Monthly Expenses

[Old55]

Clearly some folks make due on less than 40K Peso, and do very well with that. I have found 60 to 80K fits my needs in the Metro Cebu City area. OTOH living in Southern Leyte it would be very dificult to spend 30K a month. Manila would cost more.

This is always a topic that yahoo groups cant agree on, most say that you need 1500 US per month to live a basic life. Well here's proof that it can be done much cheaperthan that.Thanks for posting your budget

Well for some people that might really be the minimum according to how and where they live. Many Filipino families certainly live on a lot less than that. I have been looking myself at costs and I usually recomend to people to have an income of $1000 to $1500. This leaves some for emergencies too. I am willing to make some lifestyle changes to live in the Philippines but I also want to be able to enjoy my stay and be able to travel.

Edited December 16, 2008 by Old55

[Mugs]

I've been in the Philippines for 3 months now and I think I've got enough spending history to provide an accurate budget for our monthly living expenses. The expenses listed are for a modest lifestyle for my wife and I. We do not drink or smoke, we dine out 2-3 times a month, and do not purchase too many Western food products. When we shop, we almost always buy at the local market, not the mall. The exception is groceries,Our total monthly budget is 17,800 php or $371 ( 1 USD=48php)Rent- 5000phpOur apartment is a 2-bedroom about 65sqm in size. It's pretty basic with cement floors, no hot water and a Filipino style comfort room. When we need hot water for bathing or cleaning, we heat it on the stove. I attached pics of our apartment, but I lost the original image files and only had a Word Doc with the pics in it.Electricity- 500phpThe temperature is very mild in Baguio so AC is never needed. For 500 php we get normal household use including a 6.0 cu. ft. refrigerator and a laptop and modem running 24/7.Water- FREEWater is included in our rent. This does not include free drinking water. Drinking water is rolled up into our grocery budget.Cable TV- 550phpBasic Philippines cable TV lineup. Nothing special here.Internet and Telephone- 1800phpI do contract technical writing and medical transcription with various US based employers so I've opted for a 1mbps Internet connection, which costs more. A normal 384 kbps connection costs 999php.Groceries- 5000phpThis is the area that fluctuates the most, but we always spend 5k or less on groceries. We eat meat (chicken, pork, or beef)every day, sometimes 2-3 times a day. We buy very few Western brands, usually dairy products, condiments, or spices. We shop almost exclusively at SM for meat and dry goods. Produce and eggs we buy at the local market.Transportation- 2000phpThis includes taxis around town and bus fare to visit family in the provinces and Manila. We seldom take jeepneys. Baguio is pretty small and you can get most anywhere in town for under 70php one way in a taxi. For this budget, we get one out of town bus trip for 2 per month and about 10-15 round trip taxi rides.Misc- 3000phpThis is our catch-all category for things like clothes, medicine, doctor bills, LPG tank refills, family assistance etc. We have yet to spend more than 500php in any single month from this budget. What is unspent is rolled over to our emergency fund to cover those big unexpected expenses. Once we get to 50k in that fund, this monthly expense will be reduced based on historical spending.

wow how does this compare to current day prices?

[Higg-num]

I would not mind giving this post a bump myself. Though I am still searching for a current post on the subject.

[Dave Hounddriver]

wow how does this compare to current day prices?

The info is still very accurate, in that my 'day to day expenses' fall into line with those numbers. Its the additional expenses that boost the budget. (Let me add that you have to look long and hard for a decent house for 5,000 pesos a month and most pay way more than that, but its what I pay at the moment.)Examples: You want aircon, hot water showers, and a refrigerator that is plugged in 24 hours a day? Well you electric bill could easily be 5,000 instead of 500. Groceries. You like to eat a little cheddar cheese? How about other tastes of home? The cheese costs me 500 pesos for a small block because its imported from Australia. The other 'tastes of home' push my grocery budget up to 5,000 a week rather than a month.The additional expenses not mentioned are things like vehicle registration, visa renewals, vacations around the Philippines, annual trips out of the country that are required, vehicle repairs, wife's spending money, wife's family's spending money, cost of maid or other hired help etc

[Mike S]

I would not mind giving this post a bump myself. Though I am still searching for a current post on the subject.

I posted a detailed description of our expenses for Nov. 2011 ..... some where on here .... I also posted (in the same thread) what it cost us in 2008 when we moved here ..... the main difference is in the rent ..... went from 7000p something to 10500p per month ..... not sure where it is but it's here somewhere ....

[Jollygoodfellow]

I would not mind giving this post a bump myself. Though I am still searching for a current post on the subject.

I posted a detailed description of our expenses for Nov. 2011 ..... some where on here .... I also posted (in the same thread) what it cost us in 2008 when we moved here ..... the main difference is in the rent ..... went from 7000p something to 10500p per month ..... not sure where it is but it's here somewhere ....

Have a look here,

[Art2ro]

I would not mind giving this post a bump myself. Though I am still searching for a current post on the subject.

I posted a detailed description of our expenses for Nov. 2011 ..... some where on here .... I also posted (in the same thread) what it cost us in 2008 when we moved here ..... the main difference is in the rent ..... went from 7000p something to 10500p per month ..... not sure where it is but it's here somewhere ....

Have a look here, http://www.philippin...dpost__p__11758

Be much easier to comprehend if the figures are on an average monthly basis! Electric power rates, cost of grocery, eating out, hobbies and entertainment depends on one's lifestyle, size of your home, immigration status and how many lives in your home including your extended family, if any! So, in actuality it's all about "Different Strokes For Different Folks" and "It's Always A Matter Of Money"! Edited January 28, 2012 by Art2ro

[i am bob]

Actually I kind of like it done over the year.... Not every month in our lives are the same so it shows these variances quite nicely! At today's exchange it's around $12,500 (Canadian ... :mocking: ) so we can all get an idea if we can live this life! And since that's pretty close to what I'm trying to live on now in Canada (not that I have to), I think I can do it there too! When I travelled, I always ate native and loved it!

[Art2ro]

Actually I kind of like it done over the year.... Not every month in our lives are the same so it shows these variances quite nicely! At today's exchange it's around $12,500 (Canadian ... :mocking: ) so we can all get an idea if we can live this life! And since that's pretty close to what I'm trying to live on now in Canada (not that I have to), I think I can do it there too! When I travelled, I always ate native and loved it!

Well, you can always multiply 1 month by 12 and get the same results! :hystery:

[Higg-num]

Good night. Once more the responses were very good at actual information allowing due consideration towards a budget. ( Even If it is only in the planning stages. ) I believe I may well owe some of ya'll a few bottles of brew. : ) Thanks again. This place is an information power house !