tomaw Posted June 6, 2015 Author Posted June 6, 2015 (edited) Iloilo, Western Visayas, 2 bedroom apartment in the city. Rent: p6,500 Electricity: p3,500 (run aircon at night only) Food: p10,000 (grocery & wet market) Internet: p1,300 Phone loads: p500 Entertainment: p4.000 Total=p25,800 per month I'm from Dallas, TX. My monthly bills were in the $ 3,000 USD range. Excellent! :-) 25800= about $575! :-) That's a whole lot less than $3000! :-) Yes, but.... it is up to you ....I lived my first year in a bamboo/nipa hut (much cheaper). I was happy with it but would have a hard time recommending it. Everyone's needs are different. You can easily spend as much here as you do in the US. What I have now is a regular apartment, in the city. I am walking distance from the largest mall in town. It is nothing fancy, but quite liveable. :tiphat: You found what makes you happy and you're living within your means without knocking yourself out. I'd say you already achieved the goal I'd want for myself and my wife. Edited June 6, 2015 by tomaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevewool Posted June 6, 2015 Posted June 6, 2015 The most important thing is to have that little bit extra to rely on for the just in case or that extra treat 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry45 Posted June 6, 2015 Posted June 6, 2015 The most important thing is to have that little bit extra to rely on for the just in case or that extra treat Exactly...and having the peace of mind that comes with that. Tomaw...you're all set. If your wife can live happily on $2000/month in California, it will be an easy adjustment for her here. :) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomaw Posted June 7, 2015 Author Posted June 7, 2015 (edited) The most important thing is to have that little bit extra to rely on for the just in case or that extra treatExactly...and having the peace of mind that comes with that.Tomaw...you're all set. If your wife can live happily on $2000/month in California, it will be an easy adjustment for her here. :) Actually I average about $4,000 a month gross but net about $2,000 after business expenses which is mostly gas for my van. In Cebu I'll only have about $1100 from my Social Security Check. However we won't be spending much on gas even if it's that same price as California since I won't be driving that much or as far if we even have a car. Eventually we want to buy a lot and build a house in a subdivision. Once the house is built and paid off we'll only have HOA fees and taxes to pay which I'm told by a realtor would only be about $50 a month. Till the house is built we can rent a decent apartment for about $300 a month . As already pointed out, food can be way less than California prices if we concentrate on local ingredients and not imported stuff. Edited June 7, 2015 by tomaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usa32 Posted August 10, 2015 Posted August 10, 2015 I don't live in the Philippines. Yet. But I plan on living on about what I do in the USA. I live in Indiana Midwest. Monthly expenses about 1800-2000 USD Probably be able to live in Philippines on 1500 USD. So not much change. So one would ask why move? 1. Ocean/Warm weather 2. Women 3. Change of environment I also believe I will be able to do more traveling/rec time in the Philippines on the same dollar amount. My budget in Indiana allows for no travel, just basics, occasional eating out. There. I expect rent to only be 200-300. So that leaves a lot for going out and traveling etc. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riburn3 Posted August 19, 2015 Posted August 19, 2015 My living expenses are significantly lower in the Philippines than they are in Texas. My wife and I own our Condo in Cebu that generates roughly $1500 a month for us when we aren't staying there via AirBnb (double during holidays/sinulog). We eat out twice a day, taxi everywhere, stay in local resorts a couple days each month, often sitesee other islands, get massages twice a week, and go to bars regularly, all on under $2000 a month (much less if we spend any significant time in the province where everything costs next to nothing). In Texas I budget $6000 a month for eating out several times a week, entertainment, mortgage, cars, etc, on about $10k take home. We live much larger in the Philippines for much less, and we aren't doing things on the cheap when we are in the Phils either. When we travel to the Phils for extended periods (often up to 6 months), I still have the mortgage and everything back in the US, but my monthly costs drop significantly from $6000 to about $4500. If we didn't have to work in the US to earn our keep, I would be over in the Philippines full-time in a heartbeat. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris49 Posted August 20, 2015 Posted August 20, 2015 (edited) I don't live in the Philippines. Yet. But I plan on living on about what I do in the USA. I live in Indiana Midwest. Monthly expenses about 1800-2000 USD Probably be able to live in Philippines on 1500 USD. So not much change. So one would ask why move? 1. Ocean/Warm weather 2. Women 3. Change of environment I also believe I will be able to do more traveling/rec time in the Philippines on the same dollar amount. My budget in Indiana allows for no travel, just basics, occasional eating out. There. I expect rent to only be 200-300. So that leaves a lot for going out and traveling etc. That would be typical, probably right on the median average. That's about 69,000 pesos. If I pull from my personal experience and go back 7-8 years, going out, dating, meals mostly out. Paying for 2 most of the time. And having a really good time. That amount would not cover the lifestyle you describe. Just do a few basic calculations, and you will see. Living where? We live on about 50k, no rent, stable married life, 2 kids, provincial area. If I went back to the single life and if paying rent, double that amount. Edited August 20, 2015 by chris49 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i am bob Posted August 21, 2015 Posted August 21, 2015 Until I start getting a bit of income from my writing I've been trying to keep to $1000 CDN a month... I have more but I want to get some debts paid off so I try to keep it down... Well, with the Canadian dollar down to about P35, you'd think it would be difficult, right? Actually I'm living in a mid range subdivision (apartment in a house), I'm always gone somewhere and I eat very well... Next month I'm locking at houses to rent in another subdivision where I have access to a pool but cheaper still than my apartment... Would you believe I'm only spending P2800 a month? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Peterson Posted August 21, 2015 Posted August 21, 2015 Would you believe I'm only spending P2800 a month? No! but I might believe P28.000 :mocking: :hystery: Just saying Jack :) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richieboy67 Posted August 21, 2015 Posted August 21, 2015 Our expenses are fairly low here but I would love to improve our lifestyle. We currently live in a studio apartment with very low pressure running water but no shower, non flushing toilet, no storage space and no windows. Week there are 2 but one had the air con and the other faces a sidewalk where people walk by so we keep that curtain closed. We are only paying 11,000 a month for rent. I would gladly pay a little more for a better place. This would still be much less than living just about anywhere in the USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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