Life in the Philippines has its own ups and downs depending on your needs, lifestyle, and priorities. The situation in the Philippines is totally different when you choose either to live in the provinces or cities. A decent living would be hard to define since we all have different standards influenced by environmental factors. The top cities with costly lifestyle in the Philippines are Manila, Cebu City, Quezon City, Davao City, and Cagayan de Oro. The urban jungle will bring you nearby access to facilities and a convenient commute to shopping malls and work. The situation in the outskirts is completely the opposite since it’s hard to navigate and commute. Being an agricultural country, lands in the Philippines are fertile so harvests come in good quality. Natural disasters, like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding, and storms, are prevalent in the Philippines since it’s situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Public transportation is accessible in the cities.
Your options include taxis, tricycles, jeepneys (considered symbols of culture and art in the Philippines), and buses. You just need 17 cents on a bus or tricycle for a one-way trip to business districts. Taxis start at less than $1 plus approximately 50 cents per mile. You can also choose to buy and ride a bicycle.
Internet
The Philippines is remarked Asia’s slowest Internet, presently at 4.5 Mbps average. You can choose to buy prepaid SIM cards (and buy load cards at any convenience store) or apply for a broadband plan. You may also visit an Internet café, check in to resorts and hotels, or stroll in malls and airports to access a free WiFi zone.
Foods
In general, foods are really cheap. To save more money, buy fruits, vegetables, meat, and seafood, in open-air wet markets (palengke), where you can even ask for bargains. Rest assured that products are fresh from the farm and seas. Bottled water is accessible and low-priced everywhere. You just need 36 cents for a 12-ounce bottle and five-gallon containers sell at a lower price per volume. They can be bought in many water refilling stations in the cities.
Housing
Housing in the Philippines depends on whether you prefer to live with bunkmates and how close you are to a waterfront or commercial district. You can choose to live in a cheap bamboo hut on the beach for around $100 a month or rent a million-dollar house for $2,000 or $3,000 a month. An apartment in Manila would cost $800 a month, separate from your air-con usage. Some have amenities like gyms, volleyball and basketball courts, rooftop pools, and breathtaking views of the surrounding area.
Schools
Public schools are free and sponsored by the government. Many opt to enroll their children in private or international schools, where the quality of education is higher. The numerous international schools administer the same curriculum as that of foreign countries.
Hospitals
Urban hospitals have state-of-the-art technology and a competent medical workforce (some trained abroad). Rural areas do not have access to these, however, and have limited resources. Popular options are self-insuring and purchasing a health insurance policy from PhilHealth or private insurers.
Household monthly spending in the Philippines also depends on how often cars refill fuel. If you want to buy a car, you should choose an efficient one because fuel prices rocket unceasingly. The Philippines has one of the lowest salaries to liters of oil that can be bought ratio in the world. For a $162 average net wage, 158 liters of petrol can be purchased. Traffic is a worsening problem in big cities.
Monthly Income to Live Comfortably in the Philippines
We all have different definitions of ‘comfortable’, so we’ll get to the figures. You can live in the Philippines at ease and having no worries when you earn $800 to $1,200 a month. With that sum, you can even hire a maid, a gardener, or a driver.
Entertainment, leisure, and similar hobbies cost way lower than do in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, or Europe. Watching a film costs less than $5, your average three-course meal is around $7, and enjoy spa therapies under $10.
When you’re familiar enough with the Filipino lifestyle and locations, you can tell resident areas from tourist spots. Making friends and knowing the right places would save you a lot of money.
A monthly income of ₱60,000 a month will be sufficient to live decently in central business districts like Makati or Bonifacio Global City.
Studio apartment rent in Makati is around ₱15,000 to ₱18,000 a month depending on nearby landmarks. Electricity charges around ₱2,000 a month if you regularly use air-conditioning, water heater, and washing machine. Regardless of how extravagant your lifestyle is in the Philippines, you can get away with a hefty sum for savings!
Evidently, it’s cheaper to live in the provinces. Some find provincial life peaceful. Some find it boring. The country’s rich culture is much pronounced there. Vegetation is abundant and fresh air comes naturally. Not only in your lifestyle, but monthly expenses are also influenced by where you plan to live. Other factors include household size, what you value, and your spending habits.
You’re well off here with a low budget. If you live like a local, shop where they shop, eat where they eat, you can get by on a monthly budget of just over $760, even near some of the big cities and famous beaches. A luxurious lifestyle would require $2,280 a month overhead in the Philippines.
Is the Philippines Good Place to Live?
Dubbed as Pearl of the Orient Seas, the Philippines is gifted with natural resources and wildlife. Mountains appear here and there. There are pristine, white sand beaches waiting for you. There are breathtaking sceneries and awesome vacation experiences like surfing, canyoneering, scuba diving, island hopping, and many more!
Filipino hospitality is incredible. Filipinos greet you with smiles painted on their faces, which are often contagious. They welcome you in a warm and friendly manner. Around fifty to seventy-five percent of the entire Philippine population knows English. Communication is not really a problem here and you can learn Filipino words fast because of this.
The ex-pat community in the Philippines is also superb. There are members that you can keep for life. Many of them excel in innovative industries like business process outsourcing (BPO) and information technology (IT).
The Philippines is one of the best places you should consider for investments. It has a young population and whose economy is among the fastest-growing worldwide – averaging 5.6% GDP growth in the last decade. Rental yields an average of 7.5% per year, the highest in Asia.
Interestingly, based on the 2019 HSBC Expat’s annual survey, the Philippines placed 24th in Best Places to Live and Work. It fared next to the US on 23rd, and better than China at 26th, on three metrics: living, career opportunity, and family life.
Expats love the friendly people and the practical cost of living. Filipinos really love entertaining foreigners. The report stated, “With its tropical climate and steadily growing economy, the Philippines is quickly becoming one of the most popular ex-pat destinations in Southeast Asia.”
What is a Good Salary in the Philippines?
Owing to the low cost of living, employees in the Philippines can be contented with their salary being around $300 per month. In 2015, the average Filipino family’s expenses (five in a household) should be around $168 to meet their basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing.
Having this in mind, below are the results of the 2015 Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) survey on how the Filipino family spends monthly.
The highest earners and spenders are families based in the National Capital Region, annually earning $8,209 and spending $6,219 on average.
Is $100 a Lot of Money in the Philippines?
A hundred dollars would be enough to pay a maid, payphone, cable TV, and Internet bills, food; and do some casual shopping. It depends on your household size. With it, you can buy services such as rental of an air-conditioned double room at ₱800 to ₱3,000, restaurant meal with drinks at ₱700, group van or boat tour at ₱1,000, and motorbike rental at ₱500. However, it won’t give you reservations at resorts and hotels. Less than that amount will be sufficient to splurge even in Manila, the most pricey place in the Philippines!
Average Income of Filipino Families
In 2018, the average annual family income is estimated at ₱313,000 ($6,231.27), according to PSA. In the National Capital Region, it is around ₱460,000 ($9,157.78).
The present poverty threshold in the Philippines is set at ₱10,481, which is deemed adequate for survival. In 2017, a family belongs to the middle class if its monthly income is estimated between ₱20,000 and ₱115,000.
Life in the Philippines has its own ups and downs depending on your needs, lifestyle, and priorities. If you’re into the rich culture, warm and friendly people, and breathtaking nature views, go for it!
But still, it’s a developing country and definitely needs reworking, particularly in poverty and corruption.
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