Cost of living 2018 in the Philippines

scott1953 wrote:

Expat , retired living in Cagayan de Oro on 1,000 US dollars a month and living well. Nice modern city. Leasing a fully  furnished condo  across the street from the SM mall for 300.00 dls. monthly.  24/7 armed security guards at the complex. Utilities and water 80.00 dls. monthly and i use the air con a lot. Groceries 200.00 dls. per month. I like cooking at home because i dont like the fatty, tasteless food served at most sit down restaurants here.  Wifi and cable tv 30.00 monthly. renew tourist visa 20.00 monthly. Cigs at a pack a day, 50.00 monthly. I am healthy so  no meds. The balance of about 300.00 dls i enjoy a great social life. I have no problems finding a date  with a nice Filipina.  Not a lot of expats down here so pickings are plentiful. No Muslim terrorist problem this far north. Personally, i am enjoying the heck out of my life here .

That sounds nice...you should work for the CDO tourism board...haha.  Seems like some guys can live for less than $1000 and others struggle with $2500.   Women seem to be the deciding factor on how much you spend here.

expatsteve48 wrote:

scott1953 wrote:

Expat , retired living in Cagayan de Oro on 1,000 US dollars a month and living well. Nice modern city. Leasing a fully  furnished condo  across the street from the SM mall for 300.00 dls. monthly.  24/7 armed security guards at the complex. Utilities and water 80.00 dls. monthly and i use the air con a lot. Groceries 200.00 dls. per month. I like cooking at home because i dont like the fatty, tasteless food served at most sit down restaurants here.  Wifi and cable tv 30.00 monthly. renew tourist visa 20.00 monthly. Cigs at a pack a day, 50.00 monthly. I am healthy so  no meds. The balance of about 300.00 dls i enjoy a great social life. I have no problems finding a date  with a nice Filipina.  Not a lot of expats down here so pickings are plentiful. No Muslim terrorist problem this far north. Personally, i am enjoying the heck out of my life here .

That sounds nice...you should work for the CDO tourism board...haha.  Seems like some guys can live for less than $1000 and others struggle with $2500.   Women seem to be the deciding factor on how much you spend here.

................................Hi Expat Steve 48, I applaud you on the fact that you can raise a family of 3 on 800. dls. per month. Being single allows me to spend 30% of my monthly pension on what i enjoy, entertainment. Filipinas  i date appreciate when you take them to the cinema and a fast food restaurant after.  Or i will cook them a meal at home that does not have rice in it. I am well  rewarded after.  Inexpensive, but enjoyable dates. I like your beer budget. Might want to consider a 10% increase  due to inflation and it's a new year. lol Cheers!

expatsteve48 wrote:

Hi Scott and Sam....living here can be inexpensive, but as I posted in the culture thread, it's not the best way to endear yourself to your lady.  Wife wants a car, and she's earned it, so the budget goes up.  And we're looking for a nicer home in a subdivision, so again...budget is pretty wrecked at this point.  I might have to increase the beer budget if spending spirals out of control!  lol

............Hi Steve, I understand your thinking and wanting to please the wife. Cars, newer home, vacations, etc. etc. I have been there, done that. At 64, retired on a pension and respectable savings for any emergency, i plan on enjoying the last leg of my life my way and i certainly am now.  I have 2 suitcases, and a pocket full of pesos to concern my self with now. I vote that you go through with the increase in your beer budget. I am certain you have or will earn it soon. lol

scott1953 wrote:

expatsteve48 wrote:

Hi Scott and Sam....living here can be inexpensive, but as I posted in the culture thread, it's not the best way to endear yourself to your lady.  Wife wants a car, and she's earned it, so the budget goes up.  And we're looking for a nicer home in a subdivision, so again...budget is pretty wrecked at this point.  I might have to increase the beer budget if spending spirals out of control!  lol

............Hi Steve, I understand your thinking and wanting to please the wife. Cars, newer home, vacations, etc. etc. I have been there, done that. At 64, retired on a pension and respectable savings for any emergency, i plan on enjoying the last leg of my life my way and i certainly am now.  I have 2 suitcases, and a pocket full of pesos to concern my self with now. I vote that you go through with the increase in your beer budget. I am certain you have or will earn it soon. lol

haha....you are doing it right with regards to women and your budget.  In your position, I would do the same.  Most expats seem to lose the plot at some point and over-burden themselves...and their budget!  You've been there and done that.....lesson learned.  I'm on my first marriage and first child, so school is still in session here.  Live and learn.

Baracuda555 wrote:

It true that the traffic is conjested here in Baguio. I don't see it improving anytime soon.But a person can get used to it.

People in the lowlands get used to the weather there.

fernandosdesign wrote:

Very useful thread for those looking to move here. I am giving my answers from the perspective of living in Pasig city, Metro Manila. This is considering a wife and two young kids. You could live on much less (many do) and you could live on a lot more too. The main differentiator between living expenses in the various parts of Metro Manila would be the rent. Metro Manila as a whole is quite a bit more expensive than the rest of the country.

> How much does it cost to rent an apartment/house in the Philippines?

You should expect to pay 10k minimum for a ok house (old) in a decent and safe but largely lower middle class neighborhood. In middle class condo developments you should expect to pay 15 to 25k for a two bedroom condo. If you go a little upscale you can expect to pay 25 to 40k in one of the older condos in nicer neighborhoods. High end two bedroom condos will cost you minimum 40k to 70k to a lot more in the most happening and upscale parts of town.

> How much do you pay for your public transport tickets (bus, subway, train, tram)?

Lets get real. The average expat in Metro Manila will not want to take the public transport options. You will need your own two-wheeler or a car. If not you will have to hail a grab taxi (Similar to Uber). This will add up if you are going to use them daily and you might as well pay more and live closer to work

> Staple food: what do people eat and how much do they pay for basic food like bread, rice or pasta?
For my family of four we would budget 6k a week or 24k a month. This is buying good food from supermarkets and not restricting ourselves in any way. Most filipino families live in much less, so the choice is yours. It includes groceries and largely local products. If you want to buy all your favorite imported brands expect a sharp increase in budget

>What is your monthly grocery budget?
As above

> How much does it cost to see a physician/doctor/specialist in the Philippines ? 
Doctors in good hospitals will charge approximately 500php per consultation

> What is your children's schooling monthly budget?
A decent local private school (Not fancy private big name Catholic school), should cost you ONLY 5k a month per kid or so and perhaps include the school bus as well. International schools as expected are very very expensive. Budget a minimum of 20k per kid per month at the LOW end.

> How much does it cost to fill up your car’s fuel tank?
Depends on the vehicle and the cost of gas. Pretty standard world wide I guess.

> How much do you pay for electricity/gas/water etc.?
Electricity is going to take a big chunk of your utilities budget. Expect 6k at the height of summer (1 1hp AC running all night and most of the day too) a fridge, washing machine, fans and the usual household appliances. Cooking LPG around 700 a cylinder. Water around 500.

> How much do you pay for your Internet/phone subscription?
Expect 3k to 4k for high speed 25 to 50mbps or more bundled with TV HD subscription to all the HD channels. (SKY Cable)

> How much do you pay for your lunch pack on weekdays?
Not applicable to me

> How much do you pay for an espresso coffee?
80 to 90 or less depending on the coffee shop.

> How much do you pay for a cinema ticket?
200+ depending on the movie theatre.

> How much does a gym membership cost in the Philippines? 
It can vary from 500 a month at your neighborhood gym (very basic, usually no AC too!) to a few thousands at brand name gyms with all the bells and whistles.

I am not sure how to edit my post, but i must mention that the 6k weekly budget is for food and groceries all from the supermarket. This is without any restrictions and buying good brands, a few imported, etc from robinsons or SM supermarket. Some of the big expenses with young kids are diapers and formula / special milk like pediasure etc which I have included. The average filipino family would budget much less for food and groceries, especially if you buy in the market instead of in the mall.

sekmet wrote:

I am interested in knowing the cost of living in LA Union,  Baguio, and Dumaguete for expats who are not married to a filipina?

For Dumaguete:

Drinks at bars &rent will be a little higher as it is a bit of a tourist town.

Every thing else will be comparable to any other city in the Philippines.

winston007 wrote:

Can you please tell me how easy it is to get a  mortgage in the Philippines for an English guy who has a Fillippino girl friend

..........................Hi Winston, Saw this post  on this site from an expat under the heading "Bank Loans In The Philippines". ...........
1 post Manila, Metro Manila
I am also a resident since 6 years and i have my own bank account with BDO. With my Filipina wife, we have 2 loans also with BDO bank. As long as the income is according to the loan applied for and the main mortgage holder being a Filipino citizen (wife), they did not give a lot of problems.
However, we are both in retirement age, so length of loan term is limited to end the amortization when reaching 70 years old.
The application process through BDO was quick, but then signing all the documents with approximately 100 signatures takes a lot of patience.

meeyatch69 wrote:

Hi Scott.  Would you consider your area safe? Some area on Mindanao are listed as no go zones by many.  I'm personally looking at Davao, surigao, and spots on Palawan.


Thanks for your detailed info!

Hello meeyatch69 , Yes, i feel completely safe the past 4 years in Cagayan de Oro. I would not recommend going any farther south because of the Muslim terrorist  issues. I live in a great area across the street from the SM mall and can go for a walk day or nite  and not see less than a half dozen security guards roaming around.People are friendly and helpful here. Not a lot of expats here. Kind of feel like a unicorn at times but it's ok with me. Best of luck finding a safe place to roost here in the Phil.