living cost

[stevewool]

been mentions lots and lots of times and its being mentioned now,
After watching the program last week about Manila and what some lucky people was earning it got me thinking again why do we need lots more to live there
Some people was taking home £200 up to £400, and then there was more on that too,so what is the amount you would be happy with,
We are all different and our needs too, but living well and comfortable and safe are my main concerns , and to get all this i am thinking £500 a month for 2 people will be plenty, this may not include rent, but who knows,
Before lots of you get up and say thats silly, we live on a lot less then that here,
Some may say a westerner living there wants this and that and you need to eat out so many times too, but i just want to relax and enjoy where i am with the people i want to be,
We all need that extra saving , for the just in case and thats what i am trying to sort out,

[RickyR]

I know of a few people living very comfortable lives in the Philippines on considerably less then 1000 pounds a month, although admittedly they own their houses outright and have mopeds or use public transport to get around.
Of course there will need to be some compromise in the lifestyle, but with the right attitude it is going to be more then possible.

[andy222]

Has been said many times before it depends on the lifestyle you want to live. A lot of people can live on £500 per month if you have your own house. I mentioned to the father in law when I was there. I said if I was retiring now I would have P56000 per month. Would this be enough to live on? He said if you have your own house what you going to do with the other p36000? . Like I said steve it depends where you live and how your going to live.

[fred]

Theres only one way to find out Steve.. Come over for a month or two and pretend you have retired.. See what you spend and ask yourself if you think it will be enough month in month out.. Dont forget to include inflation and increases in the cost of everyday expenditure..
A grand a month would be a more acceptable figure IMO.

[Terpe]

You're right Steve, this is question that gets asked plenty of times. Probably because it's too difficult to answer for the satisfaction of everyone.

I'd like give my thinking, if I may, solely based on my plan of how I would want to live my retirement life in Philippines.

I believe I could live very cheaply if I wanted to or needed to. Living a simple life and just relaxing.....
But for me personally without having an array of options for doing stuff that makes me happy, keeps my brain working and keeps me active I'd fear boredom and the effects of that on my outlook and my health.

So in addition to simple living, relaxing and eating frugally I have to consider the costs of living a life I want and keeping 'killer boredom' away. Means different things to different people, but for me I want to have an interesting and fulfilling retirement life and for many of my ideas that's going to cost extra.

So whether it's the addional costs for acceptable internet access, or the costs of socialising, travelling as a tourist, Island hopping, sports activities, water activities or just family picnics etc...I'd have to include that.
If I decide I need to have my own transportation then I'll include that too.

I hope to be able to maintain a living cost budget that's not so restrictive that I'd eventually end up bored. And sad. And miserable.
I can easily achieve that in UK

I'm not good at explaining it but hopefully the overall concept will be understandable.

If I can live the life I'd like on £500 great.
If it's going to take £1000 -£1500 that's what it's going take. Others might see that as wasting money but it's an essential living cost to me

If living in UK or Japan or Malaysia offers me a better 'deal' then that's where I'll be.
I can't imagine such fantastic opportunities as a retiree in UK but who knows what the future holds.
I can go ten-pin bowling everyday in Philippines for the same cost as an evening session her in UK
I can have a boat and go fishing whenever the weather allows. Oh and the wife of course

I'm getting excited again now

[Michael Parnham]

I know of a few people living very comfortable lives in the Philippines on considerably less then 1000 pounds a month, although admittedly they own their houses outright and have mopeds or use public transport to get around.
Of course there will need to be some compromise in the lifestyle, but with the right attitude it is going to be more then possible.

Ricky, if you look at some of my old posts you will see that my wife and I lived on approx. £800 per month and after paying rent and utility bills shopping ect we still managed to save £400 per month and we appeared to be quite well off compared to the locals!

[grahamw48]

It's all hunky dory if you're HEALTHY.

[Michael Parnham]

You're right Steve, this is question that gets asked plenty of times. Probably because it's too difficult to answer for the satisfaction of everyone.

I'd like give my thinking, if I may, solely based on my plan of how I would want to live my retirement life in Philippines.

I believe I could live very cheaply if I wanted to or needed to. Living a simple life and just relaxing.....
But for me personally without having an array of options for doing stuff that makes me happy, keeps my brain working and keeps me active I'd fear boredom and the effects of that on my outlook and my health.

So in addition to simple living, relaxing and eating frugally I have to consider the costs of living a life I want and keeping 'killer boredom' away. Means different things to different people, but for me I want to have an interesting and fulfilling retirement life and for many of my ideas that's going to cost extra.

So whether it's the addional costs for acceptable internet access, or the costs of socialising, travelling as a tourist, Island hopping, sports activities, water activities or just family picnics etc...I'd have to include that.
If I decide I need to have my own transportation then I'll include that too.

I hope to be able to maintain a living cost budget that's not so restrictive that I'd eventually end up bored. And sad. And miserable.
I can easily achieve that in UK

I'm not good at explaining it but hopefully the overall concept will be understandable.

If I can live the life I'd like on £500 great.
If it's going to take £1000 -£1500 that's what it's going take. Others might see that as wasting money but it's an essential living cost to me

If living in UK or Japan or Malaysia offers me a better 'deal' then that's where I'll be.
I can't imagine such fantastic opportunities as a retiree in UK but who knows what the future holds.
I can go ten-pin bowling everyday in Philippines for the same cost as an evening session her in UK
I can have a boat and go fishing whenever the weather allows. Oh and the wife of course

I'm getting excited again now

I agree with everything you say Peter, the thing is to be able to do things that prevent you from getting bored for example I like walking up the mountain tracks and through the forest keeping in the more shady area's, also traveling to other towns or cities on the local buses (Ceres) that are extremely cheap I find that many locals in the area's I've travelled to are very friendly and you can develop some very constructive conversation with them and have good days out without being bored. For me personally beaches and shopping malls on a regular basis are not my scene but having said that, for me a visit to a shopping mall is quite an event so in the UK I go to Meadowhall for a day out twice a year and it is an eventful day out for me that I really enjoy whereas a shopping mall in the Philippines is ok and somewhere to keep cool. Just my opinion!

[grahamw48]

For me there (apart from family responsibilities)...building aviaries and taking care of the hundreds of birds in them, keeping aquarium fish, making and flying kites. Never enough hours in the day.

[Michael Parnham]

It's all hunky dory if you're HEALTHY.

Absolutely Graham!

[stevewool]

Theres only one way to find out Steve.. Come over for a month or two and pretend you have retired.. See what you spend and ask yourself if you think it will be enough month in month out.. Dont forget to include inflation and increases in the cost of everyday expenditure..
A grand a month would be a more acceptable figure IMO.

i would love too, but there is no way back for me once we have made our mind up, i dont mean i could never come back to England i mean no more work in England one i have left, so i have to get this right first time,
5 years time i know i shall have more then enough,

[stevewool]

You're right Steve, this is question that gets asked plenty of times. Probably because it's too difficult to answer for the satisfaction of everyone.

I'd like give my thinking, if I may, solely based on my plan of how I would want to live my retirement life in Philippines.

I believe I could live very cheaply if I wanted to or needed to. Living a simple life and just relaxing.....
But for me personally without having an array of options for doing stuff that makes me happy, keeps my brain working and keeps me active I'd fear boredom and the effects of that on my outlook and my health.

So in addition to simple living, relaxing and eating frugally I have to consider the costs of living a life I want and keeping 'killer boredom' away. Means different things to different people, but for me I want to have an interesting and fulfilling retirement life and for many of my ideas that's going to cost extra.

So whether it's the addional costs for acceptable internet access, or the costs of socialising, travelling as a tourist, Island hopping, sports activities, water activities or just family picnics etc...I'd have to include that.
If I decide I need to have my own transportation then I'll include that too.

I hope to be able to maintain a living cost budget that's not so restrictive that I'd eventually end up bored. And sad. And miserable.
I can easily achieve that in UK

I'm not good at explaining it but hopefully the overall concept will be understandable.

If I can live the life I'd like on £500 great.
If it's going to take £1000 -£1500 that's what it's going take. Others might see that as wasting money but it's an essential living cost to me

If living in UK or Japan or Malaysia offers me a better 'deal' then that's where I'll be.
I can't imagine such fantastic opportunities as a retiree in UK but who knows what the future holds.
I can go ten-pin bowling everyday in Philippines for the same cost as an evening session her in UK
I can have a boat and go fishing whenever the weather allows. Oh and the wife of course

I'm getting excited again now

i understand all that you are saying Peter, its down to what we need and what we want, deep down i know i shall be fine , the problem is trying to work it out, remember i am going 6 years early before i can claim my state pension if its still there to get, so i need to work out my income and also i have to make plans for Ems once i have gone too,
i recon i will have a income of around £750 a month until i can claim my state pension, so after that date what we shall have coming in will go up quite a lot , also there will be a saving pot of getting up to 200,000, this if all goes how it should go will be in 5 years time , yes time can change ,

[stevewool]

Ricky, if you look at some of my old posts you will see that my wife and I lived on approx. £800 per month and after paying rent and utility bills shopping ect we still managed to save £400 per month and we appeared to be quite well off compared to the locals!

I agree with what you are saying Michael , when there are only the 2 of you to support most of the time, it can be done and comfortable too

[fred]

i would love too, but there is no way back for me once we have made our mind up, i dont mean i could never come back to England i mean no more work in England one i have left, so i have to get this right first time,
5 years time i know i shall have more then enough,

Steve.. There have been many occasions that I have gone into a bosses office and said I need two months emergency leave.. I dont think I was ever refused once!!..
I`m sure that your employer could see his way to allow you to have a couple of months off for you to do what you gotta do..
Those 2 months could change a lot of your thoughts..and answer a lot of the questions that are spinning away in your mind..
If after those two months you confirm your long term plans then you could always add the two months onto your 5 year plan..
For me,its imperative that you do this at some point..
Call it a dummy run.

[stevewool]

It's all hunky dory if you're HEALTHY.

yes it is , but if you are not healthy it still can be done too, sun, warmth and little stress goes along way, plus the help of your partner

[stevewool]

For me there (apart from family responsibilities)...building aviaries and taking care of the hundreds of birds in them, keeping aquarium fish, making and flying kites. Never enough hours in the day.

flying kites , wow now there is something to do,

[grahamw48]

flying kites , wow now there is something to do,

It was always my intention to build my own car/Jeep....but never had time !

I did manage to have a house, shop and restaurant built though....which I'd designed myself using a CAD programme on the computer.

[jake]

We all have different needs, so trying to give someone an idea of how much it costs to live here really depends on what lifestyle they plan to live.
A lot of expats come here and think they can live a native or semi native lifestyle. Works for some but most seem to tire of the idea within a couple of years.
If you have 750 a month and live a fairly simple lifestyle you should be fine.

[London_Manila]

been mentions lots and lots of times and its being mentioned now,
After watching the program last week about Manila and what some lucky people was earning it got me thinking again why do we need lots more to live there
Some people was taking home £200 up to £400, and then there was more on that too,so what is the amount you would be happy with,
We are all different and our needs too, but living well and comfortable and safe are my main concerns , and to get all this i am thinking £500 a month for 2 people will be plenty, this may not include rent, but who knows,
Before lots of you get up and say thats silly, we live on a lot less then that here,
Some may say a westerner living there wants this and that and you need to eat out so many times too, but i just want to relax and enjoy where i am with the people i want to be,
We all need that extra saving , for the just in case and thats what i am trying to sort out,

My electric bill with 24/7 air con would probably be over £200 a month

[Michael Parnham]

My electric bill with 24/7 air con would probably be over £200 a month

Our electric bill was about £13 per month, never used aircon because it's extremely unhealthy we used to open window opposite ends of apartment and at night sometimes found it cool enough to require a blanket!

[gWaPito]

We all have different needs, so trying to give someone an idea of how much it costs to live here really depends on what lifestyle they plan to live.
A lot of expats come here and think they can live a native or semi native lifestyle. Works for some but most seem to tire of the idea within a couple of years.
If you have 750 a month and live a fairly simple lifestyle you should be fine.

Good point Jake ...I thought the same...wife and I lived in a nipa on the beach for 3 weeks, living like the natives The Robinson crusoe act didn't last very long



we were both glad to get back to Manila ....First stop was a McDonalds and I don't even eat that stuff!!!

I think what Graham was meaning about being healthy is the costs when it does go wrong...Given our ages, the law of averages says it will sooner or later.

[grahamw48]

I would want to build one of these to get me into town from my Nipa hut though. Much more fun in the Phiilippines .

.

[gWaPito]

Our electric bill was about £13 per month, never used aircon because it's extremely unhealthy we used to open window opposite ends of apartment and at night sometimes found it cool enough to require a blanket!

There is/was a programme here about living in the sun....the matra was...you must be going to a place with a better standard living than what you have now for it to work in the long run

Okay, if youve burnt your bridges then you have to make it work...That sounds a miserable set up to me. Then you have to be thinking of your partner...they've put in considerable effort to leave the place. I know my past 2 wives would never go back there to live.

[gWaPito]

I would want to build one of these to get me into town from my Nipa hut though. Much more fun in the Phiilippines .

.

Lovely

[grahamw48]

There is/was a programme here about living in the sun....the matra was...you must be going to a place with a better standard living than what you have now for it to work in the long run

Okay, if youve burnt your bridges then you have to make it work...That sounds a miserable set up to me. Then you have to be thinking of your partner...they've put in considerable effort to leave the place. I know my past 2 wives would never go back there to live.

Very good point Mark. My ex has no wish to ever live in the Phils again, and neither have her relations who've married and moved to the West.

[gWaPito]

Very good point Mark. My ex has no wish to ever live in the Phils again, and neither have her relations who've married and moved to the West.

I want that life what Steve wants...the Genesis was set in motion watching Robinson Crusoe as a kid..always dreamt of far away sea shores..was I a dreamer or what

I've learnt much from my last 2 escapades ...I think there's enough sand left in the egg timer to do it..it's just a case of pacing myself, doing it all properly...Just like you Graham, I got hope..it's what keep us going day after day

[grahamw48]

As a 'free agent' though...or with a suitable Girl Friday ? That is the question.

[imagine]

as of yet my cost of living for 2 of us in manila is yet to settle to a true figure,
but at the moment, 1 month condo rental 7500 peso,night time security guard, good neighbours gated area.living room with bed(bathroom shower toilet wash baisin,,,,wash utiility room,washing machine large wash laundry sink,)aircon.....fridge freezer new, rental 300 peso a month,
a larger new bed (our choice)300 peso a month,average shopping for 2 people per day 800 peso, could be down to 500 peso per day if i wasn't fussy, travel by jeep or bus rather than taxi, average taxi 550 peso against the same journey by bus 40 peso for 2 people,
1 month electric bill 700 peso, water bill not arrived yet?

i call this cheap living , and i know malaybalay is much cheaper, cost of living,

cost of living is down to you, keep it minimal but comfortable, so there is enough for medicine's

im lucky i brought a heap of meds with me to start me off including one lot of amples for injection,15months worth, the other ample i need for injection i bought last week at pharmacy at £145, this will be every 3 months

[grahamw48]

Oy Stewart.....want a lodger ?

Hey....glad to see you're getting settled in there. Take care mate, and don't forget those you've left behind to suffer in this hellhole.

Need any advice on living on next to nowt...I'm your man.

[imagine]

Oy Stewart.....want a lodger ?

Hey....glad to see you're getting settled in there. Take care mate, and don't forget those you've left behind to suffer in this hellhole.

Need any advice on living on next to nowt...I'm your man.

got your thermals out the drawer yet mate, bet its cold there now,
i left hell and found sanity
the wife went out earlier for a few hours buying discount clothes, she will start selling tomorrow outside the condo on the street, to save us some expenditure, im one lucky man