“YeHey” Ph.

Let’s talk about the cost of living in the Philippines; I know it is an argumentative subject. Some people say it is the cheapest place in the world to live, others say it can be the most expensive; I can only give you some examples based on my own experiences.
So let’s look at living in Manila.

Manila is no different then most large cities in the word it is more expensive to live in then the rural areas because it is usually the local center of commerce and finance. I own several rental properties in Sucat, so based on there location, and amenities the price for a rental unit is between 15.000 and 25.000 pesos per month, this may seam very high to someone for cebu, or Cagayan de Oro, but not for someone living in Makati. I know there are some expats living on 600 Dollars a month, and others living on 4.000 dollars a month. So what is the deciding factor, location, location, location and what standard of living do you want to enjoy.

Many expats want the simple life, so a bamboo napa hut will do just fine; others want the big city life, so will not consider anything outside of Metro Manila. The bottom line is what do you want; the devastating factor is not being prepared for the reality of living in a country that does not have a safety net built into the social structure, if you get into financial trouble you are pretty much on your own, there is no welfare system, or government agency that can be called upon to assist you, so be very money wise, or your move to paradise may be a lot shorter then you think.