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OldandNew
Joined: 31 Dec 2015
Posts: 55
Location: Guadalajara, Mexico
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 Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2016 8:57 am Post subject: Do You 'Know' About the Philippines Cost of Living? |
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THANKING YOU ALL WHO RESPOND
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-> Do you 'know' about the Philippines cost of living?
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-> I have $1400 per month retirement fund and will look for PART-Time work with an ESL Co. doing online teaching-tutoring.
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-> costs of living in Philippines (not Manila) One of the other central islands, Bacolod City, Bacolod, Other places. What is rent; 1-2 bedroom apt, clean, furnished simple, safe area.?
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->I speak a respectable Spanish and Tagalog is similar to Spanish so I think can probably learn the local tongue (quicker than from scratch) and interact with the locals.
- -->Its good to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond.
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suphanburi
Joined: 20 Mar 2014
Posts: 916
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| Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2016 10:35 am Post subject: Re: Do You 'Know' About the Philippines Cost of Living? |
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| OldandNew wrote: |
THANKING YOU ALL WHO RESPOND
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-> Do you 'know' about the Philippines cost of living?
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-> I have $1400 per month retirement fund and will look for PART-Time work with an ESL Co. doing online teaching-tutoring.
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-> costs of living in Philippines (not Manila) One of the other central islands, Bacolod City, Bacolod, Other places. What is rent; 1-2 bedroom apt, clean, furnished simple, safe area.?
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->I speak a respectable Spanish and Tagalog is similar to Spanish so I think can probably learn the local tongue (quicker than from scratch) and interact with the locals.
- -->Its good to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond.
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Hiligaynon or Bisaya would be your local language.
Housing, $100-500/month (depending on what you are looking for - Philippine style housing or Kano style (A/C and mod-cons) housing).
At our house electric is about p2000-2500/mo.
Food for a family of 3 runs about p8k (we eat a lot of western style food).
Fuel for cooking, etc. about p1000.
Fuel for the bike - p1000
1500 for internet
500 each for our phones.
I guess all in we spend about 15k peso not including rent.
With a confirmed pension income of 65k pesos /month you'd live a pretty good lifestyle anywhere in the Visayas. Most of our family lives on 150k/year.
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OldandNew
Joined: 31 Dec 2015
Posts: 55
Location: Guadalajara, Mexico
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| Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2016 12:06 pm Post subject: Re: Do You 'Know' About the Philippines Cost of Living? |
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| suphanburi wrote: |
| Hiligaynon or Bisaya would be your local language. |
To what degree is Spanish similar/not similar to those languages?
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| suphanburi wrote: |
| Housing, $100-500/month (depending on what you are looking for - Philippine style housing or Kano style (A/C and mod-cons) housing). |
That's quite a spread. $350-$400 USD budgeted for monthly rent should do me well? |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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rioux
Joined: 26 Apr 2012
Posts: 880
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| Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 12:29 am Post subject: |
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Hi OldandNew,
I stayed mostly near Manila when I was living there so I am not sure about the precise details anywhere else.
Electricity was pretty high. When I taught in South Korea it was much cheaper - the same holds true with China.
I paid about 2500 pesos a month.
It's deceptive there - some things are much cheaper but other things (like electricity) and travel (taxis and buses) are cheaper elsewhere in Asia (S.K. and China).
After you get set up just budget your money and see precisely where it goes. As time goes by you'll have a better idea of what your priorities are as to what to spend and not spend on. |
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jimpellow
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 913
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| Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 3:06 am Post subject: |
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I really found the Internet to be a real nightmare in the Philippines. People pull it off, but they usually have to live in a larger city, have expensive redundant providers (though at the end of the day they are in essence the same company) and work for the lower end schools that do not have the Philippines blacklisted for poor Internet.
You may want to focus on other online opportunities which do not require reliable Internet such as test grading.
As long as the dollar stays in its crazy bubble you should be fine. I must say that I am now living in my eleventh country, and found the Philippines to be the second worst country, after China, for ending up having a way higher cost of living than it does on paper. Mostly as a result of the wealth sucking nature of the people, economic oligarchy and government. But that is another thread. |
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rioux
Joined: 26 Apr 2012
Posts: 880
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| Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 3:57 am Post subject: |
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| jimpellow wrote: |
| I really found the Internet to be a real nightmare in the Philippines. People pull it off, but they usually have to live in a larger city, have expensive redundant providers (though at the end of the day they are in essence the same company) and work for the lower end schools that do not have the Philippines blacklisted for poor Internet. |
This also reminded me of the incessant brown outs. When asked why it constantly happens I was always told that they are "upgrading the system".
This "upgrading" to fix it has been going on since almost the dawn of time. |
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OldandNew
Joined: 31 Dec 2015
Posts: 55
Location: Guadalajara, Mexico
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| Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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| jimpellow wrote: |
| I really found the Internet to be a real nightmare in the Philippines. People pull it off, but they usually have to live in a larger city, have expensive redundant providers (though at the end of the day they are in essence the same company) and work for the lower end schools that do not have the Philippines blacklisted for poor Internet. |
Thanks!, This has made me reconsider the Philippines in a new light |
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jimpellow
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 913
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| Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 11:24 pm Post subject: |
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No problem. Come to Colombia instead! Better Internet and just about everything else these days. Only real downsides compared to the Philippines is that you actually have to make a bit of effort to have a female friend, the people are friendly but xenophobic, and you can only stay six months a year on a tourist visa.
Then again, getting it renewed after the first three months is fast, efficient and cheap. A nice lady even comes around with a tray and offers free coffee in nice old cups while you wait in a comfortable chair for your appointment. In Cebu, I really grew to hate getting fleeced for a new tourist visa every two months, and all the unpleasantness that came with it.
Uruguay and Argentina are also on sale these days so to say, and have good Internet.
Do the Philippines if you desire. There are some nice things about it. But it has a level of challenges and frustration that will make you nostalgic for the relative sanity and efficiency of Mexico. |
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OldandNew
Joined: 31 Dec 2015
Posts: 55
Location: Guadalajara, Mexico
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| Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 12:07 am Post subject: + YOU have Peaked My Interest + |
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+ YOU have Peaked My Interest +
| jimpellow wrote: |
| No problem. Come to Colombia instead! Better Internet and just about everything else these days. . . .Uruguay and Argentina are also on sale these days so to say, and have good Internet. |
Can you comment specifically on:
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-> I have $1400 per month retirement fund (and will look for PART-Time work with an ESL Co. doing online teaching-tutoring or local tutoring
->I speak a respectable Spanish
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-> costs of living, What is rent; 1-2 bedroom apt, clean, furnished simple, safe, 'NON-Gringo' area.in your top 2 or 3 'places' in Colombia .Uruguay and Argentina (or as many as you have the energy to write about
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Que Linda - Thanking you in advance
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jimpellow
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 913
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| Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 12:10 am Post subject: |
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Yes, but probably better outside of the Philippines forum.  You can PM me and/or post to the relevant SA forum(s). |
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suphanburi
Joined: 20 Mar 2014
Posts: 916
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| Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2016 1:46 am Post subject: |
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| OldandNew wrote: |
| jimpellow wrote: |
| I really found the Internet to be a real nightmare in the Philippines. People pull it off, but they usually have to live in a larger city, have expensive redundant providers (though at the end of the day they are in essence the same company) and work for the lower end schools that do not have the Philippines blacklisted for poor Internet. |
Thanks!, This has made me reconsider the Philippines in a new light |
You might also want to consider the visa issue as well since you are talking about working (and this will be an issue everywhere) ....
In the Philippines, rather than bounce around the BI office every 59 days, work illegally and do the tourist visa thing.... an SSRV visa allows you to have a drivers license, legally work and never have to visit the BI offices.
You need to be over 50, have $1000/month pension and $10k in a secure, interest bearing bank account.
http://philippineslifestyle.com/blog/2014/08/30/precise-guide-philippine-srrv-retirement-visa-2014-2015/
or if you prefer a government website without the insight:
http://www.pra.gov.ph/main/srrv_program?page=1
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