Cost of Living in the Philippines in 2020

pej1111 wrote:

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

We live where our lives take us pej, I appreciate your input for your costs to live where you are, we also live in what many will call the provinces or backwaters and choices are made and then changed. For me/us, living in Manila in a 3 bed condo gave little to my existence or aspirations many years ago and realised the provincial life was no different to living in Oz; on the farm. Close enough to a good private hospital, malls, wet markets etc. The distant sound of roosters crowing at 4 or 5 in the morning, occasionally a dog barking, once a fortnight some distant karaoke and shooting the goats every second day with airsoft adds to the fun and they are persistent as we are.
Living costs certainly depend ones location and expectations and budget we do. It appears successful OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

After years of compared cost of living posts.  It seems it boils down to lifestyle and location. 

One gent has for years claimed to have lived on $300 U.S. per month, living and eating as Filipinos do.  I have read a lot of his comments and they are specific about how he lives.  Bare basics.

Others can't seem to live as they'd like on $2000 U.S. a month or much more.

I know an expat who has since returned to the states, that lived in a studio and then a 1 bedroom condo for about 4 years.  During that time he didn't travel much outside of his area to other islands or countries aside from two trips back to the states.
He did not own a car, paid $350 U.S. a month for rent,  about 30 dollars for internet and a landline and all of his groceries with the exception of basics necessities, some fruit and veggies, came from a bi-weekly trip to S&R where he would spend on average about $300 U.S. 
He hated Filipino food and only ate at the best restaurants where he could buy western dishes. 
He had a girlfriend we know, who did not ask for money, was well educated (masters degree) and was management staff at a local college.  The two of them did make numerous trips to her parents house by plane  ( about twice per year), round trip cost for them both just under 4,000 pesos round trip on Cebu Pacific.
To cut to the chase, in four years time he spent over $100,000 U.S., and moved back to the states because it was "too expensive in the Philippines".  From his lifestyle choices, it's easy to figure out why.

So how much does it cost to live in the Philippines?  It's up to you and your lifestyle.

My wife and I built a home (yes it all belongs to her), cost depending on your tastes, ours  cost us about 2.1 million pesos.   
Our monthly expenses average out to between 750 and 1,000 U.S. and we live quite comfortably, no extravagant trips, we own a car (2013 model) and eat out 2 to 3 times a week.

So how much does it cost, it's pretty much up to you.

Omo... I consider myself a healthy semi-retired senior who definitely would NOT want to live in a fast developing city with the need for high rise life anymore.
I enjoy lots of empty ground green space here where I can do my gardening, play soccer and badminton during the day and courtyard dancing with laser light display on special occasions with enough space to barbecue stuff & smoke/drink away in the nights....offcourse with the plenty of fresh clean air with the sea just a few metres away...that in my opinion should have a decent $ terms in value...For me what I've got has already been fully paid for...so the longer it lasts (7years & counting) the better. (No expected returns in my case.)
I can live with about 30% of the local philippino food & the rest I source in the malls/grocers around.
I really don't need that much $$ to survive & have plans to expand whatever I have here.

manwonder wrote:

Omo... I consider myself a healthy semi-retired senior who definitely would NOT want to live in a fast developing city with the need for high rise life anymore.
I enjoy lots of empty ground green space here where I can do my gardening, play soccer and badminton during the day and courtyard dancing with laser light display on special occasions with enough space to barbecue stuff & smoke/drink away in the nights....offcourse with the plenty of fresh clean air with the sea just a few metres away...that in my opinion should have a decent $ terms in value...For me what I've got has already been fully paid for...so the longer it lasts (7years & counting) the better. (No expected returns in my case.)
I can live with about 30% of the local philippino food & the rest I source in the malls/grocers around.
I really don't need that much $$ to survive & have plans to expand whatever I have here.

Sounds like our place.  Lots and lots of greenery, quiet, peaceful, good small barangay, good neighbors and a few friends.

We eat plenty of Filipino dishes and that may have something to do with my wife's cooking skills, she can cook!

Our place was built for cash, so no bills aside from what most have, utilities and groceries.

I can't complain, but sometimes I still do.  Life's been good to us so far.

We own our house in the Philippines and pay $13/year in real estate taxes.  We spend 6 months in the Philippines and 6 months in Pennsylvania each year, and I figure we pay about $3,000  in travel expenses between the two.  That would mean $500/month over the 6 months we are in the Philippines.   While in the Philippines we spend about $1,100/month for food, utilities, travel, family.  Our expenses in PA amount to about $4,800/ year for real estate taxes  house and auto insurance, so $400/ month no matter where we are.  In addition the utilities including heat and water, snow removal, mail forwarding costs about $100/ month.
             So in reality it costs us $2,100/ month to spend 6 months in the Philippines.   During those same months if we stayed in the USA it would cost us about $200/month in electricity (heat) plus $40 for water/sewer, $180 for cable, telephone internet and about $500/month for food, gas, and all other household supplies, eating out once a week.  Add in the $400/ month in taxes and insurance and those same months would cost us about $1,320 /month in the USA.  The main difference is the travel costs and the additional entertaining done in the Philippines while eating out more often.
          For us the bottom line is we can live rather well in either the Philippines or the USA on our Social Security checks and have extra money for travel and cruises.  Turning 72 and being forced to take required minimum distributions from my IRA's means even more cash available, so we plan to keep snow birding in the Philippines,  with these next two years being the exception.

Having a truck is very nice.  But,  if I have to go downtown, the parking spots are designed and sized more for tricycLes and scrums multicabs. 

I want to buy a motorbike, but what we have seems to work OK.

mugtech wrote:

For us the bottom line is we can live rather well in either the Philippines or the USA on our Social Security checks and have extra money for travel and cruises.  Turning 72 and being forced to take required minimum distributions from my IRA's means even more cash available, so we plan to keep snow birding in the Philippines,  with these next two years being the exception.

Pretty much how I do it also, except my girl can't come here with me yet, unfortunately. And of course the US expenses are high with taxes, insurance and utilities. But I get to do all the things I enjoy like motorcycle touring, camping, etc while stateside. I also have rental property to supplement the income, and even rent my primary home to a nice snowbird couple when I'm wintering in the Philippines. Of course the pandemic has put a damper on all of it this year.

Air Travel (to/fm) philippines. appears to be a huge cost for many.
Lets all hope there is NO major hike in airfares in the coming months.

You can search the internet for what it costs and live in the philippines, but it suddenly becomes expensive. The truth is it is cheaper than what you find. Is it the case that some authority wants you to be at home.

https://youtu.be/JgWDexbYoP8

We got great feedback from the members here. Shutout to mugtech with really informative info. 👍
I think with a budget of USD2k per month, a retired couple can live comfortably after getting established there. At least from my point of view.

Costs are much depending of of course lifestyle but also much of location. It's much higher in Metro Manila and Cebu than in provinces, although some items can cost more in provinces by the extra transport costs to get them to the shops there.

And much depening of Filipina gf/wife          Some can make the costs for you two lower than the costs for one foreigner if she is economic by Filipinas can easy avoid very high "kano prices"
while some other Filipinas can make you broke     
 
A foreigner with low retirement pay told he has left almost all economical deciding and handling to his Filipina wife and is satisfied with that.  Inspite of his low retirement pay she has managed so they have afforded to both build a small but two storey house and got a cheap but functioning car and a baby 

That is very true coach53.
If one can effectively curtail the giveaways/freebies to relatives, it can work very well.
Amazingly, it is less expensive to help the relatives to learn how to be gainfully employed than providing perpetual charity.

Coach53, you are right, some Filipinos can budget money, some can not. After years of deprivation, being faced with a large amount of readily available cash is to tempting and it is blown on worthless things and family.
regards all and have a merry xmas and Happy New Year.

Jackson4 wrote:

Amazingly, it is less expensive to help the relatives to learn how to be gainfully employed than providing perpetual charity.

Yes.

I have worked with Help-to-self-help projects elsewhere since 1993, and have done a bit at Phils too. A very important thing is add knowledge enough too if the recievers don't have natural skill for it.

Actualy a Filipina I got to know several years ago would have suit to marry if it wouldn't have been for her terrible family most of them. She said so herself.  Almost all of them are lazy and some of them take the police  often when they get drunk.  I don't mind assisting them who o their best, but I refuse to support them who don't (except old people and small kids).  Although I can argue about them rather old  "I'm older than you and I work, so you can work too"   
They live together so if assisting the few good ones, then the terrible ones would benefit of it too...

GoDees wrote:

some Filipinos can budget money, some can not. After years of deprivation, being faced with a large amount of readily available cash is to tempting and it is blown on worthless things and family.

Yes. Some are very good at it, while many do as you say, spend it fast instead of thinking of the future. 
English isn't my first language but I believe many Filipinos even use the word "budget" wrong.  They don't make any budget, but when they don't have money to something they say "I don't have budget for that" 

But to their defence, many struggle to get money to food tomorrow, so they don't get exersise at thinking of the future.
Some very poor manage though to save a litle money and manage to start a small proifitable business. But then they get the problem to not get sabotaged by the "crab mentality" from other Filipinos.
As e g my "ex" managed to save and start earning , but when others saw that then they asked her for money.  After tried two times and got drage down, she gave up  (as long as she live there.)

pej1111 wrote:

Purchase cost of car     PHP 1,900,000

I'm more into a car for 250 000p   
E g there are new Suzuki Minivans for around that.  (I don't want a 660 cc, but perhaps 1000cc. version.) Or a KIA sportage or a Toiyota owner jeep if I find any second hand I find worth buying.
When not living in or close to a city, then need to think of too what repair equipment are available close enough.

Back when I had a rather big own business and earned as most, I did spend less than Swedish "existence minimum" in average anyway...      Even with a lot of hobbies. The average month cost become low when the equipment cost even tather much to buy, but cost litle or nothing to use.  (E g I had anyway billiard, canoe, table tennis, small sailing boat, music instruments...) 
At "existence minimum" I had too a condo, one van, one car and a simple vacation house too as base when sailing, canoeing and nature explorations.
And I had bank manager type suit when needed at work and the second best looking clothes when going to dances, but I bought the suit at Red Cross for 35 USD and bought clothes from wholesaler or surplus shops.  In such surplus shop they looked funny, when I took the whole bunch of shirts they had in my size     

Much harder to find cheap interesting quality things in Phils though compared to Sweden. In Phils many try to sell even garbage while in Sweden many threw away good things.  A nephew of mine has furnished his house with things he has found in dumpsters      But costs can be hold down much in Phils too by knowing where to buy things cheap. And be satisfied with uggly  but good functioning second hand things.

Concerning the value of an economical Filipina wife:

A Filipina married to a retired foreigner with low retirement pay said rather recently in summary concerning the subject of living costs:
-Can live of 600 dollars per month, no problem.  (Although she say "No problem" often when others have problems by she "just" try to solve theirs.) If wife has access to land, then can contribute to food by for instance some chickens or pig. And can build a house for 200 000 pesos, or even 50 000 pesos, so don't need to pay rent.  Best to save some to have if will get emergency.

In an other Filipina-foreigner marriage, when they went to shop some things for their new home, the Filipina went for the cheapest and the foreigner for the most expensive... 

Here as bigpearl mentioned i.e provinces or backwaters  I only buy the things I really need (which includes my 660cc multicab & live off my home grown vegetables/fruits...no chickens yet way too noisy for my liking  ) & maintain a very low cost of living...& not get things that I want nor would like to own (hell..there are so many things I'd like to own)....I'd rather stick with what I do & maintain my freedom/cash and be ready for the next good opportunity that comes knocking....believe me they do keep coming up every now and then & I'd be ready to take advantage.
Maybe I'm just old fashioned.
Omo

coach53 wrote:

Concerning the value of an economical Filipina wife:

A Filipina married to a retired foreigner with low retirement pay said rather recently in summary concerning the subject of living costs:
-Can live of 600 dollars per month, no problem.  (Although she say "No problem" often when others have problems by she "just" try to solve theirs.) If wife has access to land, then can contribute to food by for instance some chickens or pig. And can build a house for 200 000 pesos, or even 50 000 pesos, so don't need to pay rent.  Best to save some to have if will get emergency.

In an other Filipina-foreigner marriage, when they went to shop some things for their new home, the Filipina went for the cheapest and the foreigner for the most expensive... 

Yep...Diff'rent folks, Diff'rent strokes.😉

manwonder wrote:

be ready for the next good opportunity that comes knocking....believe me they do keep coming up every now and then & I'd be ready to take advantage.

Sure.  There are many more in Phils if have money, because the much higher valuing of capital compared to work.
For instance in an other topic I told about a Filipina, who were very good at finding such earlier too, but bad at judging risk before I gave her a few hints how to adjust her thinking a bit. Before covid she worked just 2-.4 days per month collectting her shares, plus when she needed to find new projects.

I believe I have found one. It seem so, but detailed checking will be done before I decide if go for that one.  (A week ago I skiped an other, which wasn't good as it seemed first.)

When I first moved here, I lived in a high end condo inside of IT Park, Cebu City. Believe you me, it costs more to live in that area than in the states. Fast food is more expensive. Coffee is starbucks price everywhere. The only saving grace is McDonald's where small cup of coffee is around $1. Laundry was a rip off. The "nice" restaurants charge a lot and their food was so so. At the time, I wasn't adventurous enough to eat where the locals ate. The only thing cheap was rent and taxis.  I was easily spending over $1700/mo.

I have a GF now and we moved out of IT park into a townhouse in gated subdivision of Mandaue City. Much more reasonable. I eat mostly home cooked food. My GF washes clothes by hand. Expenses break down per mo:

2BR/2BA condo (twice as large as the studio I had at 1/2 the cost) - $400
Electricity (I run AC at least 12 hours/day in my office and room) - $60
Liquid Petroleum (like natural gas, canister lasts 1.5 mos) - $15
Water - $12
Food (treat ourselves every Fri, GF always has relatives/friends over) - $240
Fibr High Spped (I work remotely so this is not a luxury) - $70
Misc (personal hygiene, soap, etc, gas for moped) - $100

I'm living good for around $900/mo. I'm sure we could save $100-$150 if I wanted to be frugal and limit the number of visitors but how much fun would that be?

Feel free to ask any questions. I've learned a lot int the last 2-3 years here.

marioph wrote:

When I first moved here, I lived in a high end condo inside of IT Park, Cebu City. Believe you me, it costs more to live in that area than in the states. Fast food is more expensive. Coffee is starbucks price everywhere. The only saving grace is McDonald's where small cup of coffee is around $1. Laundry was a rip off. The "nice" restaurants charge a lot and their food was so so. At the time, I wasn't adventurous enough to eat where the locals ate. The only thing cheap was rent and taxis.  I was easily spending over $1700/mo.

I have a GF now and we moved out of IT park into a townhouse in gated subdivision of Mandaue City. Much more reasonable. I eat mostly home cooked food. My GF washes clothes by hand. Expenses break down per mo:

2BR/2BA condo (twice as large as the studio I had at 1/2 the cost) - $400
Electricity (I run AC at least 12 hours/day in my office and room) - $60
Liquid Petroleum (like natural gas, canister lasts 1.5 mos) - $15
Water - $12
Food (treat ourselves every Fri, GF always has relatives/friends over) - $240
Fibr High Spped (I work remotely so this is not a luxury) - $70
Misc (personal hygiene, soap, etc, gas for moped) - $100

I'm living good for around $900/mo. I'm sure we could save $100-$150 if I wanted to be frugal and limit the number of visitors but how much fun would that be?

Feel free to ask any questions. I've learned a lot int the last 2-3 years here.

Im planning to move to Philippines end of this year or early next year so this is helpful. But do you not pay for any health insurance?
Also if you have GF can i assume you are staying there on long term tourist visa? If so wouldn't that be around 11000 PHP per 6 months?

Hi will be moving to Philippines   
    full time need long term Visa What's the procedure? Thanks ps will be marrying philipina  I've  known for 4 years

cltisdale wrote:

Hi will be moving to Philippines   
    full time need long term Visa What's the procedure? Thanks ps will be marrying philipina  I've  known for 4 years

Hi and welcome to the forum. Google will be your best friend. After 4 years knowing your bride to be?
You never thought about it or looked into the many visas available? Sorry if I sound cynical but.

SRRV, SIRV, Tourist visa and after marriage perhaps a 13a, student visa and the list goes on.

BTW this thread is about cost of living in the Philippines.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

cltisdale wrote:

Hi will be moving to Philippines   
    full time need long term Visa What's the procedure? Thanks ps will be marrying philipina  I've  known for 4 years

Your are listed as a citizen of the Philippines.   Not sure why you would need a visa.

I was going to mention that but an easy thing to overlook when registering, happens and can be updated.

Perhaps an introduction in the "new members of the Philippines" thread? One heck of a lot of reading also.

Or else Phishing?

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

Maybe now even citizens do indeed need special visa's to return.
Everything here appears vague these days....who knows whats going on.

I like some replies I read. Wife and I live in province. We have 1 hectare (2 1/2acres). We are both retired from USA. I am 67 and wife 61.

This is my opinion. We love living in province. If our life styles was poverty stricken here I would go back to our home country. If we had to live in city with all traffic and city issues we would go back to our homes country. We have all that stuff back there.

It's nice living in an affordable place. Love simple life but we live life style comfortable to back in usa. I love my American foods. So we live in Philippines but like Americans and I do not apologies for that. Worked long and hard for 43 years. We do a lot to help local people here. Use 15% of our monthly pension to do projects to help the locals.

genevaluz wrote:

New Things to Do In Cebu 2021: Exploring the Queen City of the South

https://www.wkadventures.com/philippine … the-south/

Well Gene. . . . . Tell us about the adventures in Angola, do they eat Spam or just post it?

So much great information in this thread! 

I find that as TeeJay said, it depends on how and where that you want to live.

Nice video but I'm not sure I could live in that place at my age.  Maybe when I was in my 20's and 30's.

That's nice of you to help the locals.  Will be doing that myself.

smith041480 wrote:

Nice video but I'm not sure I could live in that place at my age.  Maybe when I was in my 20's and 30's.

You can aim at paying a bit more. In provinces there are rents for rather nice houses from (8000p rare) 12 000p and up even before covid.  Now there can be some extra cheap by owner prefer someone living in ut tan empty and perhaps some owners have crisis needing all pesos they can get.  Some SELL very cheap now even say "covid price".

If I remember correct an American told he pay 20 000p per month for a not big but rather posh beach house at a rather big lot.  (Very big lot in Filipino mesure 

You can take all this with a grain of salt, no one can give you the cost of living, it is there cost of living, I know people who spend more on green fees than most on rent, I also know those who spend less than seams possible, I will give you the truth no numbers, you can live better in the Philippines than you are living now in your country

Notice you can live better in the Philippines than you can in your home country for the same money, I don't care how much popcorn cost, all these prices and cost mean nothing to you, you can live cheaper

If your in an accident in the Philippines and your a Foreigner, you might as well forget damages, the PNP will side with the Filipino, usually tell you he has no money, or insurance, can't take his license, he has none, if you need a vehicle get a used one you can walk away from in an accident

Hello everyone.
I have noticed the cost of living here has risen a fair bit, lpg 11kg bottle has gone from P780 to P1080 in less than 6 months. My preferred beer (Tiger Black) has gone from P97 to P123 in 12 months, eggs P200 to P220 plus others but not everything. Some meals are the same price as 2 years ago. SML still P65 in the bar I drink in.  regards  Bruce

I've been looking at places in Makati recently. What is a reasonable rent to be paying here? There is a fantastic place near Ayala Triangle, 1br 1.5ba 95sqm for P48k unfurnished. I feel that is quite steep, but it's also miles ahead of anything I've seen elsewhere (shoe boxes with an induction plate for P30k)

You know there is an old car salemen joke, "if you have to ask the price, you can't afford the car", applies here. Peace and love.