That number varies a LOT depending on where you live and what you do with your money. The simple formula is this - the closer to western standards of housing and food, the closer the cost will be to western costs. There are MILLION dollar condos in Makati while there are places where you could by a huge plantation for the same price. If you are expecting to "live like a king" on $800 a month aim higher. You can live like the king of a trailer park in Appalachia for that.

We built our house in the Philippines while we were still working in the US before we retired. We pay zero rent. I needed aircon at first but rarely use it after 3 years here I only use fans. This past electric bill was only 1,286 pesos about 23 dollars. Gas water food eating out about 3 times a week do laundry twice a week no children, just the wife and I. 30 bucks a month internet we live comfortable on about 700 dollars per month. Owning our home makes a huge difference.

Rental costs will change depending upon your needs . The general rule is between $300 to $600 dollars a month. This depends on location and amenities along with the quality of the unit. A newer home may be smaller than an older one, but the upgrades in building materials and amenities will be up to date. Not all air conditioning units are equal, and the philippines is a dumping ground for outdated units that don't have a 5 star rating. The more meters of space you have, the more expensive it will be to keep cool, and a unit that faces the setting sun will be hotter than a unit that faces the morning sun. I sat down with my girlfriend and got her input about a budget, and she seemed to think that $1000 to $1200 a month would be plenty for a decent all in budget . Keep in mind that she lives in the province and lives with her mother, so I just used the amount as a baseline. Medical was not included in the budget nor any immigration fees. $1500 in the provinces is plenty and if you are in the sweet spot for your income then you should be able to put a good chunk of money away every month for emergencies and money incase you need to bailout and return home. Remember that the philippines is a developing country, and political unrest or changes can affect you negatively. Don't go to the philippines or anywhere else for a woman , that's foolish. Come for yourself and the financial benefits or the weather or anything else but not a woman because you will be disappointed. The first woman that you meet is rarely the one that you end up with, and that is a statement made by almost every blogger in the philippines, so keep that in mind.

The magical monthly number is one dollar as long as you have a wealthy and very generous Filipina that will love you forever

Thx Gio. $2000 seems to be the sweet spot for most married expats

I am living in Cebu Philippines for about 80K per month for two of us. 80K is almost $1,500. My rent is 8K. My WiFi is 1K. My water in 300 pesos. My electric is 2K (I do not have air conditioner), but I pay 2K to park my car, I pay 2 pesos per km to drive my motorcycle and 15 pesos per km to drive my car. I budget 6K per week for food for two of us and about a third of that gets to extended family. Soon, I will have the a13 visa. But I am 72 and I do not do that much. The doctors scare me. The legal system is a façade. The humidity was a problem when I first got here ten years ago. Not so much now. But no one has robbed me or hurt me.

I've been living in Solano Nueva Vizcaya on my 10 th years , my retirement is good for me , I use half to live here and save the other half in America . We live on 137k pesos but don't spend it all , we save about 80 to 95k pesos a month because our cost here is very cheap . Water 350, scooter gas ,1k , propane 950, electric 2500 , internet 1,150 with tv , trash 40 3 months , food cooking 3 meals a day for 3 is 3k , my 6 month visa is 7500 and Alien card yearly 1500 . We also has a sari sari store that does 50 to 80k in sales a month No big profit just pays for our kitchen things like spices . We have 1 employee and pay her 8k a month. She runs the store and does other things for the family like taking grandkids to school.

Budgets are as wildly variable as the people who are on them. I do understand the requests for more info though, it does help those that haven't made the move yet have a baseline to shoot for so thanks for the update. The key is for them to watch these videos/talk to people on varied budgets to get a better feel for their lifestyles on that budget. The one thing I will warn people of though is electricity; comparing current rates in many Western countries the per kilowatt cost can actually be more expensive depending on the updated monthly rate here - yes, the kilowatt/hour does vary monthly here. It also varies by region as well in The Philippines.

Dating and cost of living videos are in the highest demand and honestly I still love to watch them 😂

Good video. Definitely a good middle class life in the PI.

Gio, $2,000 a month as a married man, but, possibly $1,500 a month as a single man would suffice I think. So glad I was stationed at Clark Air Base, Philippines 🇵🇭 back in 1991. Next year in 2025, hopefully to return and retire there at age 62. Thank you for this information.

Appreciate the information 👍🏽. I’ve been to the Philippines 5 times since 2018. I plan on retiring there in a year or so. So thank you for the information

My water bill in Phuket Thailand is 3 dollars ❤ electric 40 dollar (about half day running).

Thank you so much gio very informative you are a blessing can't say enough enjoy your day

My partner and myself live in a one bedroom apartment . rent 12K , internet 700 PHP , electric 3000PHP , food 22K Total 38 k or $925 Canadian I put 20K or $500 CAD into my own medical plan instead of paying a insurance company eliminating the middle man

Here in Davao City, you can still get a good place for 15-20 thousand pesos. Not many Americans or other Nationalities here. Davao is spread out so having transportation is smart. It can get really hot down here, but electricity rates are pretty low. I believe my last bill I was paying 12-15 pesos per kilowatt hour. So running the AC all day everyday wont really hit your budget as much. As for the locals here in Davao, they can come off as snobbish but I think they are just shy to speak english. 2000 usd a month here in Davao, you can do pretty much anything you want. Keep in mind though most bars close in davao city 930-10. Strict laws with alcohol enforced here. No sales after 1am.

Your budget is about same as my budget. I spend about $1,600.00. I spend $700.90 for my 6 employees to take care of our property. We have a hectare land. Just me and my wife.

My normal budget has been $1700 a month for normal relaxing days not worried about spending and eatinf out daily every or most meals. Being reckless, and i truly mean purposely wasting money to see worst case scenario, $4600 was what i spent. We did 27 islands, fancy foods where rich influencers go, grab everywhere, massages 4 times a week, gym, home cleaning, hotel stays, enchanted kingdom i think it was called. Good life living and safety net i want to say 2300-2500. Nice seeing your videos Gio, saw your videos during the pandemic and when i finally decided to go i may have arrived over prepared but im glad i went in excited without the anxiety

My magic numbers for a month in Philippines: 10 Gym workouts, 10 beach swims, 8 visits to local market, 4 games of pool (billiards), a hike in the mountains and 2 karaoke sessions (all done with the Pinay)

That is a nice budget video but it also is based on your area. Much more in other places. Just recommending to point that out. Your video expense on condo in Cebu was during the pandemic. You must have money set back for medical expenses if all they have is lousy Phil health coverage. Travel insurance is pay cash up front and ger reimbursed sometime later. If you point our the positves then point out the negatives or other drawbacks that people need to consider of your budget analysis.

Marriage visas can open u up to global income taxes and residence tax and health insurance tax It can be much cheaper to just fly 3 or 4 times a year and use tourist visas. 35 year expat. I know Have paid over $1000 a month in taxes many years Sometimes 2000 to $3000. See the big picture.

Just sharing what's my parents did. My dad work here in the US for 20 years and my mom stay on the Philippines. My dad provide money and my mom buy and build properties now dad retired he went back to to Philippines for good. My parents owns commercial building, apartments. They own big house which family house. Paid of cars brand new. No loans at all. So 100k + pesos for both of my parents and they support 1 collage. So 100k+ pesos no loans. you and your wife with 1 college you can live comfortable in the philippines . We live in Isabela region 2.

Wow, you are getting married, So happy for you. Congradulations !

I think budget videos are the only concept not overdone. How many times do you need to see a waterfall or talk about dating? But everyone has different budgets so the more you see the more defined your own gets.

Good info. That’s not a bad price.

I did things a little differently. I naught a house with my wife in north Caloocan city where the electricity is reliable. That was 28,000 at the time with the exchange. It’s a 3 bedroom 3 bath I added about 9,000 in upgrades. We had a car she had before I got here and I got a motorbike for myself so I’m not stuck not being able to drive something on Tuesdays because of the lottery.😂 but our monthly expenses are around 1700.00 a month and we live what you would call an upper middle class life. She still works as a teacher and I’m retired with a business in America. We travel to America 2 times a year. That’s a bigger expense. If you’re not good at saving and budgeting you can be broke off 8k a month. Always have a backup plan with family back home with the money for airfare.

Again. Very good Gio. You explain things clearly and specifically with good patience. This is your special skill. It must be the teacher in you.🙂 Thank you and God bless. ✝️

I have been waiting for new information like this about the Philippines cost of living in 2024. Thanks for sharing!

Hope you and your Asawa Maya and family had a very happy Easter 🐰

7K per month for electric ⚡️ is ok because I have a place in a modern western city and my electric ⚡️ is the same with no aircon in my property

As an X-expat there of course I had become a budget geek. So when I bailed on the PH and returned to the Western mountain states I was religious about recording my monthly expenses living in my RV boondocking in BLM and USFS public lands following the seasons. After over 4 years full time traveling I was averaging about $1400 all in. Now I settled down in a small city in south central Oregon, (not the libtard side of Oregon.) It's one of the cheapest places left and luckily I was able to pay cash for my 700sqft railroad house. So now my expenses are also averaging just under $1400 for me and my Doberman. All in. Thats the same as I was spending in the PH with my X there. I rarely eat out and since this is grumpy America there are no social expenditures. That $1400 includes food, beer, all bills, even stuff like property tax and car ins & reg divided by 12. The only thing it doesn't include is fixing up this Shanty which is just for something to do.

I currently live in Florida USA and live a good life on less than $1000/month and actually save $300 of that $1000 every month. And I go out to eat from time to time or catch a movie. I don’t go to Starbucks or drink or smoke or chew and I don’t run with those who do. I do go to church. So the influencers are saying I have to spend more in a developing country? Maybe it comes down to a lifestyle choice.

You know when you think about it everyone has a different life style. So doing a budget over and over. I think a across the board average budget with plus and minus for those that love sitting in a bar or eating out alot more than those that have family. Just my opinion. But enjoy all your videos

After watching your video it made me realize that it is more important to eat, then to sleep, even for an american. But both are needed.

I must be doing something wrong. I have been here in the Philippines for just over 2 years. I lived the first 6 months in a condo, in Cebu the rest of the time here in Dumaguete, actually Bacong. I watch all of these videos of people living the good life for $1,500 a month. I don't really splurge all that much. I do have a girlfriend that doesn't cook, so we eat out most of the time. I pay 30,000 PHP for rent and about 8,000 for utilities. My monthly budget is closer to $3,000 a month. I am still comfortable and no danger of going broke. I think that it's just like living anywhere, you find a comfort zone with whatever budget you have. Enjoy life living in the Philippines.

Our basic cost for a family of 3 in a 3bdrm, 2 bath townhouse in Naga is about $850/month, but our budget is $1100, allowing for extras. We save the rest.

You're not overpaying if you and your family are happy there.

Good stuff Gio, thanks for the update!

Thank you my friend

As long as you got water, power, and good old AC.

Always an adventure. 😂. Sometimes you never know what you are going to get, don't plan to far in advance.

So is travel insurance better than going thru Micheal Onstad ? Your opinion

Hey gio. What is the health insurance used here that some use?

Gio, you still coming to Japan in August. My god!! Too hot and humid. I live in Yokohama, Japan. I fear the month of August.

Thanks!

O bon holidays in Aug prices can double make reservations months in advance

I did my one motorbike trip up the mountain. Not doing that again.

Yeah, you hit that video right on the head of the nail I’ve always said $2000 a month coming in every month until you drop dead is definitely sufficient to live a good life over here middle class style. I typically mentioned to people a little higher number than you did on the nesting part as far as the savings go I always tell them $50,000 but if you’re pretty healthy and you’re not always running to the hospital all the time find prescriptions stuff like that you can get by with 10,000 cash in the savings

Sorry that we keep asking the same question. It's just so hard to believe that i can live so happily with my wife for half of my military disability. Not to mention the properties and investments that i could liquidate. Im just trying to find the catch.

To each their own, lived here for a long time with my wife and “the family” in this situation 2k is living but not very good, 3k-4k a month you’re living large and so are your attached at the wallet family members. Best advice, stay single, look for an orphan to hook up with.

Could you find out if anyone deals in american gold eagle 1 oz coins in Manila or elsewhere? I expect other people would be interested in your answer also would be interesting to see what prices they would buy and sell for there. Thanks

What I’ve been telling my wife between 2 of us we’d need 100,000. 60,000 is doable if we owned somewhere there. Also being on Balikayan need to budget a visa run once a year.

I wanna go to Japan 🇯🇵 so bad i wish i went before the whole Kyoto thing happened. Dumbasses gotta ruin it for the rest of us. Definitely wanna go 🔜 Great video as always Gio !!! :).

HI Gio, love your content. I noticed that you mentioned one of the units where you live is an Airbnb, Do you know the current price and the Airbnb ID?

So helpful. Longtime subscriber here Do you know anything about La Union? Coming to the Philippines in October Have not been there since 1982 Retired and want to spend the rest of my days there Thanks Gio.

$179,000 a year - $15,000 a month - to live the GOOD life in the PI, meaning a "rock star" lifestyle. So says AceBachelorCool, an expat/KZfaqr living in Angeles City.

I'm still not entirely clear on the water situation. I get that you don't actually DRINK the tap water, but do you use it for cooking, in hopes the heat will kill the germs? Do you use it in your Keurig? Do you brush your teeth with tap water and just try not to swallow? If you're in a restaurant and order an iced drink, do you make sure the ice is made out of filtered water? Thanks!

8k a month for electricity is crazy expensive

An interesting topic might be the issues/requirements for driving a new car or motor after purchase. I've heard a lot of differing reports. Mark (Every man...) was recently talking about local cops harassing him about registration after a new car purchase.

Be well aware, cost of living rises all the time. These figures maybe comfortable NOW but if your income doesnt rise over time, then you will find that you and your family will struggle and good luck with that. I never factored in that all my live at home 3 female stepchildren would all have children before they were 18. It has stretched the budget to breaking point where all costs had to be slashed. So our standard of living has fallen dramatically. Beware if you have kid's, especially someone elses.

I live a life most would envy in Thailand and I still dont live beyond my means. I really should be saving a lot of money every year....

Gio, I did an ACR card and 2 months extension in mid-January. I went to Bali in February, came back, got the 30 days stamp, now they made me get the 3030 peso 29 day Visa waiver (again). I thought I can start doing regular extensions since I have the ACR card?! That ACR card seems pointless to me now 😂 since I do an international trip every 1-2 months. The 6 months extension also seems pointless if tou travel often.

Hello...Correct me if I am wrong. It seems to me a single guy could be comfortable on about 80K php a month?

how can i find a condo with airco, swimming pool, security, garden one bedroom ?

You spend a lot more than I do Gio wow I spend cable Cignal satellite tv for 1,000 pesos a month my electricity bill 1,000 something a month my water bill 300 pesos or 125 pesos a month I have Netflix which is like 500 pesos a month my groceries are like 40 dollars a month and I have 2 houses which I own in my province area I don't usually eat out unless I go with my parents or they bring me food I sometimes got to Butuan to see a movie which is like 2,000 pesos to commute back and fourth from my place and sometimes with my shopee and lazada orders maybe a 100 something dollars a month which I could cut down on but it's hard for me living in a province area and for the fact that I don't get out much contributes to that I guess. If you can afford it and have no problem paying for what you have now and want then yeah I say go for it I would spend that much if I had the money. That's about right 2,000 dollars a month I heard someone living in BGC needs about 3,000 dollars a month but it all depends on your lifestyle to

I'm living in Makati city near SM AURA mall and I'm paying P100k/month for a 160 SQM, 2 bed 3 bath condo, my electric bill averages around P8k-P10k/month. Food cost for 4 people (myself, wife, and two daughters) P30k-P40k/monthly, that inclusive of eating out 2-3x a week, I give my wife an P8k/weekly allowance, I pay P700/month for auto insurance, P1,500/month for wifi, and an additional P10k/month for misc. My monthly budget is P450k/month.

Geo has a good budget

Are there morning markets close to your home Gio?

Don't forget KZfaq premium (monthly around 130P ? ) to get rid of those pesky adds.

The magic monthly number is always the same, it depends on your lifestyle...

People who don't live here seem to think they can find a luxury condo or apartment for under 300 a month. Sure they can get a cheap place here, but the quality isn't good. In fact it's most likely pretty bad.

One of the best video on Dumaguette ever - Thanks

i d like to find a good condo for one or two month at a good price less than 25k pesos all included internet electricity water all for less than 25k per month in the city of cebu or lapu lapu

Gio, my wife and I think your apartment is a good value. Those barking dogs are an issue though. No two people will agree on a "Good Life" budget but $2K or more is reasonable IMO.

40 US dollar for the Internet and I guess you have a fast unlimited Internet. Right? That is a good deal.

Good evening from Florida Gio 🐸🙌 Are there any health food stores that would sell certain supplements and or organic healthier foods? I do plan on using or shopping at the markets on the 17th this month for fruits and vegetables, as I am a vegetarian. That is my primary concern, am I going to be able to find good things to eat ✌🏽 How long is Amazon delivery?

I like how a budget video turns into a competition on how I live on less than that. Or even I live on less than that in a supposed better country. Look … obviously if you live in a nepa hut and eat sardines and rice every day and only drink water the cost will be much lower. And if you’re guzzling alcohol and dating 3 chicks a day and living in a modern penthouse suite the cost will be higher. Di ba?

I look forward to paying 35k pesos for condo rent. VA paying me $3,737.00 so it will be easy for me.

Is your Keurig 220v or how do you handle the voltage adjustment? If it's 220v, where did you get it?

19:13 😮wow only $1609

How much more if you had water and electric 24/7?

If you pay that much on rent why not build your house since you and wife have extra income? You did not include the school expanses? Great info.

Great informative video

Wave, click or max what do you reccomend?❤

You pay western prices for western lifestyle. In my case I like things that the average westerner would run from. I could never live in those gated compounds crammed in a big city. I don't even like aircon and enjoy the heat and humidity. I cook well and not a fan of restaurants..I never liked paying for the things I am able to do. To me, living like a king means living on the beach in a small house, fishing, not having to put up with city people, drinking from a fresh coconut I picked off the tree, not ever eating anything factory processed, having a younger ladyfriend....small motorbike or one of those micro vans that can be picked up for usd 5k.

Whats going on with the electricity over there? Have been seeing some videos of people getting insane electric bills (300-500 USD) per month! Not sure if this is a one off but apparently the electricity there can be extremely volatile?

Thank yo Gio

WHAT CITY AND AREA ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT

Didn't hear you say much about transportation. Do you rent or borrow a car sometimes? Taxis, registration, license. Its more than just gas for a bike. Am curious to hear if the 13a is cheaper, or take a vacation every year to roll over the balikbayan free visa. Either way, doesn't sound bad. This does sound like the budget of someone who does stay home with the family, like the average expat staying there. Good budget video even though transportation was commented on. Thanks for putting this video out. Very helpful, Gio...Jim

How is the cost to give your Filipina on a monthly basis?

For what you described, would you say that this sounds like a normal basic Western-style life?

Do you have to pay for bike insurance? Do you have a car?

If you already own a condo 1000 usd is more than enough 😊

Hey Gio. What did you figure out about phone service that can receive 2 factor auth from banks/etc. I know you were looking at tmobile and having a us plan that you can use there. I was looking it up and basically all the plans say not for permanent use outside the US. Wondering if you found a permanent solution to this. I'm most confused and worried about this since it's the only real source to access funds.

Hey Gio , I typically like to go to daily happy hour , plus eat out every day . My budget is around 4k us monthly , is that reasonable ?

I have a question regarding this topic. I’m 55 and thinking of retiring early in South East Asia, I have a $1500 a month pension and $250k in stock bond portfolio and a 50k cash for emergency. Is this enough to retire in Southeast Asia? Thanks.

Yo Gio thanx for the update... but you did not include the VPN , OR the propane for cooking or cable TV or vehicle insurance & registration or trash removal or schooling fees ??? thank you.

Although you are mentioning a "middle class" lifestyle, taking 4x international vacations per year hardly classifies you as such. Granted its merely my opinion, but I do think many would agree. pew research mentions the current middle class income is $65k per year, with low and high ranges of $43k and $130k respectively. Lastly, it goes without saying that the typical middle classes of the Philippines as compared to the west are vastly different in both income ranges, and thus lifestyles lived. (the low end middle class at $43K puts one within the solid upper class in the PI. approx $4000 a month and higher is in the rich category (upper upper class))

$2k a month, $24k a year….how many years do you plan to be alive in the PH? 10yrs = $240k. Move at 60 die at 90…that’s 30yrs & $720k bar any emergencies… hmm 🤔

Have you taken Naya to America on a b2 visa yet