Quote:
Originally Posted by roy
an annual cost of living study by human resources organization ECA International said that The Philippines, was placed at the bottom of the survey as the cheapest country to live in followed by Argentina, Thailand and Malaysia.
According to a survey of 32 countries and territories The Philippines has the lowest living costs for expatriates.
Housing in the Philippines is very cheap but expatriates may have to change their citizenship or be married to a Filipino citizen before being allowed to own land.
It is advisable that if one wishes to stay in the Philippines, Manila should be counted out due to the high population count making the city very expensive and congested to live in. Instead it would be ideal to consider the Southernmost part of the country where you could also find cheaper housing units for rent, cheap good foods and transportation.
Rental rates of smaller houses and apartments can cost around 100 euros. Pls consider:
1.Medical Services provided by good health providers are
2. You can own a house and lot for less than(depending on your style) $5,000.00. current exchange rate 44.00 pesos to a US dollar.
3. Excellent American, European, Chinese, Japanese and other Asian and local Foods are being offered very cheap. You pay between $1 and $10 for food (depends on your wise choice) per meal to satisfy.
4. Depending on the location, the temperature range from 10C to 34C all throughout the year.
5. Excellent resorts and vacation places. And many, many more.
Indeed you can stay here permanently with your personal househelps (less than $50), driver (less than $70) caregiver (less than $100) etc per month.
As an added inputs; Foreigners such as as Europeans, Americans, Aseans are aplenty enjoing their retirement.
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I am married to a Filipina; we have a five-year-old son. We did live in the Philippines for the last three years. It is true that you can live for very little money in the Philippines, but I would pretend that this "cost of living studies" are often not very realistic. If you have, and want, to live like a poor Filipino, you can do it easily on 200 USD a month. Concerning myself, living as I am used to do in Europe and with one or two trips back per year, I easily spend 5'000. -USD. In Europe this lifestyle would cost about 5'000- €. So actually cost of living is really cheaper in the Philippines, but not as cheap as mentioned above. (A good driver will ask for about 200 USD and a good maid (one who may not run away with your walett), for 100-120 USD. Our costs for food (about 50 % imported), for 5 persons, including the helpers, come to about 750 USD per month. Eating out in a decent restaurant 10-30 USD per person. Renting a upscale house in a good neighborhood is 900 - 1'500 USD per month. Rates for electricity are the second highest in Asia and one of the highest in the world. If you use airco, expect electricity bills for at least 150 - 250 USD a month. Health insurance is cheap, but not very good and there are many string attached in the policies. medication is about the same as in western country, and some are more expensive. Clothe are cheap, if you not buying Lacoste, Lewis, Armani e.g., which are priced the same as in western countries. Of course you can live in the Philippines lodging in a nipa, eating rice and fish and dying from the first infection you catch, for 200 USD a month.....
Of course you can NOT buy a house for 5'000.00 USD as stated above. Maybe some kind of shelter. What a westerner normally calls a house, with a lot of about 150m2, and a minimum of security, costs from 75'000.00 USD upwards. American upscale style houses from 180'000 - 500'000.00 USD.
But one has also to consider if he really wants to live in a third world country, with bad roads, very high crime rate, where as a foreigner (rich) you will be always ask for something, where the difference between rich and poor reaches a disgusting level, where, apart in the good parts of major city, decent health care is difficult to obtain, where, when you need something, it will be most certainly be "out of stock", where to about everything you say or ask, the answer is "yes sir", where social development is about at least 150 years behind, where natural catastrophes (earthquakes, floods, e.g.) are the rule and not the exception, where the tropical climate –between 75 – 95 % of relative air humidity – can be very hard on you, where every year a good quantity of older foreigners dye because they could not reach a hospital in time to be treated, where the mentality is so different, that you will sometime think you are an alien (the Filipino administration does call foreigners “Alien”, where, as most of foreigners do, if you are honest and outspoken, you will pass your time criticizing the country, which seams to do everything possible to commit economic, social and political suicide, where driving a car can be a nightmare……..
But besides all this, there are also many nice and friendly people and beautiful ladies.
Ok, so if you want to take all this into account for being able to afford some maids, a nice house, much dining out (but you may get sic; I did end in hospital two times) and a driver, or if your income/pension is so low that you can not afford to live somewhere else, then: “Welcome to the Philippines”!
