Considering a move to Manila

i am an american retired in the makati area for ten years - i have lived in houses, town houses and appartments - an american family would find a condo rental the easiest and most trouble free - a large three bedroom in an excellent area such as rockwell, makati would be in the us$ 3000 to 4000 per month range - this would come furnished with pool and club facilities - its possible to go much less bu then you will not be in an ideal location and building - a live in maid would cost about peso 4000 per month plus room and board (about us$85)- power is expensive so if you use airconditioning lavishly the power bill will be around p 20,000 per month - i do not believe a driver is necessary - the appartment has parking and taxi service is plentiful and inexpensive - i hope this helps - if you want me to answer and further questions do not hesitate to email me at [email protected]

Also consider areas such as Eastwood City. There's a glut of condos here, and more going up. This locale has many of the amenities of Makati City but without the price tag.

before you let your money get out of your pocket, always remember to research the reputation of the building developer if condo, if it's a village or anything with the same setup, always talk to existing residents, so that you will be aware of any management problems. There are many problems going out now with developers. It's always right to be safe than sorry. Good luck to you. Cheers.

Yes I agree with dynamo. with this rainy season is coming, you should choice the area that is not flooding. If you gave found one, ask the neighborhood first. Makati is very expensive, BFRV in Talon ,Las Pinas is flooding free, thats close to Pasay also, quit nice place and safe,. If you have free time you can look a round for a house for rent. For a live in Maid, look for reputable agency that hires maid for employment, they checked maids background and etc. Hope this will help you. Goodluck!

honeyclotte

Hello Travis, I'm a Filipina. In 2008, I, my American husband, and our then 1-1/2 yr old son moved from California to the Philippines. Before deciding to move here, have a serious chat first with the family. 

It's stressful to move.  If you do decide to move here, come here around 2 months before moving in your family to set up your living accomodations.  Find one that's within your budget.

There are lots of places which offer furnished units.  Word of advice: see what's the difference between a furnished unit and unfurnished one.  It might be you're better off just furnishing your own unit with furniture to your liking.

Typically, the tenant is the one who pays for utilities.  Add to your budget the homeowners' association dues. 

The best place to rent is where it's nearest your place of work and the kids' school.  In short, to where you'll be driving almost every day.  Traffic is really bad here. As in really really really bad. You wouldn't want to find yourself spending 4 hrs a day on the road.  During heavy rains, the roads might become flooded, more reason to locate closer to your work.

Almost all schools have their instruction in English.  Ask other expats with children where they send their kids to school. But consider first Philippine schools before international schools.  Advantage of Philippine schools: First, bullying rarely happens in Philippine schools. It's part of the culture.  But I do know of someone who was bullied by his bigger built classmates from very wealthy families at an international school.  Second, it costs a lot less.

Things to consider: it's hot and humid here! If you're not used to it, you're probably going to use the aircon a lot. It's very expensive.   Food quality, especially meats, is really bad.  Better food costs more.  Ask for extra from your employer for food and aircon.

What does your wife do?  Is she going to work or just stay at home?  I think having a driver should be first priority than a maid. As an American mom, I'm used to doing chores on my own, doing my own shopping, taking care of the kids.  But I can't drive here.  It's scary.  But do ask your boss for allowance for maid (4k pesos + 2k pesos for cost of her food and water) and driver (don't know how much this costs).  And allowance as well for gas, medical, dental, hospitalization.

Eating out: depends on restaurant, probably 3-5k / month, maybe even more. Tuition: between 70k to 250k per child per year. Cable / Satellite: 1.5 to 3k depending on your plan.  Landline phone: 500.  Unlimited mobile-to-mobile and text: depends on carrier. Ours is 700 for 2 cellphones.  Internet (very slow anywhere) reasonable speed by PHilippine standards: 1k; 2-3x faster internet: 3k.