Cost of Cell Service in Philippines

The 2 telco's (Yep, 2) here nickel and dime you to death. I guess you could get a traditional plan like they have in the US and elsewhere but here, they are mostly pre-pay or “loads” as they are called.
A load for data, a load for calls. Hahaha. We use Globe on one cell, supersurf999 plan gives 1 Gb per day of data for 30 days @999 ph or approx. $20 US.
You need another load for calls. I just put 2,000 ph on there each month which is less then $40 US at current echange rates and it covers everything. I generally have a surplus from the calling part that I just leave there til it's gone.

We also use smart on another phone. Only use it for calling though mostly.

Globe and Smart charge to make calls to one another's networks. Circa 1990's in the US.
If you need to stay connected 24/7, get both Globe and Smart even though I've been in situations where neither worked. 🙄🙄🙄

I also keep international on my US cell which roams but, more often then not uses Smart.

Yes, you can definitely get home internet for less then $75 US. Internet here is pretty shaky at best also as is power. I pay about $40 US for Sky cable broadband which gives me 35mb's I think. Rarely ever get 35 though if going to sites outside of the Philippines.

Hope that helps.

Thank you!  That is a lot of help.  I'm trying to nail down every nickle that it is going to cost me to move.  Originally thought I could live on $1000 but didnt think of the fact that i'll still owe insurance, taxes, etc on my condo back in the US.  I'm up to $1500 per month now with no car and if it gets much higher than I'm not sure it's worth it to come there.

Yeah man, unless you plan to live like the locals, for me at least, $1,000 US wouldn't cut it. In my case, I prefer to keep some semblance of a western lifestyle. Do that here, costs more then it does in the US. Coming from a 4,500 sq foot home in the US, this 80m condo is already a major shock. Lol.... I live in Cebu and chose a place fairly close to Ayala mall since I won't be driving here. Wanted to make it somewhat easy on myself. I take a taxi most places for around $2-3 each way. My electric runs me about $200 a month. I run at least 1 A/C 24/7 and at night I run 2. Faucet water is around $10 a month, bottled water around $10 also. Internet, $40, 2 bedroom condo $1,100.00.
I could certainly live cheaper but, why do I want to skimp here when I didn't back home.
But, I'm sure that there are people living much cheaper then me here.
Condo has full generator backup power so that alleviates the rolling blackouts.
Markets here are fairly decent. Might have to hit three or four different ones for various US food products and of course, they are much more expensive here then in the US.
US beef is hellish expensive here and the selection is not good. Mostly Australian, New Zealand and local beef here. They do not taste the same as US beef, not even close sadly.
Anything imported is generally way more expensive. A laser printer in US for a couple of hundred bucks could be double or more here. Protectionism at it's best.
A monitor that I could get in the US from Amazon to my door for $800 is $1500 here.
Shipped is pretty expensive to get things here as well. I was going to ship my 27” iMac over here, $1,200 to do that. Just ordered a new one the other day from Apple. $2,300
To the door from Apple Asia.
And anything that takes 10 minutes to complete in the US, may takes hours, days, weeks here. Lol. Snails pace is the order of the day here.

I know a lot of this sounds ugly and it is and can be. There is definitely a lot to get used to over here my friend but, it's a nice place, people are very friendly for the most part and I am enjoying my time here.
Just a lot of pitfalls and dangers over here so, definitely educate yourself before you get here. you ain't in Kansas anymore over here so to speak.

Feel free to message me if you have any private questions. I'll try to help as much as I can.

Hey Tim. Loved your posts in this thread. To the point and no holds barred. As you wisely state "educate yourself" and that is why we frequent expat sites. Not just asking but reading. (and google for fixfireleo) The choice to live in PH really only comes after spending much time in research and what one can and can't put up with whether financial, services (or lack of), climate, lifestyle choices, why do you really want to move to PH.  Also physical presence, get you hands dirty, taste the flavours in cities as well as provinces many times and really only then will you find your comfort level if suited or no. The noise, pollution, quality of life that may or simply not suit your needs.

As we all say, boots on the ground as PH. is a very unique culture with extremely wonderful people but unfortunately protectionism, corruption and many other foibles rule a great country and as simple outsiders we either accept (we have no say) or don't go there. While yes a reasonably cheap country to live in compared to western countries there are so many cheaper and if I were a single man looking to retire in a stable, economically viable situation it would not be the Philippines, love and commitment generally dictates why westerners choose to live here not pound for flesh.

To the OP you state you are looking at Cebu or Baguio. Two different fish, one in a frying pan the other baked. Again research as the topography, culture and economics with regards to cost and every thing mentioned in this and other threads are very different.

Cheers, Steve.

Hi Steve,
Thank you and yours, is a great one also. I was just trying to tell it like it really is. So many sites out there sugar coat things here as being a live cheap paradise etc. While that may be true to a degree, best not to come here uneducated or with blinders on.
Knowledge is power as they say.

LOL, yes while some see the forest for the trees others can't see the trees for the forest. I personally will only have myself to blame if things go sour in 5, 10 or 20 years as I have had a couple of years on and off living and working there, a Filipino partner for some 6 or 7 years but I still ask constantly as knowledge is valuable.

The Philippines is far from Nirvana or as close as you'll let it be, sincerely depends on ones perspective, there are definitely trade offs living in PH.

Simply ones tolerance of acceptable norms, the welcoming acceptance from a fine people. If single or partnered it is a great country if it fits your desired needs.
Lets put aside the bad, bad is achievable in all countries both 1st and 3rd world.
I see over my years of living, visiting and communicating within the Philippines a prosperous country and though while there's plenty wrong there, morals, respect  and simplicity are rife, simple values that we lost in our western culture are prevalent and nurtured in PH.

While we all look at budgets, can I? Could I? Will I? Ultimately most of us choose to live/move to PH. because of a loved one and learn the ropes as we go. To some the Philippines seems like a cheap/er place to live and while it may be one has to have a calling to get serious about what ever "cheap" country they wish to move to/call home is the correct move/choice. You want cheap go to Pakistan or India. Good luck with phone services and internet.
If you are looking for cheap internet go to Iran or the Ukraine, mobile phone service go to India or even the Congo.
Trifling amounts in the scheme of things and while most of us live in or came from western countries living as we do on a budget dictated by western norms one has to ask if you are looking over/scrutinising costs of living standards in third word countries how are you surviving within your own country?

For me the choice seems simple, I have my loved partner, his great family, a fantastic country and people,,,,,,, unlike mine, a beachfront house and lot, the ability to travel 2 or 3 months every year, new cars, motorbikes, televisions etc  every 4 or 5 years, eat and live how we want and not consider the cost of phones and internet, power supply or water. We did our research.

Thanks for your kind words and experience Tim.

Cheers, Steve.

Very well said Steve. I'm glad that you are doing well and enjoying yourselves here.
After all, that's what life is all about, no matter where one chooses to live it.
Funny you should mention that. I always wonder how people living in more expensive places want to come here and survive on $1,000 or less per month. Like how in the hell are you surviving Where you are? 😂😂😂
In my mind, this isn't the place to be if your pinching pennies. At least, I wouldn't want to anyway. It's a scary thought to be away from your support system and not be able to make ends meet.

Take care and have a good night,
Tim

Tim_L wrote:

Very well said Steve. I'm glad that you are doing well and enjoying yourselves here.
After all, that's what life is all about, no matter where one chooses to live it.
Funny you should mention that. I always wonder how people living in more expensive places want to come here and survive on $1,000 or less per month. Like how in the hell are you surviving Where you are? 😂😂😂
In my mind, this isn't the place to be if your pinching pennies. At least, I wouldn't want to anyway. It's a scary thought to be away from your support system and not be able to make ends meet.

Take care and have a good night,
Tim

Kind words and similar philosophies, firstly we haven't lived in PH for some 5 years, can't afford to as phones and internet costs pushed us back to Australia so we can live a meagre life and scrape to put food on the table........

Overall Tim the cost and convenience of living in PH. definitely outweighs living in Oz, one of the more expensive places to live/retire in the world.
I asked recently what are the costs to register and insure a car in PH. on another forum though I had a pretty good idea wanted to hear it from the horses mouth so to speak,,,,,, I think you are on that site also. So in Oz I pay about 800 bucks per year per car while in PH. it is a measly 50 bucks a year, and motorbikes under 20 bucks a year, the truth is coming in basic staples. And while I whinge about paying 5 or 6 bucks a kilo for pork in PH. it costs us upwards of 12 bucks in Oz. While yes it all ads up I'm sure you and other members could not disagree on the fact that not only is it "more fun in the Philippines" but a hell of a lot cheaper. For me 50 to 60 percent and I'm sure if I tried 70 percent cheaper but hey it is expensive to live in Oz.

We for years have had 2 phones with unlimited calls within Oz and 24 odd gig of data, 300 bucks of international calls for a whole  90 bucks a month for 2 phones, yes if we could secure similar plans in PH. they would be far more expensive,,,,,,,, FaceTime, Skype and the likes works well in the Philippines and is only data usage.......... Electricity costs more a worry if you are a pig with power such as I am,,,,,,,,,, Solar systems fix that problem.
Enough for now, bed time.

Cheers, Steve.

So, I am curious, are you saying you pay $1100 for a 2 bedroom condo or you pay $1100 TOTAL for everything?  I have seen quite a few places online where you can get a 2 bedroom for around $400-$500 per month.

Tim,

In Florida, I live on about $1900 per month.  I wont have a car in Philippines nor the INCREDIBLY expensive insurance in Florida.   I pay $400 per month for the Jeep and over $160 a month for insurance.   I just want to be able to live WELL on $1500 in Philippines.

fixfireleo wrote:

So, I am curious, are you saying you pay $1100 for a 2 bedroom condo or you pay $1100 TOTAL for everything?  I have seen quite a few places online where you can get a 2 bedroom for around $400-$500 per month.

$1,100 for the condo per month. Sure, you can find cheaper but, for me it's all about convenience and being close to where I wanted to be. I also have a company in the US that I have to deal with from here on a 24 hour basis so for me, having a place with full generator power was important.
Internet is also extremely important for me. As a tourist, we play hell trying to get fiber from Globe or PLDT as they now want an ACR card that we have to wait to apply for after being in Country for 59 days. It then takes another month for the card to come in. I guess you could do a voluntary ACR by going to Manila but, I really don't have time for all of that.

But yes, there are certainly much cheaper places to be had. It's all in where and how, you wish to live and what inconveniences you're willing to accept. For me, I prefer things easy especially since I'm still transitioning/learning stages here.

Tim

fixfireleo wrote:

Tim,

In Florida, I live on about $1900 per month.  I wont have a car in Philippines nor the INCREDIBLY expensive insurance in Florida.   I pay $400 per month for the Jeep and over $160 a month for insurance.   I just want to be able to live WELL on $1500 in Philippines.

What part of FL are you from? I'm from Jacksonville. Yes, I have the same in FL. My vehicle is still there, still have to pay insurance, my stuff in in storage so I have that bill each month as well, still have my US Cell on an international plan so that adds another $60 to my monthly's. All told, I have close to $1,000 a month in U S bills each month on top of the bills here.

What are you doing for health insurance here? Not sure of your age or health condition but, you'll prob want to plan on getting some type of coverage here. I got a plan here from Cigna Global. Runs me about $240 a month for 2 million US of coverage per year and a $500 deductible.
Not sure about on here, but there are threads regarding hospitalization, it s a whole different ballgame here then in the US. Like, you won't be allowed to leave the hospital w/o paying your bill, may not even get treated at all if you can't pay etc. Private message me, I can give you some other tidbits to help you out in your studies before making the jump.

Have you ever been to the Philippines before? Just curious.

Anyway, I'm sure that a single guy can def. live here for $1,500 a month so don't be discouraged.
It's just a matter of where you want to live and how nice of a place you want to be in that will dictate what your housing is going to cost. The further away from the city, the cheaper it gets but, you won't have transportation so that may play a factor in keeping you closer to town. That is definitely a factor for me and why I am close to everything. Also, 1 bedrooms are much cheaper then 2 bedrooms and studios cheaper still. In my case, I needed a second bedroom as a quasi office set up.

So for medical, I'm lucky.  I'm a Vet so I get care at the VA.  I can rent a PO Box from UPS and they will ship my meds and mail over for about $15 which I will have done once per month.  I am including a list of my expected expenses in Philippines, please let me know if you think they are unrealistic.  For cell, I will probably get one there and mostly I will use a PC or laptop at home so I wont need much data.  I use less than 1/2 Gig per month in the USA since I use my PC for everything.  I intend to live a bit outside the city center, equivalent to what we would call the "suburbs" in the USA, take taxis when I want to go somewhere.  I was hoping for a 2 bedroom so I can try to get people to visit me.

Expected Expenses in Philippines

Rent                   $300
Mail                   $30
Utilities                   $125
Internet                   $50
Cell Phone            $40
Food                $400
Entertainment        $150
Transportation        $50
Cancer Policy        $35
US Condo Fee        $350
US Condo Taxes        $100
US Condo Insur        $50       

Total                          $1680

Expected Condo Income  $1200

Net Negative                          $480

The only thing I havent been able to add to my budget is how much to allow for travel to Asia, New Zealand and Australia maybe one trip per year as well as just exploring the Philippines.  I would appreciate any advice on that as well.  Thank you.  (So everything was lined up neatly until I hit "POST" and then it's scrambled but you can still read it.)

Rob

Hello fixfireleo.  As each and everybody's situation is different, here are some of mine :- I am living in Cebu with my Philippino partner and her 2 daughters. Both are at school. If you are single you wont have that expense ( you are single ? ) We have a 2 bedroom condo in Mandaue, unfurnished at P2k a month, condo fees P1500 pm fibre broadband P 1900 pm. If you plan staying long ( 2 years + ) an unfurnished place is much cheaper and you have your own furniture to keep. We enjoy cheap home cooked meals, she cooks pinay, I cook Australian using foods purchased at local markets. We are close to main road so use jeepney and trike, though I walk to most markets.
As said else where, it is up to you to set your lifestyle but there areways and means to make it still suitable with out sacrificing too many comforts.  Let me know if I can help any more. regards  Bruce

Hey Rob,
Looks pretty good. I haven't really hit the ground here looking for cheap rents so, I really can't say on the $300 for rent.
Have you checked the VA to make sure that you can get medical care here in the city that you are looking to reside in?

Bruce, wow... a 2 bedroom condo for $40 US a month???? Damned if I have seen nothing that cheap around here. I need to find something that cheap though. Lol

I am single.  Plan on eating out mostly.  Not necessarily high end places, but wet markets and inexpensive places, food stands, etc.  So, you still have to pay condo fees even if you are renting?  Shouldnt that all be included in the rent?

I am hoping to pay to get blood work done locally and send the results to the VA then see the doctor on Skype once or twice a year.  For times when I have to go see a doctor in person, I am hoping I can go to Guam instead of going all the way back to USA or at least Hawaii instead of Florida.  Still trying to look into all that.  No one has email and I really dont want to pay for international calls.

fixfireleo wrote:

I am single.  Plan on eating out mostly.  Not necessarily high end places, but wet markets and inexpensive places, food stands, etc.  So, you still have to pay condo fees even if you are renting?  Shouldnt that all be included in the rent?

Well at $20 US per month what's another $15 on top? $35 US for rent is super cheap.
I've never seen anything that cheap here. I must not be looking in the right spots I guess. 🙄

But to answer your question, yes, some do, others build it into the rent. Just depends upon the landlord. Some even require additional cash to use the pool etc.
Another thing over here that is unlike the US is they like to get 1-2 of rent upfront and a 2 month security unless it's a month to month lease. Which is another reason I am on a month to month lease. Also, a lot of landlords want the balance of your rent for the year in post dated checks from a PH bank basically leaving you no recourse if you are unhappy with the property or they refuse to fix things etc.

fixfireleo wrote:

I am hoping to pay to get blood work done locally and send the results to the VA then see the doctor on Skype once or twice a year.  For times when I have to go see a doctor in person, I am hoping I can go to Guam instead of going all the way back to USA or at least Hawaii instead of Florida.  Still trying to look into all that.  No one has email and I really dont want to pay for international calls.

Yeah, Guam is definitely a good option. VA may even have facilities up around Manila, Clark, Subic. I'm not sure on that though.

SORRY , typo  rent P20k pm
Bruce

GoDees wrote:

SORRY , typo  rent P20k pm
Bruce

Ahhhh... had me all excited here. Lol

bigpearl wrote:

Tim_L wrote:

Very well said Steve. I'm glad that you are doing well and enjoying yourselves here.
After all, that's what life is all about, no matter where one chooses to live it.
Funny you should mention that. I always wonder how people living in more expensive places want to come here and survive on $1,000 or less per month. Like how in the hell are you surviving Where you are? 😂😂😂
In my mind, this isn't the place to be if your pinching pennies. At least, I wouldn't want to anyway. It's a scary thought to be away from your support system and not be able to make ends meet.

Take care and have a good night,
Tim

Kind words and similar philosophies, firstly we haven't lived in PH for some 5 years, can't afford to as phones and internet costs pushed us back to Australia so we can live a meagre life and scrape to put food on the table........

Overall Tim the cost and convenience of living in PH. definitely outweighs living in Oz, one of the more expensive places to live/retire in the world.
I asked recently what are the costs to register and insure a car in PH. on another forum though I had a pretty good idea wanted to hear it from the horses mouth so to speak,,,,,, I think you are on that site also. So in Oz I pay about 800 bucks per year per car while in PH. it is a measly 50 bucks a year, and motorbikes under 20 bucks a year, the truth is coming in basic staples. And while I whinge about paying 5 or 6 bucks a kilo for pork in PH. it costs us upwards of 12 bucks in Oz. While yes it all ads up I'm sure you and other members could not disagree on the fact that not only is it "more fun in the Philippines" but a hell of a lot cheaper. For me 50 to 60 percent and I'm sure if I tried 70 percent cheaper but hey it is expensive to live in Oz.

We for years have had 2 phones with unlimited calls within Oz and 24 odd gig of data, 300 bucks of international calls for a whole  90 bucks a month for 2 phones, yes if we could secure similar plans in PH. they would be far more expensive,,,,,,,, FaceTime, Skype and the likes works well in the Philippines and is only data usage.......... Electricity costs more a worry if you are a pig with power such as I am,,,,,,,,,, Solar systems fix that problem.
Enough for now, bed time.

Cheers, Steve.

Hey Steve,
Yes, I know what you mean regarding cell and internet. It's a major drawback and issue for those of us that need large quantities of both. Globe has a fairly decent (for ph standards) plan for 2499 per month. You could also get on their Platinum plan and get priority data and calling.
I have been pondering that one actually except that I find that Smart has been the better of the two since I came back in August. My US cell uses Smart for international Roaming and I almost always have 4 bars here in Cebu whereas my GF has Globe and she's generally in the 1-3 bar range in Cebu.
Petty weird since we're about 4 blocks from both PLDT and Globes offices. We can literally look at their towers from our balcony. Go figure. 😂😂😂

Yes, I am a member of that forum and saw your post over there. I am also a member of several other expat forums. I use the same screen name on all of them. Can never be too well educated. Hahaha....

Do you guys plan to come back here at all?

Tim

There is a Clinic in Manila but it's only for vets with service connected disability.

So, getting back to cell and internet....I dont think I will have huge problems with cell since I use my phone mostly for making calls only with occasionally looking small things up.  I would use it for Google translate as necessary also but in USA I use about 1/2 gig of data on my phone total.  My home internet however is a different matter.  If I'm not at work or asleep, I LIVE on my PC.  So, what options are there for reliable internet for home?  I dont need wireless...I hardwire thru Ethernet cable.  Right now I have 100 Meg service but only because that's the slowest speed Spectrum offers, I would think 20 Meg would be more than enough for my uses.  I am currently paying $65 a month but I believe someone already said you can get internet in PH for about $35-$40 per month?

Also, what about this thing that I read that you have to pay to import electronics?  How does that work?  Does it depend on the age of the electronics?  My PC is about 3 years old, my laptop must be 5 years old and my karaoke equipment (pro audio equipment) has to be about 20 years old.  It would be expensive to replace though.

Rob,
There are lots of cell plan options here. As I said above, I use globe supersurf999 for data. Gives 1gb per day for $20
Calling within Country I explained above as well.

FaceTime is you have an iPhone, Skype, FB messenger etc are all good options for making voice calls via data.

Yes, electronics are expensive here if they're manufactured outside of the Philippines.
Laptop, just bring in with you, karaoke stuff you can get here all day long at reasonable prices. Computers also unless yours is a beast gaming machine or something.

I didn't bring any big electronics. As I said above, shipping my 27” iMac here would have been in the $1,200.00 range so I'm just buying a new one here.

I have Sky cable. $40 a month for 35mbps.
Pldt and Globe are the main providers.
Check their sites for prices.

fixfireleo wrote:

am currently paying $65 a month but I believe someone already said you can get internet in PH for about $35-$40 per month?

In Vigan, Ilocos Sur, get internet for 1,000 Pesos/month, about $20.

Hi Tim,
Yes we hope to officially move back in March/April 2019. We gave notice to our tenant 6 months ago, (the previous owner) that we gave a 2 year lease to, expires April 19. We purchased this property from him some 18 months ago. It does depend a bit on selling our farm in Oz and the logistics of packing a shipping container inline with a sale of the property, offloading several cars and trucks, Benjie resigning from his work etc, etc. My contract finishes with the English company that I work for on the 23rd of December. Seriously I can't wait and am looking forward to the new venture, as I say slowly slowly the wheels turn.

A little info for you and Rob. We leased a 3 bed, 3 bath condo in San Lazaro Sta Cruz Manila some 6 years + ago and after negotiations paid PHP 25K per month, no association fees. Admittedly the third bed and bath were tiny as it was designed for the live in help,,,,,,, became our storage room. I paid 1 year upfront as well as 2 months deposit and surprisingly did get our 2 months bond back in under 2 weeks, we found this landlord through FB after lots of delving.
Our phones we simply pre paid load and internet loaded via phone to a smart dongle. Example 200 pesos for 5 days unlimited, so 1200 pesos per month, streaming was fine and never missed a beat, nor did our phones.
Electricity: A/C in master bedroom ran 10 hours a day minimum, living area as required though not often as we picked up good breezes from the Manila bay through the balcony doors. Very large fridge/freezer, 65 inch tv, 50 inch tv, 2 laptops, hot water units in the showers etc. Our bill was PHP 2,500 to max 3,000 per month, food, grog, smokes, entertainment and other living costs comes back to the individual and their needs. We were opposite a large shopping centre, SM San Lazaro 3 minutes walk from our condo to the doors, plenty of taxis, jeepneys and PNR 5 minutes walk, Blumentritt station. Absolutely no car or bike needed if one chooses to live in such a location.
The pollution and dog eat got mentality was not for us, hence a provincial life some 5 or 6 hours north of Manila, close to family but not too close. Quiet expat neighbourhood on the beach, though farther to services compared to Manila or perhaps Cebu offers a life style that suits our needs and yes no noise or burning rubbish piles.

Cheers, Steve.

Mugtech, almost a neighbour, 3 hours drive for us to an interesting city, hope to catch up one day.

Cheers, Steve.

Rob,
You can also grab a MagicJack before you leave the US. That will help with your calling back to the US.

Steve,

How much were you paying for how big a place 5-6 hours from Manila?  Also, do you know about importing electronics?  I know they say karaoke equipment is easily had but I have pro audio equipment (high end DJ equipment).  It's old, say 25 years so replacing it would probably run at least $5000 USD but it's probably actually WORTH $500 USD if I were to sell it.  (It all works great though.)  My PC was custom built for around $800 but it's only 3 years old and works like a champ for my uses (again, all top brand name components.)  I realize if I had NEWER electronics, it would be expensive but what about older ones?  And when they say electronics "not made in the Philippines", do they make a lot of high quality electronics in Philippines?

Ahhhhh nice Steve. Stressful... Sounds like a lot of work.
I put all of stuff in storage in the US until such time as I decide if I am staying here permanently. That is the plan though if all goes well. Then I guess i'll go through the grief of getting everything in a container to ship over here. I'm not looking forward to paying that bill however.

fixfireleo wrote:

Steve,

How much were you paying for how big a place 5-6 hours from Manila?  Also, do you know about importing electronics?  I know they say karaoke equipment is easily had but I have pro audio equipment (high end DJ equipment).  It's old, say 25 years so replacing it would probably run at least $5000 USD but it's probably actually WORTH $500 USD if I were to sell it.  (It all works great though.)  My PC was custom built for around $800 but it's only 3 years old and works like a champ for my uses (again, all top brand name components.)  I realize if I had NEWER electronics, it would be expensive but what about older ones?  And when they say electronics "not made in the Philippines", do they make a lot of high quality electronics in Philippines?

Rob,
You might investigate an account with Shipping cart. It's a nice way of getting things shipped from the US to here. I have my amazon account ship to there and they repack everything into one box and you can either ship air or sea depending upon how fast you need it. You can get rates based on the size/weight of the box and see what it would cost to ship your computer and karaoke stuff over.
Amazon will also direct ship here but the prevailing theme seems to be to keep items including shipping under 10,000 ph which is around $180 to avoid customs duties.

I may be wrong but, I haven't really seen what I would call high end electronics being produced here.
All of that stuff comes from S. Korea, Japan and China and its tarriffed accordingly.

Hope that helps.

But with MagicJack, dont the people you call also have to have it?  I could use that with a few family members but what I would really need is to contact businesses, especially if I rent out my condo rather than selling it.

Rob

Have you looked into that?  Someone told me it's like $3000 to ship over a whole container.  I'm not sure I believe that.

Are you saying this is a way to get things shipped over and to avoid the import fees?  Dont they X-Ray stuff?

fixfireleo wrote:

But with MagicJack, dont the people you call also have to have it?  I could use that with a few family members but what I would really need is to contact businesses, especially if I rent out my condo rather than selling it.

Rob

No, they don't. You call any regular or cell phone from it. Can even plug a regular phone into the magicJack. Def a good option for calling back home.

fixfireleo wrote:

Are you saying this is a way to get things shipped over and to avoid the import fees?  Dont they X-Ray stuff?

I believe anything under 10,000ph has no import fees.

fixfireleo wrote:

Have you looked into that?  Someone told me it's like $3000 to ship over a whole container.  I'm not sure I believe that.

No, I haven't. I've gleaned over articles about it in other forums but I didn't really soak it all in as it wasn't a high priority read for me at the time. I wouldn't doubt that it's more expensive then that, I honestly don't know though.  Check some of those sites I sent you. There is a treasure trove of info on them.