I believe that most of us who are in the Phils for a while do engage in the local culture, food, local customs/festivals etc and thoroughly enjoy doing so BUT you will miss somethings from home or Europe in general and if you can access them at a reasonable cost then why not. I for one have several local friends admittedly most are more well to do locals but they still insist that when we eat at their place we will eat Palaweno cuisine and there are few things I have not enjoyed. Going back to the cost of living in the original post I think it is fair to say that it will be what you chose it to be as will the whole living in the Phils experience.
