Looking to retirement Davao

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Georgebob
Posted
Posted (edited)

I'm planning my retirement and thus have travelled to different places in the Philippines 

I do like Gensan in the south 

I stated a week and apart from traffic I enjoyed it 

Does anyone live there ?

May I also ask about Davao City 

I did visit and stayed in the Avida towers in a studio no balcony 21sqm which I couldn't do for long term 

It was expensive but it was only short term 

I could see myself living in either Gensan or Davao City in retirement 

What is the best part to live in Davao ?

Close to gyms ,markets , public transport, but not overly expensive 

I was surprised to see the condo in Avida towers rent for 20k per month 

I couldn't live in a small room with no balcony and certainly not for 20k a month 

How do you find Davao or Gensan as a retirement city ?

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Georgebob
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Tommy T.
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Good afternoon.

 

I live in Davao and have been here for eight years.

Life here is more expensive than I expected. Groceries are not cheap and neither is housing or travel - i.e. taxis. If you live like a local, then things are more affordable - like jeepneys and tricycles, local food.

Up until I built my own fairly small house, I rented a nice apartment for about P25k/month and it was approximately 90 sq meters with water and electricity extra. It was a third floor walk-up with a bit of view, but very private with off street parking. It was located near the center of town.

You will also find that many things you may wish to purchase are not readily available. I order many things online using either Lazada or Shopee with mixed delivery results... but mostly positive.

Depending on the season, it can be very hot and humid - like now. I use air/con every night to sleep (that's year around) and many afternoons too. Electricity runs somewhere around US$100/month+/-. Water is practically free at less than $5/month.

 

Edited by Tommy T.
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Georgebob
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Wow 

Electric is expensive, I pay about $70  (u.s) per month in Australia

But as you said if you shop where the locals shop etc it may be better .

I was a little surprised at the rents and even the monthly Airbnb prices for Davao,they are double than Thailand which has put me off 

 

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hk blues
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2 hours ago, Georgebob said:

Wow 

Electric is expensive, I pay about $70  (u.s) per month in Australia

But as you said if you shop where the locals shop etc it may be better .

I was a little surprised at the rents and even the monthly Airbnb prices for Davao,they are double than Thailand which has put me off 

 

One thing you will find after a while here is that prices don't always match reality - buying 2nd hand/used items being a classic example where locals often expect more or less to get their money back on items they purchased and now wish to sell.  However, when the boot is on the other foot...

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Tommy T.
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Agreed. It is amazing to see the prices, for instance, of used cars. The locals seem to expect to get the same amount that they paid for new... Not always, but more often than not...For me, it was best to buy a new care rather than used...

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hk blues
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1 minute ago, Tommy T. said:

Agreed. It is amazing to see the prices, for instance, of used cars. The locals seem to expect to get the same amount that they paid for new... Not always, but more often than not...For me, it was best to buy a new care rather than used...

Yep. When we (well, my good wife) decided to take the plunge and get a car there was no question that it would be anything other than a new one. 

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Gator
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Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, Georgebob said:

Electric is expensive, I pay about $70  (u.s) per month in Australia

What each of us pay per month for electricity is subjective. A better comparison would be the per kw hour rate. I pay 11 pesos per kwh. Renters sometimes pay a premium on top of that (from the landlord). My old apartment was 14 pesos per kwh and 20+ pesos is not unheard of. 

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Me2
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My rate this month in a condo in BGC was 12.13 pesos per kWh.

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jimeve
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1 hour ago, Me2 said:

My rate this month in a condo in BGC was 12.13 pesos per kWh.

Ours has just gone up to 14 kwh. Noreco 11. Dumaguete. 

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Georgebob
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Just talking to a expat in Pattaya,he said his electric bill last month was 414 baht !!!! 😯

Obviously no air conditioning 

Pattaya cheaper than Philippines 

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