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Liked! Just to share. I am an RN working here in SFO, CA. I remember when I started working as a nurse in the Philippines, my salary was barely 150$/month. Yes you read it right, 150$/month. That was 16 years ago.
I follow a multitude of TH-camrs vlogging about life in the Philippines. A few truly are on a micro budget of $600-800 USD. Half of me says "I would never want to live on that little in the Philippines". The other half of me compares my life in America running the rat race and says "I would do anything to just relax and enjoy a simple life in the Philippines, even if it is on a micro budget". Honestly time is way more valuable than money, and being around good people is far more valuable than having modern American luxuries. As I see people enjoy their lives in the Philippines and not being trapped in the stressful, high maintenance rat race of life in America, I truly feel their lives are far richer than mine (even though I earn a lot more money). I understand this vlog was to highlight income classes and salary ranges of various types of jobs, but being rich in life has so much more to do with happiness than income!!!
This comment says it all. I knew that I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Life in america is great when you talk about opportunities and what life has to offer but we as Americans only works to pay the bills. You tend to ask yourself is this really what i want? Working M-F 9-5 till you retire, like where is the happiness in that? If you have the capital to put up a decent business back home, I’d take that route any day and enjoy life more around my family.
Since most people are retiring on SSI you can either live on 850 a month in the Philippines or America. No one ever mentions that. Go see what 850 gets you in the states. Not even a box apartment. Some of us HAVE to leave the country. To stay housed.
Don't forget, Filipinos have their own "rat race" to run, and still have less than your "stressful life" in the US... There is the time to work (in the US) when you are young but you must give time to your older self to enjoy life's little luxuries like relaxing by yourself or with people you choose to be with...
I'm a Filipino based overseas and I'm in my early 20's and I've been working blue collar work to fund my cost of living while running a small business on the side. It's crazy that my salary here as a construction worker is a little higher than a lawyer there in the Philippines.
well, cost of living where you live is surely higher where most of your wage goes to house rent! It is all about what's is left after you paid the bills to afford some creature comforts.... surely the lawyer living in the Philippines has more disposable income than you after paying monthly expenses and most likely they have a house maid haha :)
Well, to be fair, construction work in highly industrialized countries like US does pay alot even on their own countrys standards. I've heard that some construction workers in US make more net income than doctors.
@@rhoelg nah we'll have 2000-3000 a month of disposable income left after bills, mortgage and over 1000$ in retirement contributions here in USA as a construction worker. contruction workers over here can pull 150k a year as much as some lawyers.
A construction worker is one of the lowest paid jobs here in the philippines. Nurses are also low paying jobs In the philippines. These two jobs are looked down upon by the upper class In metro manila. Mostly lower class filipinos enter the construction and nursing jobs. And will not be enjoying western level lifestyle here. Their only chance is to go abroad to be able to work And save for their families. Filipino Nurses working abroad make good money but still not nearly as much as lawyers or engineers in that city.
Construction workers as well as nurses make a lot of money, that’s when the saying you hit the American dream. I came in this country with nothing on my back but when I started working as an RN I was able to buy a half million house, owns a Mercedes’ Benz and started a home care. I own two and I can say I can buy whatever I want because of that American dream. So construction workers and nurses i won’t consider as the lowest bracket in society because we’re always in demand. Think about during pandemic, we’re one of those who didn’t take a break, we’re always sought after especially if you’re a very hardworking individual, sky is the limit in overtime. Just my two cents, peace🙏
I have a friend who brings in about 2,200 a month, fortunately for him he was able to buy a condo outright in Manila and now he gets 2200 a month with no mortgage or rent and he lives really well. Massage has golf once-a-week tennis once a week, stuff he could never do in America.
My son plays golf 2x or 3x a week and he doesn't even have a job. Green fee in the Philippines ranges from $40 to $80 and one can get a caddy for $10. But if one gets a golf club membership, then the green fee becomes free.
Fellow expat here. My dad had an international job while he was alive and working, and he chose to retire in the Philippines. I came to take care of him during the last few years of his life, and I'm currently still residing here. I had a feeling that he, and by extension myself and the rest of my family, were considered upper class, even though in the US, we were considered middle class. It's crazy that the standard of living is so much lower than the US. I've been on a very tight budget of about $200/month here, but since I don't have to pay for rent or a mortgage, that's already a huge portion knocked off my cost of living. It's pretty much just utilities, like electricity ($40-60/mo), water ($8/mo), and internet ($52/mo), as well as food. If I had to worry about a place to live, it would've been another $400/mo or so on top of it, and even that is very cheap. There are a lot of things I like here. There are also a lot of things that I prefer and miss about the US. I'm not sure if I'll retire here permanently one day, but I will say that I have a fondness for this place.
$100 bill in the United States is total wet toilet paper if you know exactly how to invest stay in the Philippines but if you like the fake scripted lifestyle of the US go pity yourself
I'm from Texas and I retired back in 2021, my expenses were anywhere from $2800 to $3600 a month. That's why the Philippines is home now. For expats moving here, have at least $1500 a month coming in and around 10K to 25K in savings for unexpected emergencies. The USA keeps people in debt, I became a minimalist and the most I spend nowadays is around $1500 to $2000 a month and I bank the rest. Also another great thing about the Philippines, if you get bored with a place, get up and move to another island or city. The key here is to always RENT a place, never buy!
@@rpotter8876 As long as you have enough money, you'll be fine. I hardly ever drink anymore so that's how I keep my costs down. Just don't come out here and chase women and live on a bar stool, there's so much more to life.
@@mariusvlad8601 If you like traveling around, yes it can be done..........but that's a backpacker life, sharing a room and living in $8 to $12 hostels (then hoping you don't get anything stolen). The rest would be used for food, travel expenses, not much of a life and I wouldn't recommend it because one bad emergency could wipe out that $1000. Now if you didn't travel and wanted to stay put in one place....find a small province and then a long-term rental for about $100 to $180 a month, you'd then have some extra money for food, insurance, an occasional beer or two, public transportation. Always have a cushion of money to fall back on, save as much as you can monthly, you DON'T want to go broke abroad.
@@philippinecowboy thanks for the tips, i was thinking about something in the midrange ,not the backpacker lifestyle , id like to slow travel from island to island, go to gym , snorkel ,hiking. and other activities but it seems i have to upgrade my passive income to have a safety net before going there i appreciate 💪
I’m Danish…and also like the Philippines ((go there 1-2 times per year (pre pandemic)). Not because it’s cheap. Not to meet pinays. Not because I don’t like Denmark. I just like the country.
@T Tan Social Security from the US for a retired person can be generally 800 thru 2500 a month . Many people are around 1,200 a month. but if you have a company Pension plan or a military retirment on top of that then you are doing good ...for the average person
Very well documented video mate. I’m Aussie and travelled around Manila for a month, then flew to Bohol and stay for a couple of weeks there. Bought a new motorcycle there in ICM Tagbilaran and went all around Bohol. Ferried across to Lapu-Lapu and stayed there for a number of months. Rode around Cebu island and truly loved it there. Met a lot of wonderful locals everywhere I went, as well as some great foreigners too. Philippines is definitely for me. I’ll be returning to live there for the rest of my life when I can. I’m a truck driver here in Australia and earn around 8k a month. So I’ll be considered rich 😆
i lived her for 7 years. If you make $5K month. And you are filipino plus seek the language you are super rich. Because it really is a win.win, win for you to live here. My filipino wife and I live here debt free. Its super for us. we live in province. We go to Makati when we need to feel like we are back in the USA. As foreigner living here you really need to understand the culture of the people. Plus adopt in order to enjoy your stay. We love weather, cost living, no debt and ability to come and go as we please. we are mayaman dito at middle class in USA.😁
Young Prince brother: That video was very inspiring to me especially back in my day I was station at Clark Air Base, Philippines in 1991. I was then age 28. Now getting close to retiring. Currently age 59 now. Plan on making that move around the year 2025 under the Philippine sponsored American Military Retirement SRRV Visa Program. I can imagine the changes know. That knowledge you gave me was great and I really appreciate that. Thank you so much, much blessings to paradise Islands Philippines. GOD speed to you. From US American Air Force Security Police Military Veteran.
I'm here in Los Angeles area. I'm maybe about 12 years from retirement. I'm considering The Philippines as the primary retirement option. I enjoy watching your TH-cam channel. It has lots of useful information. Thank you.
I’m also in LA. I’m a builder/ contractor here. Recently I visited Siquijor and fell I love with the island. That’s my new life direction. I’m done living in the rat race.
As an expat living in the Philippines I can tell you that I have lived on as little as $1,600 per month....Now I am considered rich here as I approach $4k per month.....$1600 is doable when I was single.....but what I am making now lets me live a very comfortable life with almost no worries.....I would be surviving on 4K a month in the US....That is why I have no intentions of moving back....
Successful people don't become that way overnight. What most people see at a glance wealth, a great career, purpose-is the result of hard work and hustle over time. I pray that anyone who reads this will be successful in life..
United States needs to allow recruitment of Filipinos to the US Navy again. They did it from 1948-1992. The Philippines are a great source of college educated, English speaking, historically sea-faring nation. This will solve the recruiting woes of the USN but also help the Philippines economically as they struggle against poverty and Chinese bullying.
I share the same sentiment..I even wrote One of the Governor in the North since that province is an important area for the US because a base will soon built in her area of Jurisdiction. Up to now i havent hear from that Governor neither from her staffs . Palau ,a Republic very close to Mindanao ..The Leaders of Palau insist that in exchange for the US base that they will built in that small island They mandated the US to enlist a number of thier Palauan Youth who are interested to enter the US military and if qualified , to be admitted and become service man and Women..To receive the same right and benifits as a regular US military personnel.. Now Palau is not a US territory anymore just like the Philippines its a very small island with a small population yet they out wit us when it comes to negotiations with the Americans.. The Philippines, despite of opening more than 10 US bases here in the Philippines, despite that we have an overwhelming number technocrats and diplomats who are trained in the Philippines , Ivy league University, Military academies as well as Rhodes Scholars ...Our Leaders forget this path way for our youth ..I don't know if our Leaders are embecile or sleepy or due to to much Johnny walker blue or both ... they have a lousy draft position paper with The US ..They should have copy paste the 1946 original treaty called mutual defense pact . In the way Young Filipinos will have guaranteed yearly slot for the US navy . The US need abled bodied recruit why ? because most of the Gen Z in the US are not qualified to serve In military due to many reasons physically fitness is one of them despite that the military already lowered the physical requirements few times to accommodate would be recruit .. ..Its a win win for the US and the Philippines if recruitment will be resume ... BBM please intervene .. . What's so special about Palau that Philippines cannot have ?
Can you do a video on what life is like in each of the 5 income brackets for Filipinos and expats/retirees? Been wanting to retire early to the Philippines for a while, but do not want to be locked in to the “simple life”. I also finally subscribed because of this video. Always bothered me that the family in the Philippines would say we’re rich, when I’m middle/upper middle class. This cleared it up. Thank you for putting out this content.
As an ex-pat/retiree, I have my retirement pay, my VA disability pay, and I receive Social security because I'm 77 years old. The last cost of living increase in the US puts me near the $6,000 range monthly. My wife and I are sometimes called Don and Donya. It took me some time to understand what that meant. And now with the inflation in the US, there will be a cost of living increase again. My house in the Philippines is paid for. My car is paid for. I just bought an S1 Everest, three-wheel electric bike, because of fuel prices going up and up. Now I'm going after solar power because after installing an Aircon system for the whole house, my power bill jumped to P30,000. Not really a problem, but I don't see why I should continue paying that much. I don't see myself as RICH, but only as well-off, or middle class.
Honestly, I moved to Canada at a young age and still crave to go back home often and eventually even start split living. There’s nothing like Philippines 🇵🇭 and having your dollar stretch there does help.
Wealth isn't judged simply by income since you need to include assets. If, for example, you own your house/houses that means you have no mortgage or are not paying rent. That money is then added to to the plus column. On a different note, I agree withe the Danish guy you mentioned. I have lived/worked all around the world but I chose to settle in the Philippines because I feel happy here. I suppose having a Filipino wife should be factored in!
For the Filipina wife, better learn the mano po for your future in laws. Hope you find-court the right girl. Mano po involves taking the prospective law's or any older Filipino's hand and put back of their hand to your forehead. Tis a Southeast Asian thing. That should score some points to get her to say yes when you pop the question. Good luck.
Super interesting video! I'm actually from Denmark🤗 I've never visited the Philippines, but my sister worked there for a while and loved it. I hope I get the chance to visit some day!
I stopped working 2 years ago June 30 2022 and i was 38 years old. I’m 40 years old right now. My current income right now is 15,000 pesos per month. Plus don’t worry guys I always keep a certain percentage in my portfolio to keep up with inflation. I got a simple lifestyle and all the leisure that i enjoy doing are free such as walking, reading and swimming. I was fortunate that I’ve been able to purchase a modest home in a gated subdivision before retiring. The subdivision has a 83 hectares of area to walk around and it has a swimming pool, tennis court and basketball court. I got a low and poor income as it was mentioned in these video. But the good part is my income is purely passive. Which means that don’t have to work and like magic money will be on my bank account monthly until the rest of my life. As long as I live below my means. I may look and live poor but the good part is that i don’t have to work and listen to the bullshit and nonsense of a work place. You can definitely buy happiness and peace mind and its cheap.
In my lifetime, I have lived in eleven states in the US, Northern Indiana my first (near Chicago) and Hawaii being my last. I still own a couple homes on Oahu. My late Filipina wife of forty-one years and I had returned to the Philippines for our retirement in 2015. I enjoy living here because the culture is unique, unlike any of the sixty-three countries I have visited in my lifetime. I am a permanent resident and presently remarried to a beautiful young Filipina that cares for me the same way my lovely late wife did. I can certify that the Filipina makes one of the best wives in the world.
Agreed. Filipinas are easily the best Women in the world. I've lived in a few countries excluding my home country, the USA. Never encountered any Woman like my wonderful Filipina.
I couldn't wait to retire from the military and move back to the Philippines from Arizona.. It's been twenty-two years now since I moved... It has not been all "lived happily ever after" but now, the way the US is "divided by race,color and sexual orientation" i wake up happier in my own hometown...
not worth it to be honest. been here since 2017 and it was fun at first but u get stressed out so much dealing with people here. either a family matter, your neighbors mostlikely getting jealous of your pension, a lot of stupid drivers on the roads and so on…got out the army coz i got medical discharge and took my disability pay here in the philippines. disability check can get u pretty much anything u want here but not worth of your mental health to be honest. planning to move back to the US probably by 2027 when my child turn 6 so he can go to school in the US
I guess since I came from LA, Makati seems so cheap. Best of all is I have lots of nice friends to hang out with here. It is really the friendliest place for guys over 40. I easily made guy friends and girls to date. 3 things to do to feel like a rich man is 1) get an assistant to simplify your life. 2) take advantage of low prices of manual labor. 3) find the partner of your dreams to share your beautiful life. You will live like a king.
@@TheSavvyExpat I have trouble sometimes with long lines, running errands, understanding locals, shopping. If you have a gf you wouldn't need one. I'm older 55, but move slow. It really helps me a lot to have someone assist me.
@@TheSavvyExpat Great idea for a video, cost for an assistant, how best to hire an assistant and jobs that they could do. Thank you for another excellent video, Interesting content presented very well!
I live in Southern California and live within minutes of the Mexican border but would never move back to Mexico because if you ever get sick it would be expensive for medical care.
In 2006 I was living in Cagayan de Oro for $750 per month. That was rent, electric, food, water, entertainment, and transportation. The house was in a gated community for 4,500 pesos. It was a 2 bedroom bungalow style house. You can't get that anymore. I want to move back but have to sell my 2 houses here in the US first. I'm in no rush because of all the restrictions on travel. I figure the Philippines will be fully open next year or the year after.
@@mcy2phil I never heard of that before. Prior before we departed the only thing I did back home was get the travel covid swab 3 days before departure and you get your results same day to show the proof of negative test. The process is much more relaxed when you have your 2 shots + 1 booster. We just showed our passport, covid cards (vaccine cards) and proof of negative swab test prior before leaving. Only hassle is paying 150 USD for the international swab test which you must also pay before departing the country.
@@mcy2phil Don't take my word for it, the rules are different for every country and state as per there regulations for travel. I would check in with your people to insure you have all your affairs in order before making any decisions to leave the country
But to clarify things regarding Philippines being open. I've been here for almost a month and every single tourist Hotspot is open for business. It feels normal here except everyone is waring mask wherever they go
My husband is an interpreter here and I am a business analyst. He's a Japanese expat while I am a local and it's disheartening how wide our wage gap is even though our ages, relative work experiences according to years. Income and cost of living is good for a family in my country but as a Filipino, it makes me kinda unmotivated to work hard as a lcoal and paid peanuts.
My guaranteed monthly income qualifies me as rich in the PI. I would be getting by in the USA, but here, I am doing exceptionally well and life is good.
Two comments: 1) The reason why some ex-pats are relocating to the Philippines is that they can bring along their salaries as they are now working remotely from home, wherever that might be. There will generally be some tax savings. 2) As one US diplomat told me years ago, she hated to return to the US after a long overseas assignment. Why? Because they could hire a housekeeper and a chef in the countries they served for $300 per week which was far less than daycare for two children in the US.
$300 per week is $1200 a month or about P60,000 for *both* a cook and a housekeeper. Believe me when I say that these diplomats habitually OVERpay their staff. It is not atypical for a maid or cook to start for a local family for P6000 a month or $120 a month
@@johnsy4306 Embassies have extensive qualifications and requirements. They are NOT hiring nationals off the street with little or no experiences. Hiring in the Philippines is much like hiring in the US - you get what you pay for.
@@jlawrence0181 Ok...you are still overpaying though. Oh, and we don't hire nationals off the street with little or no experience. And hiring is never as simple as "you get what you pay for" no matter where you are
Business owners (those living in neighborhoods such as Valle Verde, Greenmeadows, Ayala Alabang) earn millions of pesos a month. Chief officers of top corporations earn close to a million. $4,000/month is only a big deal if the person is under 40.
Your average salary of $500 per month is for Manila residents. I can tell you people living in the Visayas would love to earn P25,000 per month. You can't transpose a BGC or Manila salary nation wide.
Thank you for producing these videos. The Mrs and I choose to retire in Nasugbu, Batangas next fall. We go there for the genuinely kind and friendly people. God bless.
About the Denmark dude... There is something magical about the Philippines. I think it is 5% the 7000 beautiful islands and 95% something that is inside 90% of the people.
This is especially true, because i am from Indonesia, where income level is very similar to the Philipines, my family is considered fortunate to be earning more than usd100k a year ( combined ) and we are living in the upper life in Indonesia, but when we travel to countries like Central Europe, or US, we really are living there like a backpackers, we eat the street food, we stayed in Airbnb and not some 5 start hotel, we don't do restaurant dining or lunch, we do not use taxi everywhere as it is so expnesive
Well my ex wife tested 1 of these these so called 5 star hotels, I suppose being treated like the Sultan of Sulu is cool. In essence and truth it is a material service. I am not sure where the value is in places like the Waldorf, NYC or Cali Hotel Coronado. It's like that $1000 watch I bought, wore it once and was disappointed. I'd rather go surfing in Java or something.
I'm a 29 year old Filipino American from NYC and made over $800,000 USD (base, bonus, carry) as a VP in private equity. So crazy how just being born in America, studying consistently a few hours a day and moving to a high cost of living city, that you can earn that much in your 20s.
@@thenation2093 Studied a lot in high school, got a scholarship to NYU Stern. Studied a lot in college. Applied for Summer internships at investment banks in NYC. Worked as an investment banking analyst for 2 years at Morgan Stanley. Applied for buy side jobs and switched to Private Equity by the time I was 25. Worked my way up from PE Analyst to Associate to VP over the last 5-6 years. It's not an easy process. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication and the hours are long and stressful (70+ hours a week). I plan to work for the next 10 years then switch to something with better work life balance but lower pay. I just want to build enough so that the money can work for me rather than me work for the money.
@@kayflip2233 You show me a paycheck that shows you make $800K and I will quit my job right now and work for you! Hope you get the reference. As a software engineer making 160K in my 50's I really feel like I took the wrong path. You're 29 and making $800K. You must be loving life, expensive cars and models in your hot tub.
Evan’s videos are exceptional in their content and presentation. He addresses the many issues that expats consider, when selecting a place for retirement. I believe that it helps that he is from a Midwestern city in the United States. I am also from a Midwestern city in the United States. So gauging Philippines by Midwestern US standards is very helpful, at least to me. Also, the information that he presents is often empirical. There are economic and mathematical statistical citations he uses to support many of his observations. And the humor is simply, outstanding. Keep it up, Evan!👍
Excellent breakdown. This was something I thought about in passing and you said some things I had always been thinking. We on both sides of the sea are struggling because of the cost of living. BUT.......our money from the U.S. goes further in the Philippines since our cost of living is higher and we make that certain amount of money to just get by.
over the last year i have met many Filipinos who live on $200-$300 per month, and that's for a family of 4-6. i think your recommendation for at least $1,000 per month is probably about right for most people, but i live in the US and currently live off of less than $800 per month. i have access to more, but i can't remember the last time i actually even spent $800 per month, unless i was investing in crypto or stocks or something like that. but my actual monthly spending is always less than $800 per month, even with partying. i cook my own meals, or eat out at cheaper local places, when i party it's usually a house party or bonfire instead of a bar, and i usually make my own fun either playing and streaming videogames, or going camping hunting and fishing. so based on everything i have heard from all my Filipino followers and Scholars, plus what i have seen in your vids and the vids of others living in the Philippines, i think i could easily live on much less than $1000 per month. i mean, if i can live in the desert for 6 months without running water, then i think i can handle some inconsistency lol but ya, i'm planning on renting out my house here in the US, and moving to the Philippines later this year
I was born in the philippines, moved to Australia when I was maybe around the age of 8. It freaks me out so much realising that what I currently do here puts me on the higher bracket of affluent people in the philippines while here, I feel like it's 'just enough' to make ends meet.
Very interesting video man, well done! As a swedish person I can say that there reason why many Europeans and westerners all around prefer the Philippines is because of the culture. It's more open, more friendly, more fun in a way. That is not how much of the west is expect for the US perhaps which is more social and perhaps some countries in Eastern Europe.
Nah not all, sometimes people in SEA (like Philippines) are dopeshit sometimes it's so problematic, the goverment, and agriculture, inflation, sometimes healthcare it's so expensive here in Philippines, you said people are friendly, not all sometimes people in general are different attitude & anyone can be fake people duh 😒
The real mortivation is the Increase in Purchasing power, few would care about the culture. Australia or Portugal has more culture than the Philippines. Even Canada might have more culture or Alaska.
It is important to know that under 97.5% live with incomes under $1,535 per month. (2015 data). If you have $2,000 per month, the government doesn't put you on the rich scale, but 97.5% of the people do. Also 58.4% earn less than $420 per month (2015). This data has changed, but it is close because of the drops from the pandemic.
Buddy your vlogs are the best.😊. All the other vloggers don't get it. They are either old and poor are always trying to live on a budget. I can tell you are an upper middle class family who moved to the Philippines. I'm sure you live a comfortable life there and I appreciate explaining to us how we will be able to live there if we are middle class or higher. 🎉 It's great to have someone who speaks to the people who make six to eight figures. Please keep up the good work. I'm starting my retirement quarter time over there. Your information is so valuable to me. Nobody speaks my financial level, and others like me, like you do. Keep up the great vlogs!!!! 👍👍
Barry & Peter here from Chicago. I recently found your Channel...dude, you're impressive. I don't know your exact age, but you are definitely wise and smart. We will be in BGC JUNE 24-27... I would like to buy you lunch and chat about our pending move to the PI. Take care, and keep up the good work.
Hey Barry and Peter. Would love to meet up with you guys. You can check out this free guide I made for moving to BGC to help you navigate - dedicated-inventor-8723.ck.page/50a886fbc8 If you enter in your email in the link, I'll be send you guys more info on BGC and we can get in contact. Take care guys.
I can't wait to discover your country soon 😁😍 And if I like it I want definitely spend my winters (November until February) in the Philippines yearly. I am so excited for my coming holidays 🤩 I love your channel. Thank you so much. Greetings from Switzerland, Susanne.
Love today's video. I have been going back and fourth with the idea of living in the Philippines and Thailand. Every country has it pro and cons. However, it seems that the Philippines is more expat friendly. I could see myself living in BGC. My question is : How far is it from BGC to a beach? On google maps I don't see much near by for beaches. - Thanks
The quick answer is that any good-enough beach or mountain hideaway is from 2 to 4 hours away from Metro Manila, whether you take a bus, car, or airplane. There are some hidden gems or resorts that are as close as 0.5 to 1 hour away by car, especially if you're based in Cebu City, Davao City, Iloilo City, Bacolod City, Angeles City, Tagaytay City, or Cagayan de Oro City.
The good beaches are bout 2-4 hours away as Selwyn said. If you'd like here's more free info I made about moving to BGC - dedicated-inventor-8723.ck.page/50a886fbc8
I'm seriously thinking of moving out there!! I'm going on April so I'll be checking out the areas to live the good life! Great content bro! keep it up!!
Good content ! Just thought you missed that 2500 - < 4000 bracket which should be the upper middle class, 2500 is only mid class. I’m a certified Finance profl here working for an US company subsidiary so I appreciate your fact-based content
I'm a disabled veteran that has a five year plan to retire there in BGC on nice monthly income. I can hardly wait to come and see the Philippines. I am a simple man mainly coming there as a financial move but I am really looking forward to seeing the Philippines and meeting the wonderful people there. I think I will be making a test run in the next year of so. Would love to meet up with you and JJ at some point. I really like the info you're providing.
I plan on retiring to the Philippines, my friend asked how will I earn income? Roughly 2.200 from social security and I can tap.my 401k as well, but I'm determined to open a Cafe style eatery, start small and grow, I don't know where yet Cebu, Davao, San Carlos or maybe even Dumanguete I'll have to be close to a big city to aquire supplies I'm accustomed to I'm getting positive feed back from many so here goes nothing
Yes definitely I am definitely going to live in the Philippines in four months my wife is excited.IIigan City definitely there’s no other place for me to live in the Philippines God bless🇨🇿
I think that the people of the PH is more obsessed what is rich than most of the average expat. Most of us like the cost of living, the people and the relaxed lifestyle much more than being rich. I know when I have approx. 120 000 PHP/month in retirement pension, I will live well in the upper middle class and be satisfied with that.
I just returned from Manila. My wife of 34 years is a from Mindoro. We lived in Fairview area of NCR for a few years 10 years ago. Here is what we paid for stuff while living at my nephews place in Muntinlupa. No rent and they let us use there car......We got are own maid..1,500 pesos a week...Driver....3,500 pesos per week...Gas was 3,000 pesos a week...Mostly drive around 30 miles round trip a day...Tolls were 800 pesos per day...one meal out a day was 2,000 to 3,000 pesos per day.....Everything there is very expensive. The cheap things were massage...500 pesos per hour...manny/peddy...200 pesos...I would change $200 for 5,200 pesos at the Evia Lifestyles Center Mall and spend it in 2 days...Not sure how Americans can live there on these low numbers unless they live low and in the provinces....
A thing that is often forgotten is that you need the money in the Ph. It means that you have to be a retieeree or have a decent ”digital nomad” job. I have tried living in a van in the US and that was fun but maybe nothing for the long run. I follow a girl, Filipina, that found a wonderful place with a sea view for $150/month. But then she was a local, the place was put out by a rich Italian expat. I would like to live in a city with many universities or highschools because I have an academic degree and want to meet similar people. Where would you recommend to live?
I absolutely love the Philippines. The people are the nicest people on the planet, not even a question. I plan on retiring there. Love the people, food, culture and weather. Hate Manila taxi drivers and nothing else.
Upper middle class in Philippines baby. I get full retirement from military. I'm collecting 2k each month after taxes. I love the cheaper cost of living. In the U.S., I'm under the poverty line. But in Philippines, I'm Upper Middle Class.
Great video! I would like to point out that the $4,000/month is income before taxes (which is about 30%). So the after-tax equivalent an expat would need to bring over (post-tax) is around $2,800/month in order to live that “rich” lifestyle.
@@jonh8488 about the tax rates? It’s posted on the philippine’s Bureau of Internal Revenue. A Filipino earning $4,000 per month would pay an effective income tax rate of 26% based on their tax bracket.. only taxes on local income, foreign sourced income isn’t taxable in the Philippines.
@@Conangreer ohh, so you'r refeering to the Philippinos local income of 200k pesos a month ..... okey, I understand .. either way, it's making my 6k reaching a lot further than I thought thank you for the info.
Sheet. Wish I paid 26%. Australian government flogs you like 37% here + all their others like 10% gst, 40c per liter of fuel taxes, home ownership taxes, taxes on your taxes, and taxing your taxes tax just to make sure that it's properly taxed.
We are in the process of building a house in the provinces. We have paid cash all along the way and It is getting close to completion. I hope to take a 6 month test run, see how it pencils out . I want to sell tacos on the beach!!! 🌮
one of my good friends family is quite well off. they own several residential properties in California. they have 7 houses 5 of which are being rented I think at around $5,200 + USD per house. they have their main house in the bay area, and my friend has his townhouse as well. they're pretty low key, quite and chill. not flashy at all unless you see their house in san jose, ca. benz, bmw, range rover. they own a few 7-11's in the philippines, hectares of land, living a quite simple life in the philippines. not arrogant like most of the " fake rich " locals. I remember they flew out here to the philippines last year and my friend said " make sure the car that picks us up is NOT a low budget car, NO toyotas, we hate toyota's, they're for peasants " LOL I went to visit them pre-pandemic and I swear, he had hundred dollar bills just scattered all over his closet, he had $20k in cash inside his arm rest console in his range rover. im not quite sure how much money they make, but with the houses they're leasing out, thats almost $30k USD a month right there. when he's out here visiting he's always bitching " why are there so many cheap ass, garbage ass, low class Toyota's driving recklessly? my watch cost more than those cheap ass and I paid it in full " HAHA i love him. damn. but one thing i like about him is that everytime he flies to the philippines, he donates money to dog animal shelters.
I played tennis with Jimmy Connors at Jones' Park in East St Louis Illinois. Twenty years ago I was down there and you could barely tell they use to be tennis courts.
Good content, i just hope this doesn't inspire dollar earners from other countries to move here and make everything more expensive than they already are for the locals. Note that foreigners buy properties bec it's "cheap" for them, but it can make property prices even more impossible for Filipinos who earn a mere 600usd a month.
I'm an expat living here with a very handsome pension. According to the standards you presented I'm like a high ranking executive of a big company. LOL. All jokes aside, your assessment is spot on.
i was living on < $100 per month and as a foreigner the locals still considered me rich. In one village it was 1000 pesos a month ($20) to rent a house.
Making $1K for individuals & $2K for family month can be considered rich in Philippines. It is up to the individuals/family lifestyle. You can live in a province/suburbs & live like a King. It’s up everyone’s spending habits. You can have the same luxury at a low end. Individual just need to live comfortably & limit family to family of 4.
Great video! But this is very subjective. There are so many factors to consider. Dollar amounts should probably not be a part of this. That can be determined by the individual when necessary. I've been living here (Cebu) since 2007 and I rarely think in Dollars other than when I buy Pesos. The Peso amount stays basically the same every month, until it doesn't, and by that I mean it occasionally goes up. Inflation is bad here. The Dollar amount to buy Pesos constantly flucutes. I've seen P54/$1. I've also seen P40/$1, twice. Regardless of the exchange rate, think around P75,000 as a monthly baseline, single or couple. For each additional family member, add P10,000 to P15,000. These are minimums to help buffer. We're a family of 3, the Philippines is home but we're still renting, so far, and we currently spend about P105,000 a month, renting in a somewhat upscale subdivision with a pool to die for. We don't really budget, that's just what it costs. But we each also get a healthy monthly allowance, to spend as we each see fit, something I rarely see in bugets here, but it works incredibly. Spend your allowance and that's it until next month. I love it here. I wish that I could, but I can't live in the boondocks, a word stolen from the Philippines, I like having a lot of amenities. I prefer the Cebu City area. I've been to Davao City and I could live there as well. But since they have earthquakes, no way my wife is living there. Not the cheapest places to live in the Philippines, but I prefer living on the outskirts, not in the city. Here in Cebu, we live in Talisay City. It's in the province, but not really. Almost everything is here, and I can almost throw a rock and hit Cebu City. We can see SM Seaside City in the distance, one of the largest malls in the Philippines. If you prefer Makati City, or Bonifacio Global City, which isn't really a city, it's a district in Taguig City, then all bets are off 😊
When I lived in Korea, I tried to think the same of everything in KRW but I get paid in USD and it is difficult. The easiest way to defeat the exchange rates is to buy heavily when its in your favor. In Korea, when the rate was 1500/1600 or more KRW to $1 USD I would buy thousands of dollars in won, occasionally $10,000. It allowed me to spend more anytime I wanted to without fighting the exchange rates. Only problem is needing to have somewhere safe to stash the money.
@@TheGreatEscape9833 I've never been to Korea, but I would bet that you can use Dollars there if necessary. I know I could in Germany. But not here. The last time I had Dollars in my hand was when I opened a Dollar Account in 2008. I had $500 cash for just that purpose. With the exception of purchasing Pesos, I have absolutely no idea what a Dollar is worth. But I definitely know the value of a Peso. I stopped sweating the exchange rate at least dozen years ago. It's not something that I can control, and when the Dollar falls here, it falls for years. The most recent was from October 2018 until June of last year. If I can't weather that storm then I probably shouldn't be here.
@@fruitloops3718 Agreed. But there was also a much different economy here in 1996. When I moved here in early 2007, the rate had fallen from P56 to P48 in just a couple of years. People here were not happy about it, including Filipinos making Dollars. When it fell from P48 to P40 by 2008, everything here was so cheap that I barely even felt it. But there was a lot more complaining. When it did it again in 2013, the economy had changed, and I definitely felt it this time. The economy here today, unless I made some drastic changes, P40 would increase my cost of living here by about $600 per month 😲
@@daspicer1 Unfortunately, I think its going to drop some as the dollar will lose value over this Russia/Ukraine ordeal. I hope it doesn't happen but it feels like the dollar is going to take a pretty good hit for a few months.
Tuli, Another awesome video. I do know that a little more goes a long way in The Philippines. I admire your research. Tuli, you are not only knowledgeable but you are very wise. Thank you for sharing... I love the islands for the money but the best part is the people.
Few corrections: 1. BGC isn't a real city; it's a modern CBD within the city of Taguig. 2. Makati CBD was the original modern CBD of Manila and it was surrounded by exclusive gated subdivisions ever since the 60s. Makati's Poblacion area was the red light district of the city; and it was gentrified during the 2010s.
@@TomandAmyinthePI i think household income in usa is because many people are 2 working adults at home. I think the philippines has as many as 4 or 5 adults working living in one house. I wonder how much those people earn.
Being of age and how to manage the sequence of returns in those early periods is what seems quite scary in the current market. The market is never a loser in the twenty year cycle, but the 2000s decade scenario scares me and could really disrupt my retirement. When you're no longer accumulating but withdrawing, it's hard to be anything but cautious.
The pandemic really taught people the importance of multiple streams of income. Unfortunately, having a job doesn't guarantee 100% security, rather having different investments is the real deal.
I believe that the secret to financial stability is having the right investment ideas to enable you earn more money. But for now, investors getting started can feel overwhelming. Risk loom large and complicated, unfamiliar financial jargons can be intimidating.
@@stevematthews1105 Apparently that's true, I agree. It is mostly disastrous for newbies or anyone who doesn't adhere to a well thought-out strategy and over all, a professional broker.
@@mav3420 This is absolutely where online professional brokers can come in handy... Those that offer intuitive platforms and plenty of educational resources, and also guide you through your early investing days.
I went to cebu city for two months, my condo rental was $500 total, my expenses with buying goods and gifts came out to $500 ;) include transportation everywhere
Just found your vlog handle today. Very informative and well spoken for a young age! I’m from Chicagoland too and will be spending part of the year in PI now that I’m retired. We’ll be living “hybrid” while in PI. We’ll be there sometime in the summer.
I came to the Philippines because of my then fiance. I came back and made it my new home because I loved everything about it. The USA is no longer my home and I can't wait to come back this week.
I see many foreigners living way beyond their means in the Philippines. Doing exactly the same as they've done their entire lives living paycheck to paycheck, saving nothing. They love the low rent and think that will last forever. It may last, it may not.
Interesting video ... I'll have to check it out. I'm American/USA .. I really enjoy most Filipino people. I can hang ouit with Filipinos in North American or at the source in the Philipines 🙂
True Savvy with our foreign cash life can be very comfortable even living in d City area, like Manila . Whilst in business der, l stayed 7yrs+ in Manila area even in exclusive sub divisions , more for security reasons and quiet environment but damned it cos of just 10 or so called trusted personalities then l left Philippines disappointed and financially drained but until now I still crave to return der asap , coz l still love d Philippines , actually more than locals , dying to leave their homeland chasing their dreams abroad .Barring all those business heartache , l have also met many kind , trustworthy Filipinos (meaning both sexes ) , hardworking but lacked capital for them to embark on any business or to enhance or augment their monthly income . Walang pera daw Kung gusto negosyo. (Literally means no money to start / venture into business ).Sana@hopefully , l will b able to Holiday der again for at least a year or two and maybe lend a hand to a couple of such loyal friends , to venture into small business , if needed . At d tailend of life , money is not priority anymore , though useful. That's where empathy supercedes greed . In short, count our blessings and continue doing something worthwhile for others . 🙏🙏God bless . Thanks Savvy as l watched u and ur video , suffice to say u r a very responsible son , not only filial but brainy too. U have a bright future in ur parents homeland . Not necessarily , d grass is always greener , in d country u were brought up as a " baby " or during ur early teenaged years. Philippines might have alot of challenges in terms of socio economics , but still ur motherland will welcome and embraced u like their own son...l'm as old as ur parents if not older more... l have gone thru alot in life both sweet and bitter but I persevered , with d sense of survival and an open heart/open mindset . Go with d flow as long as it's not contradict to ur principals and dignity . Compassion and dignity r d keywords . Not greed and arrogance ... 🙏🙏♥️
That was a really good pitch to move back to the Philippines. Well said, well presented, clear and concise reporting! Still and all, there are many factors to consider retiring in the country of my birth. Thanks so much for information I didn’t have.
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If you enjoyed this video, a like would be greatly appreciated. God Bless.
Download Your FREE Guide to Moving to BGC, Philippines:
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Liked!
Just to share. I am an RN working here in SFO, CA. I remember when I started working as a nurse in the Philippines, my salary was barely 150$/month. Yes you read it right, 150$/month. That was 16 years ago.
Get that share based payment!!!!!
th-cam.com/video/9L6ZV6I_3C4/w-d-xo.html
Are you talking about pesos in the video
which god shall bless ?
I follow a multitude of TH-camrs vlogging about life in the Philippines. A few truly are on a micro budget of $600-800 USD. Half of me says "I would never want to live on that little in the Philippines". The other half of me compares my life in America running the rat race and says "I would do anything to just relax and enjoy a simple life in the Philippines, even if it is on a micro budget". Honestly time is way more valuable than money, and being around good people is far more valuable than having modern American luxuries. As I see people enjoy their lives in the Philippines and not being trapped in the stressful, high maintenance rat race of life in America, I truly feel their lives are far richer than mine (even though I earn a lot more money). I understand this vlog was to highlight income classes and salary ranges of various types of jobs, but being rich in life has so much more to do with happiness than income!!!
This comment says it all. I knew that I wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Life in america is great when you talk about opportunities and what life has to offer but we as Americans only works to pay the bills. You tend to ask yourself is this really what i want? Working M-F 9-5 till you retire, like where is the happiness in that? If you have the capital to put up a decent business back home, I’d take that route any day and enjoy life more around my family.
I Agree. And need a Change
Well said Daniel. You can have all the money in the world and still be miserable. Thanks for watching.
Since most people are retiring on SSI you can either live on 850 a month in the Philippines or America. No one ever mentions that. Go see what 850 gets you in the states. Not even a box apartment. Some of us HAVE to leave the country. To stay housed.
Don't forget, Filipinos have their own "rat race" to run, and still have less than your "stressful life" in the US... There is the time to work (in the US) when you are young but you must give time to your older self to enjoy life's little luxuries like relaxing by yourself or with people you choose to be with...
I'm a Filipino based overseas and I'm in my early 20's and I've been working blue collar work to fund my cost of living while running a small business on the side. It's crazy that my salary here as a construction worker is a little higher than a lawyer there in the Philippines.
well, cost of living where you live is surely higher where most of your wage goes to house rent! It is all about what's is left after you paid the bills to afford some creature comforts.... surely the lawyer living in the Philippines has more disposable income than you after paying monthly expenses and most likely they have a house maid haha :)
Well, to be fair, construction work in highly industrialized countries like US does pay alot even on their own countrys standards. I've heard that some construction workers in US make more net income than doctors.
@@rhoelg nah we'll have 2000-3000 a month of disposable income left after bills, mortgage and over 1000$ in retirement contributions here in USA as a construction worker. contruction workers over here can pull 150k a year as much as some lawyers.
A construction worker is one of the lowest paid jobs here in the philippines.
Nurses are also low paying jobs
In the philippines.
These two jobs are looked down upon by the upper class
In metro manila.
Mostly lower class filipinos enter the construction and nursing jobs. And will not be enjoying western level lifestyle here.
Their only chance is to go abroad to be able to work
And save for their families.
Filipino Nurses working abroad make good money but still not nearly as much as lawyers or engineers in that city.
Construction workers as well as nurses make a lot of money, that’s when the saying you hit the American dream. I came in this country with nothing on my back but when I started working as an RN I was able to buy a half million house, owns a Mercedes’ Benz and started a home care. I own two and I can say I can buy whatever I want because of that American dream. So construction workers and nurses i won’t consider as the lowest bracket in society because we’re always in demand. Think about during pandemic, we’re one of those who didn’t take a break, we’re always sought after especially if you’re a very hardworking individual, sky is the limit in overtime. Just my two cents, peace🙏
I have a friend who brings in about 2,200 a month, fortunately for him he was able to buy a condo outright in Manila and now he gets 2200 a month with no mortgage or rent and he lives really well. Massage has golf once-a-week tennis once a week, stuff he could never do in America.
That’s a Goal!!!!
My son plays golf 2x or 3x a week and he doesn't even have a job. Green fee in the Philippines ranges from $40 to $80 and one can get a caddy for $10. But if one gets a golf club membership, then the green fee becomes free.
Fellow expat here. My dad had an international job while he was alive and working, and he chose to retire in the Philippines. I came to take care of him during the last few years of his life, and I'm currently still residing here. I had a feeling that he, and by extension myself and the rest of my family, were considered upper class, even though in the US, we were considered middle class. It's crazy that the standard of living is so much lower than the US. I've been on a very tight budget of about $200/month here, but since I don't have to pay for rent or a mortgage, that's already a huge portion knocked off my cost of living. It's pretty much just utilities, like electricity ($40-60/mo), water ($8/mo), and internet ($52/mo), as well as food. If I had to worry about a place to live, it would've been another $400/mo or so on top of it, and even that is very cheap.
There are a lot of things I like here. There are also a lot of things that I prefer and miss about the US. I'm not sure if I'll retire here permanently one day, but I will say that I have a fondness for this place.
What about o chidren
$100 bill in the United States is total wet toilet paper if you know exactly how to invest stay in the Philippines but if you like the fake scripted lifestyle of the US go pity yourself
I'm from Texas and I retired back in 2021, my expenses were anywhere from $2800 to $3600 a month. That's why the Philippines is home now. For expats moving here, have at least $1500 a month coming in and around 10K to 25K in savings for unexpected emergencies. The USA keeps people in debt, I became a minimalist and the most I spend nowadays is around $1500 to $2000 a month and I bank the rest. Also another great thing about the Philippines, if you get bored with a place, get up and move to another island or city. The key here is to always RENT a place, never buy!
How do the locals take to a mid 20’s Army dude out there? Getting out soon and considering moving.
@@rpotter8876 As long as you have enough money, you'll be fine. I hardly ever drink anymore so that's how I keep my costs down. Just don't come out here and chase women and live on a bar stool, there's so much more to life.
do you think you can get by with 1000usd per month for a single person?
not having any extravagances and just travel around?
@@mariusvlad8601 If you like traveling around, yes it can be done..........but that's a backpacker life, sharing a room and living in $8 to $12 hostels (then hoping you don't get anything stolen). The rest would be used for food, travel expenses, not much of a life and I wouldn't recommend it because one bad emergency could wipe out that $1000. Now if you didn't travel and wanted to stay put in one place....find a small province and then a long-term rental for about $100 to $180 a month, you'd then have some extra money for food, insurance, an occasional beer or two, public transportation. Always have a cushion of money to fall back on, save as much as you can monthly, you DON'T want to go broke abroad.
@@philippinecowboy thanks for the tips, i was thinking about something in the midrange ,not the backpacker lifestyle , id like to slow travel from island to island, go to gym , snorkel ,hiking. and other activities
but it seems i have to upgrade my passive income to have a safety net before going there
i appreciate 💪
I’m Danish…and also like the Philippines ((go there 1-2 times per year (pre pandemic)).
Not because it’s cheap.
Not to meet pinays.
Not because I don’t like Denmark.
I just like the country.
Maybe its the weather?
How much of the $1500-$2500 would you spend for health insurance?
@T Tan Social Security from the US for a retired person can be generally 800 thru 2500 a month . Many people are around 1,200 a month. but if you have a company Pension plan or a military retirment on top of that then you are doing good ...for the average person
@T Tan I think the average Limey government pension is about 800 something Euros
I like Denmark. I'm from the Philippines.
Very well documented video mate.
I’m Aussie and travelled around Manila for a month, then flew to Bohol and stay for a couple of weeks there. Bought a new motorcycle there in ICM Tagbilaran and went all around Bohol. Ferried across to Lapu-Lapu and stayed there for a number of months. Rode around Cebu island and truly loved it there.
Met a lot of wonderful locals everywhere I went, as well as some great foreigners too. Philippines is definitely for me. I’ll be returning to live there for the rest of my life when I can.
I’m a truck driver here in Australia and earn around 8k a month.
So I’ll be considered rich 😆
Woah you're rich
@@jimmaeeey2322 haha hell no! 😂
That's 3× the money my dad earns, wow.
Bali mate Bali lol
@@larazeesk7080 what’s Bali got to with this vid on Philippines?
i lived her for 7 years. If you make $5K month. And you are filipino plus seek the language you are super rich. Because it really is a win.win, win for you to live here. My filipino wife and I live here debt free. Its super for us. we live in province. We go to Makati when we need to feel like we are back in the USA. As foreigner living here you really need to understand the culture of the people. Plus adopt in order to enjoy your stay. We love weather, cost living, no debt and ability to come and go as we please. we are mayaman dito at middle class in USA.😁
Well said Morris!
After years of working here in NY, I decided to go back to Philippines and live a simple life.
Good for you Zanaida!
Young Prince brother: That video was very inspiring to me especially back in my day I was station at Clark Air Base, Philippines in 1991. I was then age 28. Now getting close to retiring. Currently age 59 now. Plan on making that move around the year 2025 under the Philippine sponsored American Military Retirement SRRV Visa Program. I can imagine the changes know. That knowledge you gave me was great and I really appreciate that. Thank you so much, much blessings to paradise Islands Philippines. GOD speed to you. From US American Air Force Security Police Military Veteran.
Thank you for your service David
@@TheSavvyExpat Thank you young man, GOD speed.
I'm here in Los Angeles area. I'm maybe about 12 years from retirement. I'm considering The Philippines as the primary retirement option. I enjoy watching your TH-cam channel. It has lots of useful information. Thank you.
Sure thing Jerry
I've got 2 1/2 years ...almost there....
Visit Palawan, Philippines! It’s amazing!
Retire young at 62. No sense on prolonging it to 65 or longer. Then, enjoy life in the philippines!
I’m also in LA. I’m a builder/ contractor here. Recently I visited Siquijor and fell I love with the island. That’s my new life direction. I’m done living in the rat race.
As an expat living in the Philippines I can tell you that I have lived on as little as $1,600 per month....Now I am considered rich here as I approach $4k per month.....$1600 is doable when I was single.....but what I am making now lets me live a very comfortable life with almost no worries.....I would be surviving on 4K a month in the US....That is why I have no intentions of moving back....
Where are you living in the PI ?
Angeles City
@@Bigwill71M how extravagant of a lifestyle do you live with 4k usd? like what kind of stuff do you do monthly?
Successful people don't become that way overnight. What most people see at a glance wealth, a great career, purpose-is the result of hard work and hustle over time. I pray that anyone who reads this will be successful in life..
People are scared of investing because of high rate of scammers in the market.
But of a truth They are scammer's but real broker are out there too waiting for investors
So don't be scared of giving any one a try
A friend that I referred to him just received $7050 profit after 10 days of investing...I became jealous... Lol
I really love him reviews how do I get in touch with him please? I will appreciate if I would get linked up with him
United States needs to allow recruitment of Filipinos to the US Navy again. They did it from 1948-1992. The Philippines are a great source of college educated, English speaking, historically sea-faring nation. This will solve the recruiting woes of the USN but also help the Philippines economically as they struggle against poverty and Chinese bullying.
I share the same sentiment..I even wrote One of the Governor in the North since that province is an important area for the US because a base will soon built in her area of Jurisdiction. Up to now i havent hear from that Governor neither from her staffs .
Palau ,a Republic very close to Mindanao ..The Leaders of Palau insist that in exchange for the US base that they will built in that small island They mandated the US to enlist a number of thier Palauan Youth who are interested to enter the US military and if qualified , to be admitted and become service man and Women..To receive the same right and benifits as a regular US military personnel.. Now Palau is not a US territory anymore just like the Philippines its a very small island with a small population yet they out wit us when it comes to negotiations with the Americans..
The Philippines, despite of opening more than 10 US bases here in the Philippines, despite that we have an overwhelming number technocrats and diplomats who are trained in the Philippines , Ivy league University, Military academies as well as Rhodes Scholars ...Our Leaders forget this path way for our youth ..I don't know if our Leaders are embecile or sleepy or due to to much Johnny walker blue or both ... they have a lousy draft position paper with The US ..They should have copy paste the 1946 original treaty called mutual defense pact . In the way Young Filipinos will have guaranteed yearly slot for the US navy . The US need abled bodied recruit why ? because most of the Gen Z in the US are not qualified to serve In military due to many reasons physically fitness is one of them despite that the military already lowered the physical requirements few times to accommodate would be recruit ..
..Its a win win for the US and the Philippines if recruitment will be resume ...
BBM please intervene .. . What's so special about Palau that Philippines cannot have ?
Can you do a video on what life is like in each of the 5 income brackets for Filipinos and expats/retirees?
Been wanting to retire early to the Philippines for a while, but do not want to be locked in to the “simple life”.
I also finally subscribed because of this video. Always bothered me that the family in the Philippines would say we’re rich, when I’m middle/upper middle class. This cleared it up. Thank you for putting out this content.
You got it
If you are single and you are spending more than $1000 per month, then you are rich here in Phils 😅
Send him some money to help him produce the video you want made.
$2800 a month you can live really good, actually probably a little bit less than that !!
As an ex-pat/retiree, I have my retirement pay, my VA disability pay, and I receive Social security because I'm 77 years old. The last cost of living increase in the US puts me near the $6,000 range monthly. My wife and I are sometimes called Don and Donya. It took me some time to understand what that meant. And now with the inflation in the US, there will be a cost of living increase again.
My house in the Philippines is paid for. My car is paid for.
I just bought an S1 Everest, three-wheel electric bike, because of fuel prices going up and up.
Now I'm going after solar power because after installing an Aircon system for the whole house, my power bill jumped to P30,000. Not really a problem, but I don't see why I should continue paying that much. I don't see myself as RICH, but only as well-off, or middle class.
Honestly, I moved to Canada at a young age and still crave to go back home often and eventually even start split living. There’s nothing like Philippines 🇵🇭 and having your dollar stretch there does help.
Wealth isn't judged simply by income since you need to include assets. If, for example, you own your house/houses that means you have no mortgage or are not paying rent. That money is then added to to the plus column. On a different note, I agree withe the Danish guy you mentioned. I have lived/worked all around the world but I chose to settle in the Philippines because I feel happy here. I suppose having a Filipino wife should be factored in!
For the Filipina wife, better learn the mano po for your future in laws. Hope you find-court the right girl. Mano po involves taking the prospective law's or any older Filipino's hand and put back of their hand to your forehead. Tis a Southeast Asian thing. That should score some points to get her to say yes when you pop the question. Good luck.
Super interesting video! I'm actually from Denmark🤗 I've never visited the Philippines, but my sister worked there for a while and loved it. I hope I get the chance to visit some day!
Another great video. I purchased my condo at The Fort 17 years ago. The value more than tripled what I paid for it.
Caught a great opportunity. Good for you!
I stopped working 2 years ago June 30 2022 and i was 38 years old. I’m 40 years old right now. My current income right now is 15,000 pesos per month. Plus don’t worry guys I always keep a certain percentage in my portfolio to keep up with inflation. I got a simple lifestyle and all the leisure that i enjoy doing are free such as walking, reading and swimming. I was fortunate that I’ve been able to purchase a modest home in a gated subdivision before retiring. The subdivision has a 83 hectares of area to walk around and it has a swimming pool, tennis court and basketball court. I got a low and poor income as it was mentioned in these video. But the good part is my income is purely passive. Which means that don’t have to work and like magic money will be on my bank account monthly until the rest of my life. As long as I live below my means. I may look and live poor but the good part is that i don’t have to work and listen to the bullshit and nonsense of a work place. You can definitely buy happiness and peace mind and its cheap.
In my lifetime, I have lived in eleven states in the US, Northern Indiana my first (near Chicago) and Hawaii being my last. I still own a couple homes on Oahu. My late Filipina wife of forty-one years and I had returned to the Philippines for our retirement in 2015. I enjoy living here because the culture is unique, unlike any of the sixty-three countries I have visited in my lifetime. I am a permanent resident and presently remarried to a beautiful young Filipina that cares for me the same way my lovely late wife did. I can certify that the Filipina makes one of the best wives in the world.
I am in Chicago now and want to do the same
Glad to hear that
Agreed. Filipinas are easily the best Women in the world. I've lived in a few countries excluding my home country, the USA. Never encountered any Woman like my wonderful Filipina.
4:28 I think you missed an income class here ($2500 - $4000). I believe it is called the Upper Income (but not rich) class.
I couldn't wait to retire from the military and move back to the Philippines from Arizona.. It's been twenty-two years now since I moved... It has not been all "lived happily ever after" but now, the way the US is "divided by race,color and sexual orientation" i wake up happier in my own hometown...
not worth it to be honest. been here since 2017 and it was fun at first but u get stressed out so much dealing with people here. either a family matter, your neighbors mostlikely getting jealous of your pension, a lot of stupid drivers on the roads and so on…got out the army coz i got medical discharge and took my disability pay here in the philippines. disability check can get u pretty much anything u want here but not worth of your mental health to be honest. planning to move back to the US probably by 2027 when my child turn 6 so he can go to school in the US
This is the first cost of living that gives a breakdown of realistic cost of living and social classes ..thanks great video
You got it
For several years I have wondered about this subject and you have done an awesome job explaining. Thank you!
I guess since I came from LA, Makati seems so cheap. Best of all is I have lots of nice friends to hang out with here. It is really the friendliest place for guys over 40. I easily made guy friends and girls to date. 3 things to do to feel like a rich man is 1) get an assistant to simplify your life. 2) take advantage of low prices of manual labor. 3) find the partner of your dreams to share your beautiful life. You will live like a king.
That's really interesting Martin. Tell me more about getting assistant? I think many guys would find that helpful here.
@@TheSavvyExpat I have trouble sometimes with long lines, running errands, understanding locals, shopping. If you have a gf you wouldn't need one. I'm older 55, but move slow. It really helps me a lot to have someone assist me.
@@manilamartin1001 gotcha thanks
@@TheSavvyExpat Great idea for a video, cost for an assistant, how best to hire an assistant and jobs that they could do. Thank you for another excellent video, Interesting content presented very well!
good job young man. all info is appreciated. i think i fall into the upper middle/ rich category. your vids are very honest and real. thank you.
Thanks Marshall
I live in Southern California and live within minutes of the Mexican border but would never move back to Mexico because if you ever get sick it would be expensive for medical care.
In 2006 I was living in Cagayan de Oro for $750 per month. That was rent, electric, food, water, entertainment, and transportation. The house was in a gated community for 4,500 pesos. It was a 2 bedroom bungalow style house. You can't get that anymore. I want to move back but have to sell my 2 houses here in the US first. I'm in no rush because of all the restrictions on travel. I figure the Philippines will be fully open next year or the year after.
I just arrived here a few days ago. All you need is proof of vaccinations and a swab test to visit. The process was quick.
@@chazm.5909 what about proof of covid travel insurance?
@@mcy2phil I never heard of that before. Prior before we departed the only thing I did back home was get the travel covid swab 3 days before departure and you get your results same day to show the proof of negative test. The process is much more relaxed when you have your 2 shots + 1 booster. We just showed our passport, covid cards (vaccine cards) and proof of negative swab test prior before leaving.
Only hassle is paying 150 USD for the international swab test which you must also pay before departing the country.
@@mcy2phil Don't take my word for it, the rules are different for every country and state as per there regulations for travel. I would check in with your people to insure you have all your affairs in order before making any decisions to leave the country
But to clarify things regarding Philippines being open. I've been here for almost a month and every single tourist Hotspot is open for business. It feels normal here except everyone is waring mask wherever they go
Just got back from 2 months there. Looking to relocate and continue helping Filipino find jobs as VAs with US businesses. I love it there
Awesome. I am gonna move to the Philippines and if you don't mind I would like to ask you like 3 or 4 questions if you don't mind and I appreciate it
My husband is an interpreter here and I am a business analyst. He's a Japanese expat while I am a local and it's disheartening how wide our wage gap is even though our ages, relative work experiences according to years. Income and cost of living is good for a family in my country but as a Filipino, it makes me kinda unmotivated to work hard as a lcoal and paid peanuts.
Do the Philippines have unions? Unions could help fight for higher wages and better work conditions for its members!
My guaranteed monthly income qualifies me as rich in the PI. I would be getting by in the USA, but here, I am doing exceptionally well and life is good.
Two comments:
1) The reason why some ex-pats are relocating to the Philippines is that they can bring along their salaries as they are now working remotely from home, wherever that might be. There will generally be some tax savings.
2) As one US diplomat told me years ago, she hated to return to the US after a long overseas assignment. Why? Because they could hire a housekeeper and a chef in the countries they served for $300 per week which was far less than daycare for two children in the US.
I'm going to hire a Cook, House maid , Masseuse , Girlfriend , Gardner , Girlfriend, personal secretary and another girlfriend ...
$300 per week is $1200 a month or about P60,000 for *both* a cook and a housekeeper. Believe me when I say that these diplomats habitually OVERpay their staff. It is not atypical for a maid or cook to start for a local family for P6000 a month or $120 a month
@@johnsy4306 Embassies have extensive qualifications and requirements. They are NOT hiring nationals off the street with little or no experiences. Hiring in the Philippines is much like hiring in the US - you get what you pay for.
@@jlawrence0181 Ok...you are still overpaying though. Oh, and we don't hire nationals off the street with little or no experience. And hiring is never as simple as "you get what you pay for" no matter where you are
Business owners (those living in neighborhoods such as Valle Verde, Greenmeadows, Ayala Alabang) earn millions of pesos a month. Chief officers of top corporations earn close to a million. $4,000/month is only a big deal if the person is under 40.
Your average salary of $500 per month is for Manila residents. I can tell you people living in the Visayas would love to earn P25,000 per month. You can't transpose a BGC or Manila salary nation wide.
Thank you for producing these videos. The Mrs and I choose to retire in Nasugbu, Batangas next fall. We go there for the genuinely kind and friendly people. God bless.
About the Denmark dude...
There is something magical about the Philippines. I think it is 5% the 7000 beautiful islands and 95% something that is inside 90% of the people.
This is especially true, because i am from Indonesia, where income level is very similar to the Philipines, my family is considered fortunate to be earning more than usd100k a year ( combined ) and we are living in the upper life in Indonesia, but when we travel to countries like Central Europe, or US, we really are living there like a backpackers, we eat the street food, we stayed in Airbnb and not some 5 start hotel, we don't do restaurant dining or lunch, we do not use taxi everywhere as it is so expnesive
Well my ex wife tested 1 of these these so called 5 star hotels, I suppose being treated like the Sultan of Sulu is cool. In essence and truth it is a material service. I am not sure where the value is in places like the Waldorf, NYC or Cali Hotel Coronado. It's like that $1000 watch I bought, wore it once and was disappointed. I'd rather go surfing in Java or something.
I'm a 29 year old Filipino American from NYC and made over $800,000 USD (base, bonus, carry) as a VP in private equity. So crazy how just being born in America, studying consistently a few hours a day and moving to a high cost of living city, that you can earn that much in your 20s.
Wow congrats! That’s inspiring. How do you get started in that?
@@thenation2093 Studied a lot in high school, got a scholarship to NYU Stern. Studied a lot in college. Applied for Summer internships at investment banks in NYC. Worked as an investment banking analyst for 2 years at Morgan Stanley. Applied for buy side jobs and switched to Private Equity by the time I was 25. Worked my way up from PE Analyst to Associate to VP over the last 5-6 years. It's not an easy process. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication and the hours are long and stressful (70+ hours a week). I plan to work for the next 10 years then switch to something with better work life balance but lower pay. I just want to build enough so that the money can work for me rather than me work for the money.
Do you accept clients sir? Thanks
@@kayflip2233 You show me a paycheck that shows you make $800K and I will quit my job right now and work for you! Hope you get the reference. As a software engineer making 160K in my 50's I really feel like I took the wrong path. You're 29 and making $800K. You must be loving life, expensive cars and models in your hot tub.
@@GizmoMalteseanybody can make up anything on internet. 😅😢😂
Evan’s videos are exceptional in their content and presentation.
He addresses the many issues that expats consider, when selecting a place for retirement.
I believe that it helps that he is from a Midwestern city in the United States. I am also from a Midwestern city in the United States.
So gauging Philippines by Midwestern US standards is very helpful, at least to me.
Also, the information that he presents is often empirical. There are economic and mathematical statistical citations he uses to support many of his observations.
And the humor is simply, outstanding.
Keep it up, Evan!👍
Means a lot Thomas! Appreciate you.
Excellent breakdown. This was something I thought about in passing and you said some things I had always been thinking. We on both sides of the sea are struggling because of the cost of living. BUT.......our money from the U.S. goes further in the Philippines since our cost of living is higher and we make that certain amount of money to just get by.
Thanks for the breakdown Evan. Just so people remember that budget and income are 2 different things. Plan wisely.
absolutely James
over the last year i have met many Filipinos who live on $200-$300 per month, and that's for a family of 4-6.
i think your recommendation for at least $1,000 per month is probably about right for most people, but i live in the US and currently live off of less than $800 per month. i have access to more, but i can't remember the last time i actually even spent $800 per month, unless i was investing in crypto or stocks or something like that. but my actual monthly spending is always less than $800 per month, even with partying. i cook my own meals, or eat out at cheaper local places, when i party it's usually a house party or bonfire instead of a bar, and i usually make my own fun either playing and streaming videogames, or going camping hunting and fishing.
so based on everything i have heard from all my Filipino followers and Scholars, plus what i have seen in your vids and the vids of others living in the Philippines, i think i could easily live on much less than $1000 per month.
i mean, if i can live in the desert for 6 months without running water, then i think i can handle some inconsistency lol
but ya, i'm planning on renting out my house here in the US, and moving to the Philippines later this year
If you go to the provinces, the salaries get even lower. I know people who work in food service (cashier, cook, etc.) who earn below 200 USD.
I was born in the philippines, moved to Australia when I was maybe around the age of 8. It freaks me out so much realising that what I currently do here puts me on the higher bracket of affluent people in the philippines while here, I feel like it's 'just enough' to make ends meet.
Gee, that sounds like this side of the world in NYC.
Yup, Sydney is probably similar to NY city or Los Angeles. I make over $250K with family of 4. We are barely scraping by
Very interesting video man, well done! As a swedish person I can say that there reason why many Europeans and westerners all around prefer the Philippines is because of the culture. It's more open, more friendly, more fun in a way. That is not how much of the west is expect for the US perhaps which is more social and perhaps some countries in Eastern Europe.
Nah not all, sometimes people in SEA (like Philippines) are dopeshit sometimes it's so problematic, the goverment, and agriculture, inflation, sometimes healthcare it's so expensive here in Philippines, you said people are friendly, not all sometimes people in general are different attitude & anyone can be fake people duh 😒
The real mortivation is the Increase in Purchasing power, few would care about the culture. Australia or Portugal has more culture than the Philippines. Even Canada might have more culture or Alaska.
Not to mention, everyone in the Philippines speaks English.
It is important to know that under 97.5% live with incomes under $1,535 per month. (2015 data). If you have $2,000 per month, the government doesn't put you on the rich scale, but 97.5% of the people do. Also 58.4% earn less than $420 per month (2015). This data has changed, but it is close because of the drops from the pandemic.
Awesome video! I just received a lot of insight on where I stand, should I choose to move to the Philippines. I'm strongly considering doing so.
Buddy your vlogs are the best.😊. All the other vloggers don't get it. They are either old and poor are always trying to live on a budget. I can tell you are an upper middle class family who moved to the Philippines. I'm sure you live a comfortable life there and I appreciate explaining to us how we will be able to live there if we are middle class or higher. 🎉 It's great to have someone who speaks to the people who make six to eight figures. Please keep up the good work. I'm starting my retirement quarter time over there. Your information is so valuable to me. Nobody speaks my financial level, and others like me, like you do. Keep up the great vlogs!!!! 👍👍
Glad you enjoyed the video Hank
Barry & Peter here from Chicago. I recently found your Channel...dude, you're impressive. I don't know your exact age, but you are definitely wise and smart. We will be in BGC JUNE 24-27... I would like to buy you lunch and chat about our pending move to the PI. Take care, and keep up the good work.
Hey Barry and Peter. Would love to meet up with you guys. You can check out this free guide I made for moving to BGC to help you navigate - dedicated-inventor-8723.ck.page/50a886fbc8
If you enter in your email in the link, I'll be send you guys more info on BGC and we can get in contact. Take care guys.
In the US and Europe plumbers and electricians get paid way more. And most are firmly in the middle class in terms of economic income.
Plumbers in NYC are paid like $400 per day as an apprentice.
Ive watched this video on 3 separate occasions and shared it each time........ Spot on.
I can't wait to discover your country soon 😁😍 And if I like it I want definitely spend my winters (November until February) in the Philippines yearly. I am so excited for my coming holidays 🤩 I love your channel. Thank you so much. Greetings from Switzerland, Susanne.
Thanks Susanne
yes he is correct, if you have 2000 dollar a month you can live rich and without mortgage
Best idea to retired in the Philippines.
Visit Palawan! It’s the Hawaii of the Philippines! That’s where I want to retire with my fiancé who is from there.
Love today's video. I have been going back and fourth with the idea of living in the Philippines and Thailand. Every country has it pro and cons. However, it seems that the Philippines is more expat friendly. I could see myself living in BGC. My question is : How far is it from BGC to a beach? On google maps I don't see much near by for beaches. - Thanks
The quick answer is that any good-enough beach or mountain hideaway is from 2 to 4 hours away from Metro Manila, whether you take a bus, car, or airplane. There are some hidden gems or resorts that are as close as 0.5 to 1 hour away by car, especially if you're based in Cebu City, Davao City, Iloilo City, Bacolod City, Angeles City, Tagaytay City, or Cagayan de Oro City.
The good beaches are bout 2-4 hours away as Selwyn said. If you'd like here's more free info I made about moving to BGC - dedicated-inventor-8723.ck.page/50a886fbc8
@@TheSavvyExpatThank you
@@SelwynClydeAlojipan thank you
You don't live in bgc for the purpose of going to the beach. If you live in bgc you take weekends and stay at resorts at the beach.
I'm seriously thinking of moving out there!! I'm going on April so I'll be checking out the areas to live the good life! Great content bro! keep it up!!
Have a good trip Angelo!
As a Dane, I can say the same as your example mentioned.
Love it here, married etc.
Good content ! Just thought you missed that 2500 - < 4000 bracket which should be the upper middle class, 2500 is only mid class. I’m a certified Finance profl here working for an US company subsidiary so I appreciate your fact-based content
Good point Emmie. Thanks for watching
You have some great content brother! Very informational.
Thanks man!
I am SOOOOO excited to start living there...but not in the cities. Great video, Mr. Savvy Expat.
Thanks Michael
I'm a disabled veteran that has a five year plan to retire there in BGC on nice monthly income. I can hardly wait to come and see the Philippines. I am a simple man mainly coming there as a financial move but I am really looking forward to seeing the Philippines and meeting the wonderful people there. I think I will be making a test run in the next year of so. Would love to meet up with you and JJ at some point. I really like the info you're providing.
I plan on retiring to the Philippines, my friend asked how will I earn income? Roughly 2.200 from social security and I can tap.my 401k as well, but I'm determined to open a Cafe style eatery, start small and grow, I don't know where yet Cebu, Davao, San Carlos or maybe even Dumanguete I'll have to be close to a big city to aquire supplies I'm accustomed to I'm getting positive feed back from many so here goes nothing
That's awesome Bud. Good for you.
Yes definitely I am definitely going to live in the Philippines in four months my wife is excited.IIigan City definitely there’s no other place for me to live in the Philippines God bless🇨🇿
God Bless Scott
Iligan City is very beautiful
I think that the people of the PH is more obsessed what is rich than most of the average expat. Most of us like the cost of living, the people and the relaxed lifestyle much more than being rich. I know when I have approx. 120 000 PHP/month in retirement pension, I will live well in the upper middle class and be satisfied with that.
I just returned from Manila. My wife of 34 years is a from Mindoro. We lived in Fairview area of NCR for a few years 10 years ago. Here is what we paid for stuff while living at my nephews place in Muntinlupa. No rent and they let us use there car......We got are own maid..1,500 pesos a week...Driver....3,500 pesos per week...Gas was 3,000 pesos a week...Mostly drive around 30 miles round trip a day...Tolls were 800 pesos per day...one meal out a day was 2,000 to 3,000 pesos per day.....Everything there is very expensive. The cheap things were massage...500 pesos per hour...manny/peddy...200 pesos...I would change $200 for 5,200 pesos at the Evia Lifestyles Center Mall and spend it in 2 days...Not sure how Americans can live there on these low numbers unless they live low and in the provinces....
Useful but I missed PHP values there. Also information about the taxes to calculate net salary from the gross salary would be useful.
A thing that is often forgotten is that you need the money in the Ph. It means that you have to be a retieeree or have a decent ”digital nomad” job. I have tried living in a van in the US and that was fun but maybe nothing for the long run. I follow a girl, Filipina, that found a wonderful place with a sea view for $150/month. But then she was a local, the place was put out by a rich Italian expat. I would like to live in a city with many universities or highschools because I have an academic degree and want to meet similar people. Where would you recommend to live?
I absolutely love the Philippines. The people are the nicest people on the planet, not even a question. I plan on retiring there.
Love the people, food, culture and weather.
Hate Manila taxi drivers and nothing else.
I suggest Cebu province.
I've been wanting to know this for a long time, thanks for a good video. 👍
Thanks for watching Thomas
Need to do an update of condo rentals in BGC. I'll be moving there in 3 weeks.
Upper middle class in Philippines baby. I get full retirement from military. I'm collecting 2k each month after taxes. I love the cheaper cost of living. In the U.S., I'm under the poverty line. But in Philippines, I'm Upper Middle Class.
Great video! I would like to point out that the $4,000/month is income before taxes (which is about 30%). So the after-tax equivalent an expat would need to bring over (post-tax) is around $2,800/month in order to live that “rich” lifestyle.
are you sure about this ?
@@jonh8488 about the tax rates? It’s posted on the philippine’s Bureau of Internal Revenue. A Filipino earning $4,000 per month would pay an effective income tax rate of 26% based on their tax bracket.. only taxes on local income, foreign sourced income isn’t taxable in the Philippines.
@@Conangreer ohh, so you'r refeering to the Philippinos local income of 200k pesos a month ..... okey, I understand ..
either way, it's making my 6k reaching a lot further than I thought
thank you for the info.
There are jobs in the philippines that are tax - free, fyi.
Sheet. Wish I paid 26%. Australian government flogs you like 37% here + all their others like 10% gst, 40c per liter of fuel taxes, home ownership taxes, taxes on your taxes, and taxing your taxes tax just to make sure that it's properly taxed.
We are in the process of building a house in the provinces. We have paid cash all along the way and It is getting close to completion. I hope to take a 6 month test run, see how it pencils out . I want to sell tacos on the beach!!! 🌮
I live in Sydney and I'm constantly paying for mark up prices. I never knew that there are way too many names of taxes other than just plain tax.
one of my good friends family is quite well off. they own several residential properties in California. they have 7 houses 5 of which are being rented I think at around $5,200 + USD per house. they have their main house in the bay area, and my friend has his townhouse as well. they're pretty low key, quite and chill. not flashy at all unless you see their house in san jose, ca. benz, bmw, range rover. they own a few 7-11's in the philippines, hectares of land, living a quite simple life in the philippines. not arrogant like most of the " fake rich " locals. I remember they flew out here to the philippines last year and my friend said " make sure the car that picks us up is NOT a low budget car, NO toyotas, we hate toyota's, they're for peasants " LOL I went to visit them pre-pandemic and I swear, he had hundred dollar bills just scattered all over his closet, he had $20k in cash inside his arm rest console in his range rover. im not quite sure how much money they make, but with the houses they're leasing out, thats almost $30k USD a month right there. when he's out here visiting he's always bitching " why are there so many cheap ass, garbage ass, low class Toyota's driving recklessly? my watch cost more than those cheap ass and I paid it in full " HAHA i love him. damn. but one thing i like about him is that everytime he flies to the philippines, he donates money to dog animal shelters.
I played tennis with Jimmy Connors at Jones' Park in East St Louis Illinois. Twenty years ago I was down there and you could barely tell they use to be tennis courts.
He lived on 71 street just north of State Street and had a clay court in his backyard.
Awesome!
Good content, i just hope this doesn't inspire dollar earners from other countries to move here and make everything more expensive than they already are for the locals.
Note that foreigners buy properties bec it's "cheap" for them, but it can make property prices even more impossible for Filipinos who earn a mere 600usd a month.
I'm an expat living here with a very handsome pension. According to the standards you presented I'm like a high ranking executive of a big company. LOL. All jokes aside, your assessment is spot on.
i was living on < $100 per month and as a foreigner the locals still considered me rich. In one village it was 1000 pesos a month ($20) to rent a house.
What province area?
@@summervibes2147 I traveled to about 30 different smaller islands in the visayan group such as camiguin, bohol, palawan etc.
These are the salaries in Manila. Outside of Manila, the salaries are 20% lower.
it sure is
Making $1K for individuals & $2K for family month can be considered rich in Philippines. It is up to the individuals/family lifestyle. You can live in a province/suburbs & live like a King. It’s up everyone’s spending habits. You can have the same luxury at a low end. Individual just need to live comfortably & limit family to family of 4.
Good points
Great video! But this is very subjective. There are so many factors to consider. Dollar amounts should probably not be a part of this. That can be determined by the individual when necessary. I've been living here (Cebu) since 2007 and I rarely think in Dollars other than when I buy Pesos. The Peso amount stays basically the same every month, until it doesn't, and by that I mean it occasionally goes up. Inflation is bad here. The Dollar amount to buy Pesos constantly flucutes. I've seen P54/$1. I've also seen P40/$1, twice. Regardless of the exchange rate, think around P75,000 as a monthly baseline, single or couple. For each additional family member, add P10,000 to P15,000. These are minimums to help buffer. We're a family of 3, the Philippines is home but we're still renting, so far, and we currently spend about P105,000 a month, renting in a somewhat upscale subdivision with a pool to die for. We don't really budget, that's just what it costs. But we each also get a healthy monthly allowance, to spend as we each see fit, something I rarely see in bugets here, but it works incredibly. Spend your allowance and that's it until next month. I love it here. I wish that I could, but I can't live in the boondocks, a word stolen from the Philippines, I like having a lot of amenities. I prefer the Cebu City area. I've been to Davao City and I could live there as well. But since they have earthquakes, no way my wife is living there. Not the cheapest places to live in the Philippines, but I prefer living on the outskirts, not in the city. Here in Cebu, we live in Talisay City. It's in the province, but not really. Almost everything is here, and I can almost throw a rock and hit Cebu City. We can see SM Seaside City in the distance, one of the largest malls in the Philippines. If you prefer Makati City, or Bonifacio Global City, which isn't really a city, it's a district in Taguig City, then all bets are off 😊
When I lived in Korea, I tried to think the same of everything in KRW but I get paid in USD and it is difficult. The easiest way to defeat the exchange rates is to buy heavily when its in your favor. In Korea, when the rate was 1500/1600 or more KRW to $1 USD I would buy thousands of dollars in won, occasionally $10,000. It allowed me to spend more anytime I wanted to without fighting the exchange rates. Only problem is needing to have somewhere safe to stash the money.
@@TheGreatEscape9833 I've never been to Korea, but I would bet that you can use Dollars there if necessary. I know I could in Germany. But not here. The last time I had Dollars in my hand was when I opened a Dollar Account in 2008. I had $500 cash for just that purpose. With the exception of purchasing Pesos, I have absolutely no idea what a Dollar is worth. But I definitely know the value of a Peso. I stopped sweating the exchange rate at least dozen years ago. It's not something that I can control, and when the Dollar falls here, it falls for years. The most recent was from October 2018 until June of last year. If I can't weather that storm then I probably shouldn't be here.
When I first came to the Philippines in 1996 the rate was 25 to the dollar. So yes the rate can vary quite a bit .
@@fruitloops3718 Agreed. But there was also a much different economy here in 1996. When I moved here in early 2007, the rate had fallen from P56 to P48 in just a couple of years. People here were not happy about it, including Filipinos making Dollars. When it fell from P48 to P40 by 2008, everything here was so cheap that I barely even felt it. But there was a lot more complaining. When it did it again in 2013, the economy had changed, and I definitely felt it this time. The economy here today, unless I made some drastic changes, P40 would increase my cost of living here by about $600 per month 😲
@@daspicer1 Unfortunately, I think its going to drop some as the dollar will lose value over this Russia/Ukraine ordeal. I hope it doesn't happen but it feels like the dollar is going to take a pretty good hit for a few months.
Thank you for the concise information of socioeconomic classes in Phils. Me, staying put in California.
I also live in Southern California but visiting PI for short-term visits are fun.
Tuli,
Another awesome video. I do know that a little more goes a long way in The Philippines.
I admire your research.
Tuli, you are not only knowledgeable but you are very wise.
Thank you for sharing...
I love the islands for the money but the best part is the people.
Absolutely. thanks for watching James
Few corrections: 1. BGC isn't a real city; it's a modern CBD within the city of Taguig. 2. Makati CBD was the original modern CBD of Manila and it was surrounded by exclusive gated subdivisions ever since the 60s. Makati's Poblacion area was the red light district of the city; and it was gentrified during the 2010s.
thank you for explaining BGC. Now what is a CBD?
@@loden888 it means Central Business District like a downtown area.
Yeah I think the overall average income in the P.I. is about $5000 (US) a year of course in USA it's like $50,000 a year
I guess USA is like $68,000 a year for average annual Household income now
@@TomandAmyinthePI i think household income in usa is because many people are 2 working adults at home. I think the philippines has as many as 4 or 5 adults working living in one house. I wonder how much those people earn.
@@manilamartin1001 you are correct sir.
Awesome video was full of information!!! Thank you!!
Being of age and how to manage the sequence of returns in those early periods is what seems quite scary in the current market. The market is never a loser in the twenty year cycle, but the 2000s decade scenario scares me and could really disrupt my retirement. When you're no longer accumulating but withdrawing, it's hard to be anything but cautious.
The pandemic really taught people the importance of multiple streams of income. Unfortunately, having a job doesn't guarantee 100% security, rather having different investments is the real deal.
Some investors look to their investments as a source of "income", while others use it as a means to grow or preserve their wealth...,.,,....
I believe that the secret to financial stability is having the right investment ideas to enable you earn more money. But for now, investors getting started can feel overwhelming. Risk loom large and complicated, unfamiliar financial jargons can be intimidating.
@@stevematthews1105 Apparently that's true, I agree. It is mostly disastrous for newbies or anyone who doesn't adhere to a well thought-out strategy and over all, a professional broker.
@@mav3420 This is absolutely where online professional brokers can come in handy... Those that offer intuitive platforms and plenty of educational resources, and also guide you through your early investing days.
I went to cebu city for two months, my condo rental was $500 total, my expenses with buying goods and gifts came out to $500 ;) include transportation everywhere
well explained. Everything is relative to one's lifestyle no matter how much money they have monthly. 😍
very true Thelma
Just found your vlog handle today. Very informative and well spoken for a young age! I’m from Chicagoland too and will be spending part of the year in PI now that I’m retired. We’ll be living “hybrid” while in PI. We’ll be there sometime in the summer.
You are spot on! It is more fun in the Philippines if you have the $$$$.
Thanks for putting things into perspective and knowing what to expect.
No worries Earl
I came to the Philippines because of my then fiance. I came back and made it my new home because I loved everything about it. The USA is no longer my home and I can't wait to come back this week.
Great video. Great topic! Good work.
Much appreciated!
I see many foreigners living way beyond their means in the Philippines. Doing exactly the same as they've done their entire lives living paycheck to paycheck, saving nothing. They love the low rent and think that will last forever. It may last, it may not.
Words of wisdom, failure to plan means plan to fail
Interesting video ... I'll have to check it out. I'm American/USA .. I really enjoy most Filipino people. I can hang ouit with Filipinos in North American or at the source in the Philipines 🙂
True Savvy with our foreign cash life can be very comfortable even living in d City area, like Manila . Whilst in business der, l stayed 7yrs+ in Manila area even in exclusive sub divisions , more for security reasons and quiet environment but damned it cos of just 10 or so called trusted personalities then l left Philippines disappointed and financially drained but until now I still crave to return der asap , coz l still love d Philippines , actually more than locals , dying to leave their homeland chasing their dreams abroad .Barring all those business heartache , l have also met many kind , trustworthy Filipinos (meaning both sexes ) , hardworking but lacked capital for them to embark on any business or to enhance or augment their monthly income . Walang pera daw Kung gusto negosyo. (Literally means no money to start / venture into business ).Sana@hopefully , l will b able to Holiday der again for at least a year or two and maybe lend a hand to a couple of such loyal friends , to venture into small business , if needed . At d tailend of life , money is not priority anymore , though useful. That's where empathy supercedes greed . In short, count our blessings and continue doing something worthwhile for others . 🙏🙏God bless . Thanks Savvy as l watched u and ur video , suffice to say u r a very responsible son , not only filial but brainy too. U have a bright future in ur parents homeland . Not necessarily , d grass is always greener , in d country u were brought up as a " baby " or during ur early teenaged years. Philippines might have alot of challenges in terms of socio economics , but still ur motherland will welcome and embraced u like their own son...l'm as old as ur parents if not older more... l have gone thru alot in life both sweet and bitter but I persevered , with d sense of survival and an open heart/open mindset . Go with d flow as long as it's not contradict to ur principals and dignity . Compassion and dignity r d keywords . Not greed and arrogance ... 🙏🙏♥️
Informative and to the point. Well done!
Much appreciated!
That was a really good pitch to move back to the Philippines. Well said, well presented, clear and concise reporting! Still and all, there are many factors to consider retiring in the country of my birth. Thanks so much for information I didn’t have.