Cost of living in Manila

tommieboy999 wrote:

I have rented many condos in manila and Cebu.. your quality of life depends on your neighbors. I lived next door to neighbors from hell every time I have rented a condo.. my neighbors on both sides were Filipino.. up all night. blasting music and the tv with their windows open.. talking very loud on the balcony which we shared and right next to my bedroom window. weekends were even worse.. parties with a dozen or more people drinking and playing music til 5am. when I complained the security guys said, sorry sir, they are having a party.. we cannot stop people from having a party. I paid 15,000 a month up to 25,000 a month and it was all the same. the truth is if you don't spend 40,000 or more to live in a mostly foreigner building, life in a condo sucks nuts in the Philippines.

Heard this same story from many others.

aviatorchandu wrote:

I am planning to movie to manilla. What is the cost of living for a descent lifestyle?

This depends on your interpretation of a "descent lifestyle"

My answer would be needing about 100k per month  (I use pesos not dollars as FX rates change values).

eg: 100k is currently either $2,860 or $2,275 depending on which of two possible countries that use $'s.

Some people though can live a "descent lifestyle" on a lot less, others NEED more.  I would be happier with 150k per month to spend.

I am currently about to switch from 30k per month to 40k per month for accommodation (exc. utilities) , to get something a bit better again. (A better neighbourhood)

gonzrule wrote:

Don't you think 5K US dollars is a bit excessive for the "decent" life style here in Manila?

Anyway, I was considering the cost for a single individual, and 5K US dollars is well beyond the amount of money you need to live a decent life. In fact, at that amount you can already afford a high end two-bedroom condo unit, and pay for large sedan or SUV, and still have more in excess.

A high end two-bedroom condo unit in Makati area can easily cost 75,000 or nearly US$2,000 per month.

And eating out in Greenbelt, or a good restaurant at Mall of Asia for example, is at least enough 2,000 pesos for a decent snack meal for two ($40).
These two examples, at 1,000p per visit, were for lunches for two, during last week. No drinks, just water, and no deserts.

You could easily spend $400 per month on eating out just a couple of times per week.  But much more for a larger meal.

So two lunches per week and two evening meals per week, eating out at good places, would take over $1,000 per month on there own.

Then the $2,000 per month for a high end two-bedroom condo (although small compared to back home), and the costs are up to $3,000 per month. This is before utilities, internet, etc.

The cost can be much cheaper though if we wish to cut our lifestyle down.

The wordings "Quality", "High End", "Decent", etc are all subjective to each individual.

witty.monkey wrote:

I don't think so, your too exagerate for 3000k-5000k usd expenses for a month for a single person to have a decent living.

How do you define a decent living ?

Especially to an Expat from the West who is used to a certain quality of Life.

I currently feel that I live a sub-standard life, compared to what I am used to, but I am spending over $2,500 per month (90,000 pesos) at the moment.  Some say that my lifestyle is living like a king though, others wonder why I don't eat out more, like I used to, and wonder why I am so careful with my spending habits now.

The different peoples comments are differentiated by their nationality, and their own lifestyle expectations.

sirrobcentral wrote:

Don't listen to these idiots that are throwing out these outrageous highball figures. The average working professional in Makati and Manila earn 40,000 pesos a Month. Twice that anywhere else in the Philippines.
<...>
You have a lot of clown heads who want to act like the pay so much because they don't want to live around Filipino people... My suggestions to them is GTH out of the Philippines and go back to your crime ridden hole in the wall. YOU MISERABLE COMPLAINERS

I agree, most Filipino working professionals in Makati and Manila may earn 40,000 pesos a Month, twice the average 20,000 peso that a Filipino earns country wide.

For Filipinos to live a Filipino lifestyle is perfectly normal.

But, this is an expat site, and expats tend to have larger incomes and funds.  And they tend to often look for a better lifestyle. One website that surveys expat salaries states: The average total package for an expatriate middle manager in Philippines is over US$200,000. (annual).

You talk about MISERABLE COMPLAINERS, yet who is complaining ?

Is it complaining to state what actually happens with many expats who come to the Philippines.

Should we just shut up and drop our living standards to live like locals, and be told to get out of the country if we prefer to live like the better off Filipinos ?

Should those better of Filipinos who earn 500,000 pesos per month also be told to get out ?

What we need to do is to explain to people reading these forums that there are differences.

Yes, You can live cheap like a Filipino, and if that is what a person likes then perfectly OK.

But, those people who are looking to live like a King, should be told that it costs money to live like a King, and they can't do it cheaply.

We can't tell them that 'living like a King' is cheap and everyone can do it.

My comments revolve on the definition of "What is a decent living" 

One persons "decent living" might cost 25,000 per month
Another person might need 100,000 per month
And yet another may need 500,000 per month

Each person needs to determine what life they consider decent, and work from there.

Not be told they should live like the (poor) locals or GET OUT !

You comment of " GTH out of the Philippines and go back to your crime ridden hole in the wall" is just to confusing to work out what you meant ?

aviatorchandu wrote:

I am planning to movie to manilla. What is the cost of living for a descent lifestyle?

New SM condo in Mandaluyong furnished with AC, appliances, utensils, etc. 2500 Pesos per month. What are your neighbors like, who knows.  That's around 570 US. You can go much higher or lower, you get what you pay for.
If you cook yourself and buy from the market or smartly, your eating expenses are what you make them. Eat out all the time, you'll pay for it, of course it's like that anywhere.
If you're looking to blend in and live on the cheap then move to the country and do so, it can be very inexpensive and some say boring, that's also up to you as is what you determine to be a quality lifestyle.
I believe mine to be quality, others might says it's not. We all have opinions don't we. Entertainment can be expensive or cheap too, it's also up to you. If you like the nightlife, drinking and partying, you'll pay accordingly.
We live well on less than 2 grand US a month, though we own our home and pay no AC bills in the highlands.
Live smart and live well. Be careful, give trust where it's earned and proven. Loan money to no one unless you can afford to never see it again.
Keep a nest egg of enough to return to your home country and don't touch it, you do not want to be broke here.
Who you are will determine the kind of friends you make, that's also up to you.
Good luck

aviatorchandu wrote:

I am planning to movie to manilla. What is the cost of living for a descent lifestyle?

This question is so obscure that there could be a thousand possible answers. You should tell something about yourself and state what you expect in living here for us to give you a good approximate figure as to the cost of a decent lifestyle in Manila. (This goes also to future posters.)

From which country are you? (India, Nigeria, Ireland, USA . . .)
What is your gender?
Are you single / married / with kids / marrying or planning to have a relationship with a local? Are you bringing your family here?
Do you have a certain medical condition / special needs? (perfect health, hypertension, on a wheelchair . . .)

What is your current lifestyle? (I'm happy with just staying at home and watching tv or going to an occasional movie / eat out, I like to party at least on weekends, I have to have a gym membership, I only eat organic, etc.)
Do you want to keep that lifestyle? If not, what kind of lifestyle do you want to live here or expect when you move here?

What made you consider moving here? (to look for employment, No choice/My boss sent me, retirement .  . .)
What would be your source of income / budget? How much? (don't know/depends on what I will earn there, US$3k / month pension, US$4k / month take home pay from our company, US$10k per month salary plus allowance from our company, etc.)
Which city in Metro Manila are you planning to stay?
How do you want to move about? (public commute, drive a car, live where there are shopping areas, movies, restaurants, etc within walking distance)

This way, we can give you suggestions and a good ballpark figure instead of arguing over the cost of a "decent lifestyle".