Quote Originally Posted by madmitch537 View Post
hi
well put and agreed if you can put up with living in manilla i personally hate the place and avoid it
i will say coming back there on good friday was great the place was deserted due to most people leaving to visit family or friends in the home provinces it was a joy to get back to the airport from olongapo city normally 4-6 hrs but then 2.5hrs coach 700pesos for three of us
taxi 229 peso on the meter then tip given jeepnies every city cheap and tricycles to
rent is far more expensive in manilla my girl has place in pasig rents for £80ish a month but its small were going to add another floor i hope then the ground floor will become a store
but still cheap to rent comparing to uk
so its true you could live a reasonable life cheaply
all the best mark
Manila certainly isn't for everyone but if you get the right location, you won't have to worry about traffic or pollution. At least not for the most part.

I agree it is expensive for the sort of things you describe but most ordinary items are quite cheap. I blame expats for the expensive reputation, especially it seems the Americans. A lot seem to regard a car with driver, along with (often live in) household help etc etc as neccessities! Then they must eat western food all the time and go to the most expensive western restaurants. Well, of course it is going to be expensive if you do that. These people will say you can't live on less than 12k in Manila! Meanwhile, my girlfriend lived a relatively comfortable, if not luxurious existence, on about 1,800 per year. While still sending a percentage of that home to the family.

And I'm far closer now to her old budget now because I largely do what she did, which was: ride jeepeys, take MRT, eat Pinoy food, shop at the market not frigging SM etc etc. And I have no rent. None of this is any major burden. Mainly, again, because of the location.