning $5000 USD -up a month but there are also several domestic helpers in Singapore and Saudi Arabia earning at least $450 USD a month..

All of Filipinos working in the other country, they are Millionaires back in the Philippines.. and its no longer a secret but considering the cost of living in the Philippines is very low then expect also a very low salary... Everybody must be familiar how economy works and what is the formula in it.. [The higher the cost of living, the higher the salary required]

When I was in Paris France,  3 slices of bread plus vege salad would cost $80 US dollars or around ₱3,600.00 Philippine Peso...  well that's France... The Standard, the cost of living in France is high...  if you will buy 3 slices of bread plus vege salad in the Philippines the price would be only a maximum of $3 Dollars or around ₱140.00 Pesos. so see the difference...

3 slices of bread plus vege salad 80$????? man were did you buy that at that price ?was the bread covered with caviar ????? i have been many many times in Paris ,lived 2 hr drive from it and never payed those prices ,not even in le moulin rouge,and that's an expensive place hahahahahahahahahaha

Dickyper wrote:

Maybe you just want us to know you have this amount to live on cos I can't believe you are serious

LOLLLLLLLL

tommieboy999 wrote:

there will be people tell you that you cannot own land here.. but there are several ways around it.. i put my land in my childs name.. but you can also lease the land for 50 years.. and a few other ways around it. with this new president, he is loosening the requirements for expats.. so, i think in the near future an expat will be allowed to own land in his own name up to a certain square footage

I appreciate what you say, but the reason why "there are people who tell you that you cannot own land in the Philippines is because...." Legally - you CANNOT! That is a [basic] fundamental truth. Sure, you can setup a shell company (storing up several potential longer term tax pitfalls) and/or place it your partner/childs name - but land cannot be owned by a foreigner outright. And a lease is a lease etc etc. It isn't freehold.

As for the "new president" loosening the requirements for expats - like what? Hoping for foreigners to be able to own a [limited] amount of land is a pipe dream. The worry of increasing land prices as a result of foreign investment stops most Asian countries allowing such a thing to happen. It will remain a closed market for many years.

Anyway.. This is all "off topic" as the thread is about living on $5,000PM - which as we all know is quite easy in the Philippines unless you are a complete idiot.

barkz wrote:

*

Barkz,

To what post are you referring. PLEASE don't get personal.

Regards,

Teejay

flipicaneze wrote:

$5k a month = you're going to be asked to be godparents for everybody's child in a small barangay..... just saying!

That's for sure! $5k per month is far more than would be needed to live a very comfortable lifestyle. This is especially true once out of Manila and surrounding towns. Many people live and even raise a family on $1,000us dollars or less per month and do just fine. Main thing is, once here, do not let others know of your income level. The value of human life here is quite low and you want to remain safe.


Navajo52

Navajo52 wrote:

flipicaneze wrote:

$5k a month = you're going to be asked to be godparents for everybody's child in a small barangay..... just saying!

That's for sure! $5k per month is far more than would be needed to live a very comfortable lifestyle. This is especially true once out of Manila and surrounding towns. Many people live and even raise a family on $1,000us dollars or less per month and do just fine. Main thing is, once here, do not let others know of your income level. The value of human life here is quite low and you want to remain safe.


Navajo52

I was hoping the OP got where i was heading with that. 😉

flipicaneze wrote:

I moved from Chicago 6 months ago. Although I have 20 in-stamps on my passport since 2004, I'm still adjusting. You can easily blow $5k on stupid crap in one month.

The real secret to living well as an expat is to think like a Filipino and stop thinking "Well in the United States this costs this much and it's much less here when I convert PHP to USD." That opens you up to being ripped off, even if it does costs far less in your country of origin.

Learn to spend like a local and negotiate like a local, you can live on much less and even more comfortably. Know what things actually cost here and not worry what it cost everywhere else in comparison.

There is a way to transfer money that is faster than electronic banking---it's called Marriage!

While funny, it has worked to my/our advantage. My wife and I have been married for over 14 years and have lived here in the Philippines the entire time. Also, for almost that entire time all our finances (what she earns at her full time job as well as my pensions from the US) are in her care completely.

I have found that with her taking care of the bills, kids, and school needs, and all other expenses we do much better than if I were to do these things. These people know how to get the most bang for the buck and can out-do us without a doubt.
Important though is to marry the "right one" or that advise will quickly work in reverse..