Big Move 2017/ 2018

I think as your child is only one I would try and live in a few selected places to see if you like living in an Island, near a beach or close to the city. In my opinion many parts of the Philipinnes have lawless societies. Nothing gets done unless you pay under the table. Don't buy any property until  you know the area well. Make contact with other expat couples and learn about the Filipino life that no one writes about. Try to keep away from the cyclone hit and flooding areas. Avoid the city areas polluted with heavy traffic and traffic jams. Some places the infra structure is not keeping up with the population growth. Hence blackouts and water shortages. Don't trust things on face value investigate and check.Remember as a foreigner most people see you as walking $100 bill. Schools and hospitals tend to be better in the cities where you have choice. Just be cautious with your choices it's a minefield. Plenty of crooks and tricksters. Tred carefully.

Add Ecuador to your list worth a look. In Philipinnes Dumaguete has good write ups, I prefer Davao as it's very safe with some good schools and hospitals, although the traffic is getting worse. However you don't want to wander too far from the city especially near the Muslim areas.

Asia has a lot to interest a wandering soul, but add Malaysia to your list of possibles.
Apart from being more central, there are land crossings or shot air hops to a variety of countries.
English is widely spoken and the cities are comparable to any modern country in the world, right down to taxi drivers who rip off tourists.
There are three main cultural groups, all being friendly and welcoming, meaning you get a wide variety of cultural experiences and the food is great.

If you are looking for a good place to stay. I recommend Australlia. In that place, they respect everyone even people who came from different religion such as muslims like me. They will surely welcome you there and well treat you like a real brother.

If you prefer asian country then I prefer Singapore. most safest and cleanest country as far as I know. They are strict that made their environment safe including people. refrain from countries like China.

Singapore is more expensive, but it's a big, clean modern city state with strict rules intended to keep it that way.
Could be a good option, and it has all the advantages Malaysia has, save the cost of living.

Great information! I spoke with her dad he's lived in the PH for 30 years now living in America and he advised me not to go and he thinks we should stay in the states which is not going to happen. I will check out Equador

Never looked into this area I keep hearing good things I will look up more people in this area and contact them. I read it was very safe and as you said stay in the city.

Australia is a great place , but the taxes are high

Medical retirement not fully retired sorry about that.

Income of only 3200 a month I'm not sure about Singapore but Malaysia I have heard good things.

I've lived in Davao for several years.  What's not to like?  Costs are low, place is clean and safe, area is gorgeous.  Has an international airport.  Islands, the Davao gulf, fish, veggies, fruits.....  I could go on and on.

Hi,
I would suggest you travel for a month to each of the places on your list then decide.
I traveled a lot and think Philippines is the best choice - they speak good English here and they dont hate foreigners.....they look up to Americans.
Perhaps Cebu, Boracay or Palawan would suit you......I like Manila life with a luxury condo and pool etc.
Cheers,
Matt

I think Cebu as well and we will be there later this tear for 3 weeks. Manilla may be a little too much. Would love to be within an hour of Manilla for sure.

Yes Cebu sounds like what you may be looking for...Ok good luck and enjoy. Just be careful of scammers here in Philippines and you will be fine.

@supercad55,

We were probably in the same boat as you are when we moved here back in 2008.

We were from SF, CA. My husband was earning around US$3k / month after taxes.  I lost my job midway during my pregnancy. A few months after I gave birth to our beautiful baby boy, we looked for a daycare for him so I can look for a job. But daycare (charged $7-8 / hour for 10 hours) was so expensive in SF.

Then new neighbors moved in to the apartment above us. They had loud parties and even called the SFPD to falsely report that we had been abusing our son because they heard him crying loudly. (Really horrible people.) As SF rents had increased year after year, moving out of our rent controlled apartment was out of the question. Then, I developed postpartum depression, (which was resolved in a month or so with the help of my OB.) Most of my relatives are in the US, but I did not feel like bothering them as they have busy schedules too.

My parents live in the Philippines. So, we moved in with them. They passed on to me the family business. They were a great help and supported us. We now have a second child, a daughter. We are happier here compared to SF.

A few months ago, I answered a thread at this forum about bringing 2 toddlers here. You might want to check it out:

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 37#2997379

You mentioned your father-in-law does not want you to move to the Philippines. But is he okay with you, his daughter, and his grandchild moving to ANY country? I think he just doesn't want to part with his daughter, typical of many Filipino parents.

I would suggest  staying for a few months in the countries in your list before deciding on where to live for long term. You will never really know whether you would like another country until you've tried living there.

Our son was not yet walking when we flew to the Philippines. Flying with our 1-year old was truly a horrible ordeal. Two hours into the flight, he wanted to crawl. The floor was dirty. He was crying loudly a lot because he wanted to crawl. Of course, we did not let him. By the time our plane landed after a 13-hour flight, everyone in the plane knew who we were. I would suggest that you wait until after your baby has started walking and stopped crawling before going on a long flight.

I think US$3k / month would be enough for your family of 3 to live comfortably here in the Philippines, as long as you two are not the type who prefer only high end products and expensive imported brands. But the good thing is you have relatives from the states who can send you balikbayan boxes here (like say if you're craving your favorite Trader Joe's products), as most Filipinos living in the US are familiar with the process.

Somewhere a little city and a little country . . . hmmm . . . Research the Laguna / Cavite area where there are communities that are like suburbs, like Eton City, with shopping areas close by. I recommend renting only, as you did say that you and your wife just want to relax outside the US "for a while". You will know when the time comes when it's more beneficial to buy property here rather than renting.

What are your wife's relatives here like, if she has any? Are they the type who would be knocking on your door asking for money, loans, favors, etc.? Or are they more like career persons who will never ask for anything, and might even ask if you need help or support? If they're the former, live far away from them as you can.

I'd just like to comment that I am impressed that, at your young age, you have already realized that the US is NOT the place to live and raise your child. That being said, with your income you can afford to live in most countries and should widen your list of candidates.

In Asia, you should also visit Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. They are all less expensive than the Philippines and can offer you a very nice standard of living.

I'm sure her dad would hate anywhere we moved to. She has told me her family in the Philippines has asked her for money. Her mom we do send 20 bucks every month sometimes every 2 months but she never ask us for anything unlike her cousins and other family members thereaaEven here her family in America asks us for loans and money. That is an issue I was worried about. The bills and car payment are pretty stressful sometimes one of the reasons we want to leave for a few years get away from constant work and always in a rush from doing one thing to another. Infant on a plane is another concern I will look at the links for it let you know. We just want a more relaxed lifestyle and to teach our kids different cultures outside of the US

I just wanted to add a bit more - based on my 6 years living in Philippines as a foreigner.
I saw in this thread Australia was recommended. Off course it is very beautiful and clean. But Australia is generally about 3 times more expensive than Philippines. Especially Sydney where I am from.
Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos etc are all a little bit cheaper than Philippines but a long way back in time, more dangerous (kidnappings etc) as poorer, and poor English.....poor internet, poor infrastructure etc.....
Philippines is the best choice in my view, and I have been to all of those places mentioned in this thread. It is still a developing country so don't expect it is the same as the US.....The bigger cities are best, but come with traffic and pollution....I combat that by living near Manila Bay, and having good amenities in my condo.
Also, don't go to Zamboanga and certain Muslim places in Mindanao as kidnappings occur there regularly. But the rest of Philippines is ok.....I have a 1 yo child, so realise this is important.
Finally, many Filipinos will offer to assist or help you as a foreigner.....off course to earn money...fine if small money...but never trust them with bigger money.......they will scam you for sure like all the innocent foreigners that come here. In all poor countries you need to learn to protect your valuables, say no, and be wise.
The Philippines is great, but you do need to control the negatives, and then you will really enjoy the positives of this cheap and beautiful country.

Cheers
Matt
(Australian living in Manila)

Not true! Vietnam is 100% safe and has a reliable high-speed Internet backbone and strong infrastructure. Cambodia is also safer than the Philippines and getting better.

Well put Matt

As an American you should seriously check out Belize, in the Caribbean. English speaking country, low cost of living.  Not that far from the States.

WOW..GOOD IDEA...WORKING HERE IN INDIA...I HAVE A SMALL COTTAGE IN NEGROS, THE PHILIPPINES....BUT BELIZE SOUNDS NICE...I HAD A PRO FILIPINA BOXER FIGHTING IN SOUTH IN MEXICO..I SAW SO MANY BLACK PEOPLE...THEY WERE FROM BELIZE...I WAS IN THAILAND FOR 10 YEARS AS A TEACHER AND OLYMPIC COACH...THERE MEDICAL IS FIRST CLASS...NO COUNTRY IS BETTER....ALSO $200 YOU CAN HAVE A NICE PLACE TO LIVE.....CHECK OUT THAILAND...

yes....sorry for the caps...

Allana I will look into these places, I have no idea about Belize only going by what other's have said about Belize. Today I will look into it and try to find the area I like and go from there