Cost of Living in the Philippines in 2020

My wife and I bought land here in Cebu and built a beautiful house in a golf and country club in Alta Vista Country Club overlooking all mountains behind me and all of Cebu and the sea in the distance in front.  Yes the land has to be bought under my wife's name and the house is in both our names. I have zero regrets. We travel back to Florida once a year for a few months and then spend the rest in Cebu. We travel to other Asian countries,  play tennis, Swim in the club house pool and I'm learning to golf (lol) and I  enjoy the Philippines a lot. To all expats... once in a while it's worth taking a risk in your life.

ARTHUR

arty5987 wrote:

My wife and I bought land here in Cebu and built a beautiful house in a golf and country club in Alta Vista Country Club overlooking all mountains behind me and all of Cebu and the sea in the distance in front.  Yes the land has to be bought under my wife's name and the house is in both our names. I have zero regrets. We travel back to Florida once a year for a few months and then spend the rest in Cebu. We travel to other Asian countries,  play tennis, Swim in the club house pool and I'm learning to golf (lol) and I  enjoy the Philippines a lot. To all expats... once in a while it's worth taking a risk in your life.

ARTHUR

Hey Arthur can you share 10 pesos for a cup of coffee?

Sure

25k can do very well in 1st class municipalities.

I do not have direct experience in the last several years in the National Capital, but I am guessing it might be 2x that.

25k PHP is $500

That would not get much in anyplace in the US.

3x that is what you might be looking at and that is just for starters. $2000-3000 for a hovel in places like NY, CHicago, Seattle.

In the 90s I had a New York apartment that cost me 2k per month. It was about 1100sqft 2br.

I need to update that 25k estimate and make it a lot more detailed. It is a middle of the road figure.

Between PD & pnw cost estimates, budgeting USD 25k would do fine for a family of 3 around but outside Cebu City.
Do you maintain a house in the US or your country of origin? How much would that cost to keep/maintain?

Townhouse in Bethlehem, PA, 3 bedroom, 2 bathrooms, finished basement, about $170,000 market value, pay $3,600/year Real Estate taxes, so $300/month.  Electricty, used for heat runs about $150/month average, $350 in the coldest months, less than $100 in the summer using an airconditioner on each floor. Phone, cable and internet, including TFC is $200/month.  Cousin lets me throw our trash into his dumpster behind his office.  Age over 65 means we get to ride the buses for free.  So we spend $650/month plus food, travel and entertainment.  Like in the Philippines,  we live well on just my Social Security even having $140/month withheld for Medicare.

mugtech wrote:

Townhouse in Bethlehem, PA, 3 bedroom, 2 bathrooms, finished basement, about $170,000 market value, pay $3,600/year Real Estate taxes, so $300/month.  Electricty, used for heat runs about $150/month average, $350 in the coldest months, less than $100 in the summer using an airconditioner on each floor. Phone, cable and internet, including TFC is $200/month.  Cousin lets me throw our trash into his dumpster behind his office.  Age over 65 means we get to ride the buses for free.  So we spend $650/month plus food, travel and entertainment.  Like in the Philippines,  we live well on just my Social Security even having $140/month withheld for Medicare.

And home insurance is almost $100/month, so total is more like $750 /month plus food, travel and entertainment.

I think your car prices are on the high side both for buying and on going running expensive
Cars are more  expensive in Philippines compared to Australia some are double the price but running costs are a lot cheaper as labor is very cheap
I was never going to buy a car but happy I did as it rains a lot and you don't get forced of the road as much as on a motorcycle,
I never use public transport no way
Always drive with caution as a accident can land you in serious trouble even if you are in the right, being a foreigner does not help.

barkz wrote:

I think your car prices are on the high side both for buying and on going running expensive
Cars are more  expensive in Philippines compared to Australia some are double the price but running costs are a lot cheaper as labor is very cheap
I was never going to buy a car but happy I did as it rains a lot and you don't get forced of the road as much as on a motorcycle,
I never use public transport no way
Always drive with caution as a accident can land you in serious trouble even if you are in the right, being a foreigner does not help.

what vehicle did you purchase?

barkz wrote:

I think your car prices are on the high side both for buying and on going running expensive
Cars are more  expensive in Philippines compared to Australia some are double the price but running costs are a lot cheaper as labor is very cheap
I was never going to buy a car but happy I did as it rains a lot and you don't get forced of the road as much as on a motorcycle,
I never use public transport no way
Always drive with caution as a accident can land you in serious trouble even if you are in the right, being a foreigner does not help.

Living in Pasig City, I would never thinking of driving here. The drivers here are like peope riding the trains in India. Not enough stop lights and if there is one, it's ignored. Four abreast on a roads built for three abreast.

I ride Grab, avoiding spending money for a car purchase, gas, insurance, repairs and no place to park the car. If I lived in the Boonies I would reconsider. I let the Grab driver get the road rage, not me, I'll sit back and enjoy the cheap ride.

I only drove once while in the Phills my wife ex boss loaned me a car that the worse expeirence i had in my life driving, I am a profesional driver here in Australia I drive a bus for a living, no way I would own a car there, take a taxi or crab or urber jeepney bus let them have the stress and a hell a lot cheaper than spending big money on a car, in Cebu now free buses to sm mall Robinsons.

Unfortunately, grocery prices in the meantime are cheaper in Europe. If you want to keep eating European food you will spend much more money than in Europe. Living here for 6 years in the Philippines and prices are getting higher and higher. We are 5 person family and we already thinking about going back to Europe. Before 6 years it was still o.k. but in the meantime since the government increased the taxes it now reaches a point we really thinking of going back to Europe.

I see the tendency that in the long run the mobile people turn their backs on the Philippines more and more. But this is of course only my personal opinion:-)

I live close by to Valencia city Bukidnon. Here is my break down of what I spend on a monthly bases. We own our house and lot. When we purchased our lot with three houses it cost 1,800,000php. (36,000USD). 1000 square meter lot with three standing houses on the lot. in pretty good shape.      Monthly expenses.
Electricity 2000 php
water 300 php
food and essentials 10,000 php (that is buying in robinsons market if we purchase from the wet market 8000, but I prefer from robinsons)
full tank of gas average 1500 php
internet 1000 php 10mb download 5mb upload
total monthly average 14,000-15000 (280 - 300USD)

kanesec wrote:

I live close by to Valencia city Bukidnon. Here is my break down of what I spend on a monthly bases. We own our house and lot. When we purchased our lot with three houses it cost 1,800,000php. (36,000USD). 1000 square meter lot with three standing houses on the lot. in pretty good shape.      Monthly expenses.
Electricity 2000 php
water 300 php
food and essentials 10,000 php (that is buying in robinsons market if we purchase from the wet market 8000, but I prefer from robinsons)
full tank of gas average 1500 php
total monthly average 13,000- 14,000

Welcome to Expat.com.  Thanks for sharing your information.  I noticed your budget does not include insurance and real estate taxes.  In the USA those two items cost me an average of $400/month.  Here in Ilocos Sur the taxes on our 4 bedroom house are 600 pesos/year or 50 pesos a month.  Definitely a miscellaneous expense.

kanesec wrote:

I live close by to Valencia city Bukidnon. Here is my break down of what I spend on a monthly bases. We own our house and lot. When we purchased our lot with three houses it cost 1,800,000php. (36,000USD). 1000 square meter lot with three standing houses on the lot. in pretty good shape.      Monthly expenses.
Electricity 2000 php
water 300 php
food and essentials 10,000 php (that is buying in robinsons market if we purchase from the wet market 8000, but I prefer from robinsons)
full tank of gas average 1500 php
internet 1000 php 10mb download 5mb upload
total monthly average 14,000-15000 (280 - 300USD)

Hi kanesec and welcome to the forum, you are doing very well living on US 300 P/M, we need to turn the A/C,s off, stop smoking and drinking JD, that would save us US 300 P/M. Our budget is AU 2,500 P/M so about US 1,750 max, averages though @ US 1,500. Food, cigarettes, plonk, internet, phones, Cignal tv, fuel, gas, water, rego insurance and maintenance on car and 2 bikes, municipal rates, Barangay garbage collection, take out/eatin, electronic/electrical replacements averaged, motor replacements averaged, house maintenance averaged and other peripherals.
Holidays and whims are not in our budget nor replacing/upgrading big ticket items (car/bikes) and come from savings/slush funds.
We own everything so no loans, mayhap I need to tighten our belt but no need atm, your living costs are to be admired and from my observations set a precedent.
Thanks for your input.

Cheers, Steve.

"Welcome to Expat.com.  Thanks for sharing your information.  I noticed your budget does not include insurance and real estate taxes.  In the USA those two items cost me an average of $400/month.  Here in Ilocos Sur the taxes on our 4 bedroom house are 600 pesos/year or 50 pesos a month.  Definitely a miscellaneous expense."

Agree mugtech but an expense all the same and the property we recently sold was costing some UA $480 P/M for rates and insurance, here it's less than PHP 350 P/M ( no insurance) but it's still a cost to live here as are the tyres on the car or the roof leak repair or the donation to whatever.

Cheers, Steve.

Every once in a while we go out to eat, but I find the restaurants here are not so good.  So we just eat at home. I dont drink, but I do smoke and that is factored into my monthly expenses. I pay 800 for a rim of cigarettes 3-4 rims a month. I should mention that we have live stock, we raise chickens, turkeys, ducks, and pigs.  We sell far more than we eat.  I moved here when I was 35 and now im 39. I came here to be with my wife and live a nice easy peaceful life. best choice I have ever made.

real estate taxes here are 72 pesos a month. and car and home insurance is 1430 monthly my apologies I forgot about those I pay those yearly.

kanesec wrote:

Every once in a while we go out to eat, but I find the restaurants here are not so good.  So we just eat at home. I dont drink, but I do smoke and that is factored into my monthly expenses. I pay 800 for a rim of cigarettes 3-4 rims a month. I should mention that we have live stock, we raise chickens, turkeys, ducks, and pigs.  We sell far more than we eat.  I moved here when I was 35 and now im 39. I came here to be with my wife and live a nice easy peaceful life. best choice I have ever made.

Could you do a breakdown of Animals, feed, family use and profit. I think you would enjoy and might learn from YouTube A Foreigner Farming in the Philippines. He farms Azolla and corn to cut feed costs by more than half. Hope to join you guys in 2 years when I'm 62 and Social security eligible.

Lat61 wrote:

kanesec wrote:

Every once in a while we go out to eat, but I find the restaurants here are not so good.  So we just eat at home. I dont drink, but I do smoke and that is factored into my monthly expenses. I pay 800 for a rim of cigarettes 3-4 rims a month. I should mention that we have live stock, we raise chickens, turkeys, ducks, and pigs.  We sell far more than we eat.  I moved here when I was 35 and now im 39. I came here to be with my wife and live a nice easy peaceful life. best choice I have ever made.

Could you do a breakdown of Animals, feed, family use and profit. I think you would enjoy and might learn from YouTube A Foreigner Farming in the Philippines. He farms Azolla and corn to cut feed costs by more than half. Hope to join you guys in 2 years when I'm 62 and Social security eligible.

At this moment we have 80+ chickens (all broilers), 32 turkeys, 100+ ducks, and 24 pigs (7 adults 2 male 5 female) I have found chickens are the most expensive when it comes to feed.  I go through 100 kilos a month in feed just in chickens (1350 per 50 kilo sack). The turkeys get fed feed once day for there vitamin intake, but mostly they eat grass and what ever else grows and in there reach. same with the ducks. between the ducks and turkeys they eat about one 50 kilo sack per month. The ducks also roam my rice field which is where they mostly eat. The pigs will through 2-3 sacks per month, depending on how many we have sometimes higher. so roughly 5 sacks of feed on average for around 6750 per month.

  The chicken eggs we typically just breed them out but if we have over 100 we sell the eggs at 5peso each. at 60 days we sell the chickens for 100 per kilo live weight.   after 120 days ducks sell for 180 per kilo. and turkeys sell for 350 per kilo at 6 months old.  the piglets sell for 2000 each, after piglets we sell for 110 per kilo from 20-40 kilos. and 40-60 sells for 100 per kilo and 60+ sells for 90 per kilo.  Also on pigs for stud service I charge 1 piglet or 2000php. Now your probably wondering how I do all this tremendously hard work.  I have 2 brothers (in-laws) here that help out with all the work, but by all means it is a full time job taking care of all these animals.  on average I profit 10,000-15,000 a month in selling.  last month we sold around 30 chickens, 50 ducks, 7 turkeys,  I think 4 piglets and 2 lichon size pigs. the chickens and ducks are a rough number. I dont know the exact number. I have been established for a long time and I sell all locally.  With everything that happened with covvid it was far more difficult.  we tried corn with the chickens and they liked it at first but they stopped eating it.  family use is pretty difficult because all my family here just gets what they want.  we raise one pig for slaughter usually three times a year.  I would say everage for me and my wife. we use 6 chickens and around 6 ducks a month. and on my property there is three familys. my wifes brother and sisters family. I hope I answered what you were looking for.

Good man , i envy you !!!

Hi Kanesec... Are you here on retirement?  If you are,  do you really enjoy that lifestyle????

Awesome post Kanesec. Sound like you grow a lot of your own food. Do you own more then 1000 square meters of land? You must also earn money elsewhere. Do you teach English online? I'm 60 yr old and hope to join you in 2 years or so near Davao. Have 2 daughters still in school or would like to try Bukidnon for the cooler weather.

I spend about 300 USD a week on groceries but that is because I will not eat nor allow my boys to eat local meat that hasn't been properly inspected.  Hepatitis and "double dead" meat are far too common.  Aside from that they are toddlers so the expenses that come with that phase of growing up.  Vaccinations, diapers, clothes, etc. Usually cost me another 500 or more a month.  Utilities, internet, travel expenses, and 2 big dogs as my security system, as well as other expenses add quite a bit more.

wrevans02 wrote:

I spend about 300 USD a week on groceries

I agree with you about about the food, with no fda inspection or refrigeration in wet markets.

I also spend about 300 USD a week for groceries & household supplies mostly from S&R. My priorities are decent housing & food. I try to maintain my western life style as best as I can.

My wife Aida has lived the Western lifestyle as we lived in the states for years before moving to her family home in Pasig. She sometimes complained about the rent when we lived in Henderson Nevada because of her Philippine background, our rent wasn't the cheapest but we lived in a nice community. Where I live was always important to me and the products I buy are the ones I want. Now the whole family is slowly acquiring western tastes, which is not bad as I hope my boys will they strive to achieve and enjoy a lifestyle that exceeds the third world lifestyle.

Our house is three floors, narrow about 65 sq meters per floor. We have a full household, one stepson & wife, another stepson and a nephew from the provinces (manage of a Jollibees). A third stepson is a nurse in London. We also have a wonderful maid.

First floor a kitchen, bathroom, family room. Second floor three bedrooms & bathroom. Third floor for Aida & me a kitchen, bathroom and large bedroom (western size). The third floor gets hot so the aircon runs 24/7 in the bedroom. So the electric bill is aprox 8,000 php. Fast internet, this morning 67/14 mbs as I write this, 3750 php including cable tv. Fast internet is important as at any given time two smart TV's, two laptops and four smart phones could be sucking up the mbs.

Our maid has her own room and eats with the family, when we go out to eat she goes with us, almost a member of the family.

Other expenses are normal maintenance (yesterday had the septic tank sucked out and grease clog removed from plumbing 4,000 php) Prescriptions for Aida & me and insulin for stepson $$$. We don't have a car so we use Grab. After moving here and seeing the traffic I would never drive. My wife wants a used Toyota Innova, I think my stepson in England & Aida are scheming to buy one. I still won't drive in metro Manila, so one of my step sons will have to do the driving if I wake up some morning with a Innova parked outside.

All in all our monthly expense is aprox $2,000 USD, (our house is paid for). Sometime beyond that I have to use savings.

I agree with you on my boys not living a 3rd world lifestyle.  It makes me mad that every decision including those of life & death are all based on price.  I spend 700 USD on rent but that is a large 4 bedroom house with a large fenced yard and large guard dogs to roam.  Just waiting on the mother of my children to finish college then it is off to America.

arty5987 wrote:

Hi Kanesec... Are you here on retirement?  If you are,  do you really enjoy that lifestyle????

I guess you could call it retirement.  I moved here to be with my wife.  I love the lifestyle here.  Right now im back in the states till January then back home. Had a death in the family. I know this is a different name than kanesec, but i lost my password to my old account so i had to create a new one.

Lat61 wrote:

Awesome post Kanesec. Sound like you grow a lot of your own food. Do you own more then 1000 square meters of land? You must also earn money elsewhere. Do you teach English online? I'm 60 yr old and hope to join you in 2 years or so near Davao. Have 2 daughters still in school or would like to try Bukidnon for the cooler weather.

My wife and i own a little over 3000 square meters.  When i moved to the Philippines i sold all my properties, cars,  and business. So it gave me a decent nest egg to live off of. I also do some stock trading.  I love bukidnon, its not so hot.  Some people dont like bukidnon because there is no beaches. And its not a resort area.  But i didnt move to the Philippines to be near tourist all the time. I moved here to live my life with my wife.

Where in the Phil's can you get coffee for 10 pesos??

lasvegan wrote:

Where in the Phil's can you get coffee for 10 pesos??

Where i live the sari sari store sells individual instant coffee packs for 7 pesos, and the instant coffe with cream coffee and sugar ones for 12 pesos.  But i never seen 10 peso packs

lasvegan wrote:

Where in the Phil's can you get coffee for 10 pesos??

Going back to an old post "can you share 10 pesos for a cup of coffee" When I was a boy a cup of coffee cost a dime maybe even a nickel, but my Dad's 1950 Chevy Convertible cost $2200.

'Kopiko black' instant coffee mix does come in a twin pack version which is smack on @10p here & its meant to be shared.

You know what? I over allowed to live here. 8 to 9 years back and forward dozens of times, working here then living 1 year in Manila and now 20 months back after 5 or 6 years back in Oz? Our budget was always AU 2,500 per month but the better half badgered me that AU 2,000 per month was more than enough,,,,,,, I allowed enough to be AU 3K per month and affordable, holidays and extravagance on top of that. It's cheaper than I thought. 20 months on our living costs are under AU 1,700 per month and that includes everything except depreciation and replacement of major items like the car, motorbikes, refrigerator, televisions, computers etc. So the extra AU 800+ bucks per month?

I smoke like a burning tyre and drink like a fish, the better half less so but for those that don't partake in our vices would mean about PHP 25K per month for rent. We eat out and generally buy what we want/need though not so much with C-19 but tend to spend more on Lazada and Shopee.

Very happy here at one third perhaps even a quarter of the cost of living in Oz.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

That is a great insight on the average monthly cost in the Philippines Steve.
All expats in the Philippines came different counties, different backgrounds, different vices & habits, etc. Whether you're feeding the whole spouse's clan or just the two of you, is also another factor. It is really hard to make durian-to-durian comparison between lifestyles.
Anyway, it would be nice to know what expats spend monthly on average living in the Philippines for total expenses. This would not include expenses maintaining properties, cars, mistress in their country of origin.
With this monthly average, would-be future expats will have some expectations of costs.

Jackson4 wrote:

That is a great insight on the average monthly cost in the Philippines Steve.
All expats in the Philippines came different counties, different backgrounds, different vices & habits, etc. Whether you're feeding the whole spouse's clan or just the two of you, is also another factor. It is really hard to make durian-to-durian comparison between lifestyles.
Anyway, it would be nice to know what expats spend monthly on average living in the Philippines for total expenses. This would not include expenses maintaining properties, cars, mistress in their country of origin.
With this monthly average, would-be future expats will have some expectations of costs.

Agree, all are different and this subject has been thrashed out for a dozen + years on so many expat sites, the proof of the pie is in the eating and as said budgeted @AU $2500 but allowed AU$ 3000, to date,,,, it's costing AU $1700 per month, I never mentioned but in our costs included is AU $100 bucks a month for Mum and Dad, a big help for them. I'm sure if we tightened our belts, didn't smoke, drink, fast food, restaurants we would be another AU $4 or 500 bucks a month better off.
That's not why we moved back here, we live within our means/budget easily.
Honestly I am pleasantly surprised at the cost of living here.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

I live a nice moderate lifestyle with my wife and her daughter.  I drink half a bottle of wine a day and smoke 1 packet of cigarettes a day.  We eat steak 2 times a week and have a generally good food.  (just like if i was back home)

150,000php per month  (i have not included holiday's or flights back to my country of origin) made up of:

Rent for accom in the Philippines
Cable TV for 1 TV - 1,050php PM
Internet
Water
Electricity
Gas
Trash Collection
NET FLIX
Furniture Depreciation
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Wife's Haircut
Dinner out 2 people
My Hair Cut
General grocery Shopping - personal products and house cleaning sundries
Weekend away every month
Town Transport
1 child pocket money Jez Reel's pocket money
1 child School fee's
General daily spending
Medicine
Spend on Doctor's or dentist or other emergency
Mobile Phone - Replacement
Computer Depreciation
Clothes
Anti Virus for Laptop Computer
Australian Drivers licence
Bank Fees Australia
Mobile Phone Call chargers
Tax Agent and Taxation payment Australia
Christmas Food and Presents
3 x Party's
Dog costs for 1 dog: Food, warming. Vaccinations, etc
VISA Extension
ACR I-Card for Tourist

PS  i don't live in  a large city, nor in the mountains.

Appreciate Steve and pej111.
I am guessing Steve did not include international trips at AU 1700/month. Pej got it down to about 3k USD/month without international vacation as well.
This is good stuff.
We need more to make this more concrete.