Retirement landing

[2OuttaHere]

Looking for advice. We're a active married couple in our late 50's considering the Philippines as an affordable early retirement option. But where do we want to come to visit and look? Our checklist includes in order of preference: 1) accessible sandy beaches. 2) active nightlife. 3) medical and dental care within a reasonable drive. 

We're open to renting or condo purchase in an area considered safe. 

Thanks

 

[scott h]

38 minutes ago, 2OuttaHere said:

early retirement option

We will be more than glad to give as much information as possible to give you folks a hand. But the more details the better the advice. 

Are either of you a Philippine citizen now or have been a Philippine citizen in the past? If so, retirement here is a piece of cake when it comes to residency and buying property.

If not, there is the SRRV option (easy to find on google), but bottom line for a fee, you may obtain a "retirement" visa, which will allow you to stay permanently as well as own a condo.

45 minutes ago, 2OuttaHere said:

1) accessible sandy beaches. 2) active nightlife. 3) medical and dental care within a reasonable drive. 

Now as to your dream sheet, those 3 all together might be impossible. Depending on your budget, 1&2, or 2&3 might be feasible, but all 3 together might be a stretch (assuming you mean USA standard medical care.  

49 minutes ago, 2OuttaHere said:

We're open to renting or condo purchase in an area considered safe

As I said, if you avail of the SRRV visa, you can own a condo here. Otherwise, non-citizens cannot own property here in the Philippines.

If you are considering becoming snowbirds, it is possible, and often done to enter on a tourist visa, which can be extended up to 3 years, at which time you will need to leave for at least 24 hours, then return to start the extension process again.

Anyway, welcome and dont hesitate to ask detailed questions

[RBM]

1 hour ago, scott h said:

 

As I said, if you avail of the SRRV visa, you can own a condo here. Otherwise, non-citizens cannot own property here in the Philippines.

 

Even on a tourist visa one is permitted to own a condo.

[Tommy T.]

2 hours ago, 2OuttaHere said:

Looking for advice. We're a active married couple in our late 50's considering the Philippines as an affordable early retirement option. But where do we want to come to visit and look? Our checklist includes in order of preference: 1) accessible sandy beaches. 2) active nightlife. 3) medical and dental care within a reasonable drive. 

We're open to renting or condo purchase in an area considered safe. 

Thanks

 

Welcome to the forum!

An important consideration is: How much can you afford or are willing to spend. No need to post that here precisely (better to keep a bit private online these days), but evaluate yourselves what your comfort level may be? Maybe post some cost ranges that you could work within?

There are members all over the Philippines and they often will share rough living expenses in their areas. As has been noted numerous times on this forum, boots on the ground is your best method to evaluate. Perhaps plan to take a few months to travel the country and test out a few locations that interest you? Try, also, to stay in places overnight on weekends as those are the times when people can tend to be noisy with karaoke or talk or just plain buzzed from too much San Mig or Tanduay!

Edited June 25 by Tommy T.

[hk blues]

6 hours ago, 2OuttaHere said:

Looking for advice. We're a active married couple in our late 50's considering the Philippines as an affordable early retirement option. But where do we want to come to visit and look? Our checklist includes in order of preference: 1) accessible sandy beaches. 2) active nightlife. 3) medical and dental care within a reasonable drive. 

We're open to renting or condo purchase in an area considered safe. 

Thanks

 

Just my tuppence, but the idea of affordable is questionable.  If you want to live like a local, or a semi-local at least then yes, it's possible to live relatively cheaply here.  But, as soon as you step up a gear and start to live more like an ex-pat then you might find it's not as cheap as you might think.  Again, it's probably cheaper than back home though, but I'd not describe life here as cheap for ex-pats. 

You mention accessible sandy beaches and an active nightlife - it sounds like you are looking more for a resort-style location than an urban one.  Such is available but does come at a price which may include less accessible medical care within a reasonable drive.    

[craftbeerlover]

1 hour ago, hk blues said:

Just my tuppence, but the idea of affordable is questionable.  If you want to live like a local, or a semi-local at least then yes, it's possible to live relatively cheaply here.  But, as soon as you step up a gear and start to live more like an ex-pat then you might find it's not as cheap as you might think.  Again, it's probably cheaper than back home though, but I'd not describe life here as cheap for ex-pats.

Agree with a HUGE caveat.   When you say living like a "local", you are talking about the poor locals.   There are millions of "Locals" that have a hell of a lot more money than most of us.  If you want to live like an upper middle class or upper class "Local", which is equivalent to middle class in most other countries, then yeah, it is a hellavu lot more expensive than people realize.   Living like the lower 50 percent of the population is really cheap.

Edited June 25 by craftbeerlover

[hk blues]

2 hours ago, craftbeerlover said:

Agree with a HUGE caveat.   When you say living like a "local", you are talking about the poor locals.   There are millions of "Locals" that have a hell of a lot more money than most of us.  If you want to live like an upper middle class or upper class "Local", which is equivalent to middle class in most other countries, then yeah, it is a hellavu lot more expensive than people realize.   Living like the lower 50 percent of the population is really cheap.

Yeah...when I say live like a local I mean like the 50% you mention.  

Let's be honest, much of that 50% seem to live off not very much but seem to be happy enough but how many of us ex-pats could actually mimic that kind of life and survive any length of time and still be happy?  Not many I'd guess.  I know from my own experience that when I first arrived I didn't really look at the menu prices, or at least not that carefully, nor did I look that closely at the prices in the supermarket - I do now.  So, either things have gotten much more expensive (they have) or I have gotten poorer relatively speaking (I have) or I have become localised (not sure about that one).  Long story short - I doubt the 'live like a king for $1,000 a month' was ever really true but it's certainly not now.  

[Gutenberg]

11 minutes ago, hk blues said:

I doubt the 'live like a king for $1,000 a month' was ever really true but it's certainly not now.  

 

In the taxi to the aiport the taxi driver was telling me that exact story, I tried to update him to reality that it would be probably at least 2x or 3x that amount but he just wouldn't want to listen. We humans tend to enjoy living in our own reality so dreams can stay dreams.

On a side note. For me, it currently feels like 1000 THB ($27) = 1000 PHP ($17). Meaning, same buying power. I noticed it after ordering Burger King the 8th time now and scrolling though old orders. Same products, same amount, different currency.

 

Edited June 25 by Gutenberg

[craftbeerlover]

44 minutes ago, hk blues said:

I doubt the 'live like a king for $1,000 a month' was ever really true but it's certainly not now.  

no kidding

[Freebie]

Sad to report that 1, 2 and 3 and somewhat mutually exclusive.. when you have one you wont have the others.

Not in Philippines. Thailand maybe . Ive lived here many years, and dont know of a place that has 1,2 and 3 all nearby. If you find this please do let me ( but DO NOT SHARE with anyone else here lol....) Unicorns, needles and haystacks comes to mind.