Cost of Living in Manila, Philippines

Hi gerry,& to all

if you choose to live in philippines i suggest this great places.

1. pampanga (near manila)
2. subic (near beach)
3. baguio (cool temp.)

all the above are have nice amenities, shops, bars, expats etc.

thank you

This website is a very helpful guide in determining whether one can afford to live in a particular place. I now live in San Antonio Texas and I used to reside in San Francisco, Ca. Based on the data below I can't go back and live in San Francisco unless I double my income, I knew this years ago and and am just amazed how reliable as a guide the data this website provides. San Antonio is a comfortable and convenient place but Metro-manila, Cebu and Leyte where I grew up are places to consider at retirement.

You would need around 85,869.34₱ (2,077.65$) in Manila to maintain
the same standard of life that you can have with 3,300.00$ in San Antonio,
TX.

You would need around 87,336.91₱ (2,113.16$) in Manila to maintain
the same standard of life that you can have with 5,600.00$ in San Francisco,

You would need around 87,422.70₱ in Manila to maintain
the same standard of life that you can have with 84,000.00₱ in Cebu.

ill tell you the most accurate depiction of the Philippines to date in terms of cost of living. The business districts are very expensive. Makati, Ortigas, The fort. Unless you have about 4-5 thousand US dollars a month you wont be able to live comfortably. If your willing to eat filipino food and live like a local, the business districts are fine and all you have to worry about is rent. Keep in mind the most expensive electricity in the world is in the Philippines. A 2000 sq,ft condo in most countries would run your about 60-70 US dollars a month. In Metro Manila your looking at the equivalent of about 450 US dollars a month. The majority of foods we take for granted in the first world cost double in manila. Ground beef, Steaks, Cheeses, Wine, Liquor, Beer, Milk, and so on. Chicken and pork is cheap, but dont expect the same quality you get in the developed world. Restaurants are extremely overpriced in metro manila considering the quality, but that goes back the quality of ingredients they use. As long as you eat in asian/filipino restaurants its affordable. Foreign food will cost you double of what it cost in america. In the province you can live better than most for about 600 USD a month, but its nowhere compared to quality of life you live in america. In metro manila to live the same quality of life as your average american, your looking at 6-8 thousand US dollars a month. if your willing to living to live like a local in a condo the size of your kitchen and eat local food expect to survive manila with at least 1200 US dollars a month

#JR, yes you can live comfortably here in Manila with that amount.
It's very cheap living here. Food is inexpensive, public transportation, shopping & apartments (much better if you can have your own) specially if you live outside Manila, maybe Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite or Subic.

@Gerry Roche
If you are going to live in Manila or Metro-Manila area, your 56000 pesos is going to be really somewhat shoestring. Of course you can choose to be really prudent about spending but one of the biggest costs is transport as in TAXI.
Manila is not really a cheap place to be, however there are extremes in the city.
But if you were to live elsewhere in other cities out of Manila, your budget may be pretty comfortable.
The thing is, if you want a quiet life, you should not be living in Manila. Nothing there is "quiet". And the worst thing on your budget is the temptations surrounding you.
So be warned.

I am a 55 year old Irishman preparing to set up home in Manila. My monthly budget is 56000 pesos. I am just looking for a nice quiet life in a quiet place but close to amenities, shops bars expats etc. To be within walking distance to a beach would be a big plus. I have never been to Manila or The Philippines so I don't know how doable this is on my budget. I would welcome any comments advice suggestions. Maybe Manila is not the place for me but having researched it I think at least somewhere on the island of Luzon would be right for me. I am a quiet man looking for a quiet life. My email is ger.roche@live.ie Thank You