My Living Costs

[byrnanthony]

Just wanted to say Hi. I've read many of the posts here and have been learning alot about living in the Phiippines.

I have never traveled outside of te USA but I already know that I will retire in the Philippines with a Filipia wife.

Living in the USA all my life - I expect I will have to adjust to the lifestyle there and the culture- I look forward to it.

Well i finally have it figured out now. After spending like crazy after i got here digging into my savings each month i finally started to keep track of my money and realized how much it costs to have my life style here. For all the necessaries of my life style here the rent $375, electric $125, AC rental & water bill $18, visa renewal $25, food for 2 people $300, cellphone load $15, gas for the little 150 cc motorcycle $120, ATM $85, internet $50 ,and cigarettes $40. That doesn't include entertainment, eating out, clothes ect. Well i guess that depends on you. Of course i buy fruit on the street and stay away from buying stuff at the malls as much as possible. My apartment is a new 500 sq. ft. 2 bedroom apartment with gated entry and security. that's why it's so much. But being a foreigner here you have to protect yourself from street things just like in any big city. Oh and i had my 7 rotten teeth removed and got dentures for only $500 and went to the doctor to get an X-ray Just $22. So now i just need to cut down on my gigantic entertainment bill and i should be able to live comfortably on $1900 a month. I have to talk to some people to get a bank account here cause very few banks let foreigners have bank accounts here. That's why the ATM cost is so high. You can live cheap over here but you have to figure out how to do it. Maybe if i came on vacation over here before i would spend $1500 or more easily in 13 days. But with what i know now i would only spend about $800 if even that. That would come from knowing how to dress not to get in trouble so i could take the buses or jeepnees in stead of taxis when safe to do so. Buy things in the street instead of everything at the mall. Know the price of things so i could barter correctly and know when something is way over priced, and knowing where and how things are done here. Well just one strong short aftershock tonight. I guess i know now what those people who live in California go through with earthquakes.

[MikeB]

Moved your post to a more appropriate category.