Part 2 - Can I Live On $2,000 A Month In The Philippines?

[stevewool]

You know what our local Mc do,s , i am the only tall man there, must mean i hold my own court then

[Jack Peterson]

You know what our local Mc do,s , i am the only tall man there, must mean i hold my own court then

 

 

:unsure:  I am just over 6 feet so may I join you? seems a shame you should sit on your own.  

 

I am sure Mr Meth's would join us also :thumbsup:

 

JP :tiphat:

[Dave Hounddriver]

So it seems we have decided that we cannot live 'like the Jones' for $2,000 a month but we can do great if we hang around with poor folk so we ARE 'the Jones'?

[Malcolm Graham]

Does anyone know how many S&R are now open last time i checked there were six. If anyone knows are there any within an hour of a beach ? Help get that budget down to under $2,000 some day!  Poker Mike

One just opened at the dasma side of Imus.  That gives you about 1/2 hour to the highlands of tagatay and an hour to the beaches of batangas

[JJReyes]

Another way to look at the comparison is:

What is my lifestyle with $2,000 in the (United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, etc.) and what is my lifestyle with $2,000 in the Philippines? Some of us may only have $1,000; others only $2,000; and a few $3,000 or more. The lifestyle within a pre-determined, limited budget is what counts.

[Jack Peterson]

The lifestyle within a pre-determined, limited budget is what counts.

 

 

  Sorry JJ have to disagree on this statement., in it's entirety This (Your) Topic is about can I Live on $2000 per month. The way things are going off Topic on this seems to open a different Ball game. This is why I suggested a new Topic of What Foreigners think a Budget should be. If Some really can't live on that $2000 budget I can see no point in them posting here, it will as many things just go round and round in Circles and New Comers are just going to get fed up. A lot have asked can I do this, can I afford that. Many are looking for answers as to, can I retire on a Limited and I mean Limited Income, and for me in this Topic that is $2000

 

Just My thoughts and don't mean to be discourteous But..................Another way to look at the comparison is:

 

Are we really looking for comparisons we should be looking at it as it is. :thumbsup:

 

 

JP :tiphat:  

Edited February 11, 2015 by Jack Peterson

[forget_it]

We make it very well on around $1600 per month in the Cavite area, sometimes less, sometimes a little more. Wife, 4 year old kid and me. We have a 3 bedroom house in a gated sub-division, 10000 pesos per month, it's not a mansion but very comfortable. Don't have a car and don't want one. PLDT is 2700 pesos, electric around 3500, water 350, food around 35000 per month, 2500 per month for the kids private school. We usually order pizza or something 2 or 3 times a week. We don't party or go out a lot, other than to the mall. That's out of choice, not because of money. Maybe 4 times a year, we go to Tagaytay, Manila or the home province. Wife pays into Phil Health and SSS, don't know if it will ever help. Nothing fancy here, but we make it very well and we're happy.

 

$2000 per month can be done and not live like a peasant. 

[RonHenk]

Being a relative newcomer to this forum and not having lived in the Philippines, I hesitate to give my opinion, but here goes anyway.

 

While trying to learn myself about this very subject, I have read every thread on this forum (and others ) about this subject that I could find. As well as Youtube videos, web pages, blogs, vlogs, Facebook. If Google, Bing or Ask.com could find it, I read it. I'm not saying that gives me any expertise at all. No sir. But I think it has given me a collective insight. So I believe the true answer to the question is very subjective.

 

Can I live on $500 a month in the Philippines? Yes. $1000? Yes. $2000? Yes. $5000? Hell yes! But the real question you need to ask needs to be much more specific.

 

Can I live a western lifestyle in Makati, Manila, eat out and party every night with my two girlfriends for $1000? Nope. Sorry. Probably not going to happen. Can I live in a Nippa hut, in the province enjoying the beauty of my host country on $1500. Yes, sure. With change due.

 

I know those are two absurd extremes. But if you were to ask the question, Can I live in XXXX location with XXXX amenities for $XXXX amount of dollars, perhaps the collaborative wizdom of this forum could give a much more definitive and qualified answer.

 

JMHO

 

Ron

[Jack Peterson]

Being a relative newcomer to this forum and not having lived in the Philippines, I hesitate to give my opinion, but here goes anyway.

 Well Ron it is these two issues that give the Topic it's Flavour on the one hand being fairly new as you put it can many times bring new thoughts to light. Many of us older Members get a little stale sometimes hence my Comment on Going round in Circles, so this to me is important., Hesitating on anything is not always a good thing,"He who Hesitates can miss out" Not having Lived in the PI  is no bar from a conversation in many respects. New Questions based on your own life, wherever that may be, raises more thoughts in our Heads.

 

 Not sure of Course why you have joined PEF but imagine at some time you will come to Live here?

 

The main thing for me is not a Comparison issue, as I am totally convinced this is pretty useless because everything is (Or should be) priced to SEA so whats the point in comparisons? We all know, that most things are Sub Standard and to Have the Genuine Article IS going to cost, So The Topic is to me more Beneficial to some one like you, in that, can it be done on $2000 a month. You have to consider and acknowledge that life is not Perfect here, Yes you can live like a King on a larger amount but the OP's original Question was, " Can I live on $2000 per month" and I just feel that we should stick to that Premise so that Newcomers and those that are wishing/Hoping to Retire or just move here don't get any false or misleading information, that could put them at risk. 

 

Mileages will Vary and the Area or island one Chooses can be different costings, but here on the Forum I believe, any one Reading can get the Information they need to get a fairly Realistic view of what it is all about.

 

 

JP :tiphat:  :cheers:  

[RonHenk]

Mileages will Vary and the Area or island one Chooses can be different costings [/quote

 

JP, I totally agree with you and that is exactly my point. If one would be more specific than "Can I live on $XXXX" then you and the rest of the expats here on the forum could give a more informed opinion on "yeah you can do that" or "no, are you kidding me?"

 

]

Not sure of Course why you have joined PEF but imagine at some time you will come to Live here?

 

Yes JP. I plan to be there living permanently by June/July at the latest. Been married to my asawa for 28 yrs. :bash: (All in the states) But I'm looking forward to becoming a productive member of the Philippine society :hystery: . If I get to Duma, I look forward to buying you a :cheersty: or Two or Three. Oh come on! How many do you want?

 

Sorry guys, did I get off topic? Please don't ban me. I'm only a retired senior chief, not a Master Chief like Jake! (Kinda miss that guy)

 

Ron