Where Is The Disconnect?? Filipina Is Telling Me $1K Is A Lot!!

[earthdome]

Earthdome, can you put a number (in Fahrenheit ) to "pretty cold" LOL

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At night in Baguio it normally gets down into the 60's but at times can get down to the 50's or once in a great while the 40's.

 

As I recall the all time high temperature in Baguio is 87F and and the all time low is 43F.

[AllenInWV]

That sounds pretty great. :)

You kinda made it sound like you save the heated water for when it's cool. Is that a Philippine thing, or personal preference?

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[earthdome]

That sounds pretty great. :)

You kinda made it sound like you save the heated water for when it's cool. Is that a Philippine thing, or personal preference?

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I always use the on demand shower hot water heater. I like a nice hot shower!

[roko1982]

Ok, I know I am new to this site but I have been living in Manila for alomost a year which is said to be the most expensive city in the Philippines. No I do not go to the bars a lot but yes I do like a drink on occasion. I do not fancy the prostitutes or the drink girls and I do live a modest lifestyle here.  I do live in a condo which is not a 1st class condo but it does have a small pool, and a small gym, it is a one bedroom fully furnished that is 340 sq ft that I pay $360 a month for with cable and internet included. it has armmed security and for another $35 a month I could have a parking space for a car. if you want a space double that size ad buy your own furniture for retirement purposes $425 a month is the average.

 

Or if you want a extremely large condo furnished with all the luxuries $625 a month and that's just rent. now of course that's if you are a foreigner if you want to live like a Filipino and rent a town house or a home where maybe you are in an area where you are robbed 2 times a week go for it it will cost you $175 a month in rent.  food cost is what you make of it for me and my companion we spend on personal needs and food including going out 2 times a week around $100 to $150 a week, but maybe your taste are different than mine, I enjoy street food that is cheap for lunch sometimes where some americans will not touch it, and the local hot sauce is fine for my self at home but others need the imported tobasco sauce.

 

  Electric is very expensive here and yes I do spend $150 or more a month on that and I run my AC only 12 hours a day.  water is cheap for showers and cooking at about $9 a month. I am a smoker a pack a day and for $39 a month my habit is taken care of here where as in my home state it would cost $210.  I am in the city and I travel like a local with the train and jeeps and not a lot of taxi to save money. so on transportation a month truly I spend maybe $30. For a Filipina they would call me rich but to an American here my lifestyle might seem lower middle class even, and to other expats I might even seem cheap. but add my $250 I spend on entertainment a month and I live in one of the most expensive cities in the phils for around $1300 American a month. Granted you have to plan for health expenses which a trip to a local dr is around $20 and pending on an emergency surgery you would need a reserve saved but in a province I would say sure if your smart 1000 can do it pending on what your lifestyle wants

[Methersgate]

Interesting thread; I have a sister in law who lives on exactly  US$1,000 a month and is bringing up three kids on that. She rents a three bedroom house in Quezon City for 8,500 a month, her electric bill is 7450 a month. It's pretty tight for her.

 

She has actually decided to move back to the province, next year.

Edited July 29, 2014 by Methersgate

[i am bob]

I guess it all comes down to what you consider indispensable to your life style... Some people here think the idea is absolutely nuts and others seem to be doing very well living that lifestyle! I can understand those in Manila needing more income (that would be like living in Washington, DC for our American members or

London for our British contingent). Still, it's a big country and your mileage may vary!

[jon1]

One thing that I have noticed about costs over here is that it is all dependent upon location. If you are in Manila or Cebu, the gadgets and appliances cost about 25% less than in the provinces. But the local food costs more (has to be shipped in from the province) in Manila vs the provinces. For me once I established my household, I just wrote off the costs of the appliances that I needed as a one time cost. 

[sjp52]

I don,t know about you guys but I did not work all my life to retire on a $1000 life style. Can it be done, Of course it can. But with that low of budget you will be living on the edge with no insurance and no food banks and no friends or family that can afford to help you if you fall on hard times. Trips to another island for a get away will be hard to do.

 

People that have not been here yet say that they can do with out AC but when you get here and start living in the high humidity and average 87 or 88 degree sun that a lot of times goes into the nineties. It might be too much. My hats off to those that are doing it ( $1000 a month ), But I would not recommend it to any one I know.  Now if you had a nice little nest egg to back it up well than maybe. But I,m sure you would be dipping into it fairly often.

[pokermike]

i agree with you sjp52,  i have lived many years living on the turn of a card. But i think in my case that was less of a gamble than trying to living there on $1,000 a month. Now that i am set and have made many visits there , i think to be comfortable you need about $2,500 per month in Angeles City, Subic, or Cebu. Manilla i think is closer to $3,500. This will allow you to travel and enjoy the life you have worked so many years to enjoy.

 

Your right about the heat , i am from Arizona but while i was there during my many visits, any time that i was inside i had the A/C turned on high.

 

Plus i think you should have a serious nest egg as a back up. No sense gambling, when you go there to live i think you should be an advantage player and not get caught chasing a month to month struggleto get by!  Later Poker Mike

[BrettGC]

Your right about the heat , i am from Arizona but while i was there during my many visits, any time that i was inside i had the A/C turned on high.

 

A/C is one of my few concessions to the Western lifestyle whilst in PI - This from a guy that's done his fair share of time in the tropics long-term.  It's the humidity that's the killer.