The Reality Of Cheap Housing In The Philippines (Oct 2024)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ต.ค. 2024
- Discussing the "reality" of so-called "cheap housing" in the Philippines, and why it's important to not misinterpret or misunderstand the use of that term. What most housing is really like here, compared to the usual ex-pat home country, and some of the differences you should be aware of when comparing prices.
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I have lived here 3 years and being a builder from the U.S. I can honestly say the construction here is terrible. My wife and I own 2 homes and 2 rentals, and we have spent many many pesos getting the 2 homes that we live in comfortable. Everything this man is saying is 100% accurate. Our home in the province which is the nicer one has vacant lots all around it just because we bought all of the lots around it to keep from someone attaching another house to ours. Our house in the city is just like he says they are attached wall to wall which is unbelievably noisy. The majority of the homes here have no ceilings and insulation is a non starter. Insulation here is a luan ceiling. I could go on for hours but listen to this man. He is dead on.
I know there are better-built residences here, but they are just not very common. Sure, if you have tons of money to live in one of the high-end places then you'll see better or more "modern" construction methods, but the majority of ex-pats that I've seen just don't have that kind of cash or choose to avoid the metro lifestyle. Some of the ex-pat heavy areas might also try to build up more "Western-style" housing, but it ends up being "western-influenced". Nice places do exist, they are just not as common.
@@jasoninrizal3451 True there are builders in PH who build to Western standards and even better due to being prone to earthquakes and typhoons. Workers use modern tools and methods, wear safety equipment (shoes). It cost the same as in the US and can be more depending on location. There are expats who do use those builders, but these are not the poor expats trying to make a little money on TH-cam. Poor expats want 3 things in a house. Cheap, cheap, cheap. They hire their Filipina's Uncle who is a rice and pig farmer to build a house.
These housing comparisons are absurd. When we moved to brooklyn new york 40 years ago in 1990, we were renting an apartment for 75 dollars per month but it still had faucets where you can adjust the water hot warm cool and cold, i am paying $700 a month for a condo in Cebu and the faucets have just one water temperature of the street. The interior of the house looks like it's 20 years old after 2 years. Based on the infrastructure why aren't these rentals going for 75 dollars? Because i was getting better infrastructure at that price point 40 years ago in the US.
Why doesn't he leave?
That's the way it is in the 3. World s-hole countries. Im German, living in Paraguay. It actually seems to be a bit better here. But the quality of construction can't even begin to be compared to Germany. Best wishes.
I don’t know where he is but in my area it’s nothing like what he’s saying.
It’s obvious that he hasn’t traveled around the USA at all.
Back in the USA I have lived in houses built of cinder blocks, houses connected to each other (Hawaii & California), entire rows of houses connected to each other (New York, San Francisco), etc.
I have a good size home here in the Phils, 2100 sqft built the same or better than back in the USA.
We have hot water on demand for the showers, kitchen, and laundry room.
It’s better than having a water heater for the entire house.
We have an HVAC system for the house just like in the USA as well as inverter type aircon units in the bedrooms.
Water pressure??
We have a large tank in back that holds more water than we use in a week.
It is supplied by city water and has a pump that gives us great water pressure and yes we have a filter system on it.
Something he doesn’t understand is WHY most houses are built of concrete in the Phils.
It’s better at regulating temperature and the Philippines doesn’t have massive forests of pines and firs to use for homes.
Now as for price my home here cost me less than 100k for a place better than my $600k house in the USA.
Oh and the power outages?
We have a generator for those and my neighbor has solar with batteries.
I think he didn’t choose very well and is bitter about it.
Nice to see someone that has adapted, I've built just west of Kidapawan city, Mindanao. Where are you?
Haha, spoken like any well informed, and resourced Westerner. Kudos to you. Reminds me of millionaires with the simplistic mindset of "if I can do it, anyone can do it."
Hollow block is weak and can crumble in your hand. Cinder block is much stronger. Hollow block here is reinforced with rebar that corrodes. Do you at least have insulation in your attic? How do you cope with the mold when there is no ventilation built into your roof plan? Do you have a GFI ground? I've been shocked a few times here. Do you have a hot water line or most likely single line and electrical on-demand at your fixtures?
Double pane windows for noise?
Enough electrical run on all sides of your rooms? Most houses here don't have a header beam over the doors for strength.
Maybe not everyone got as much money as you to spend on a house.
This is kinda how some people on the big Island Hawaii lived water tanks from rain though i think ?
I was in Thailand for 8 months. I rented a 65 sq meter condo on Soi 4 in pratumnak just next door to downtown pattaya. 200 ft from the beach. Great amenities including infinity pool on the 12th floor and workout room next to the pool on the 12th. My condo was facing the sea of thailand (great view). 25,000 baht per month (around $700 plus per month). Upgraded to fiber internet for 2000 baht ($55). Ran the AC 24 hours a day. Cost me between 3,000 and 4,000 baht per month ($90 to $110 per month). No way in he double hocket sticks you are going to be able to rent a nice 700 sq foot condo near a beach in the US for $700 per month. You may want to check out thailand. Never drink tap water. I even used bottled water to brush my teeth. No issues. Easy to get.
I concur 100% with your entire comments. I experienced the same. And the food in Thailand is amazing, even at the street food level once you get to know a few locals who will tell you where to purchase street food and where not to.
Yeah, places like that are quite nice if you don't have a family moving with you. The price is going to be a lot more expensive than here in the Philippines, but you get what you pay for. In my opinion, Thai food is the best in the world. Every time I visit Thailand, I don't do big restaurants, street vendors and the little shops all the way. For those on a much tighter budget, it might be a little more challenging finding affordable but comparable lifestyle there, but if you do have the funds I would say Thailand definitely has a lot of benefits.
I also live Pratamnak Soi 4 but higher up with partial sea view. 750 sqf, furnished 1 bdrm, 2 ba, air con, 2 balconies, free WiFi, pool for $375. Electric about $30.
@@jasoninrizal3451 MY DOGS HATES THAI FOOD. I WONDER WHY?
90% of the world is cheap compared to anything at all in the us. It's stupid to even consider comparing a third world country to the us. The real question is comparing to other countries in the region. And in that regard Philippines is the most expensive country in sea.
Finally someone saying the same thing I'm thinking about all the time. I've been looking for places all over Philippines and all I've found out is that cheap = pure shit, and everything that is not pure shit is way more expensive than what I pay for my place in my country Sweden.
I've been there two times now, one month each time, and the sound polution is just numbing. Roosters, dogs, heavy trucks, scooters with modified mufflers, loud kareoke, the list goes on and on. It's so fucking loud all the fucking time. I'll probably move to Thailand instead.
Regarding the noise, yes it's an issue no matter where you live. Even if you live in the middle of nowhere in the far-off provincial area, there's still going to be some of that noise from somewhere or something. I think what it comes down to is a combination of lack of laws/rules regarding public nuisance/noise pollution (or at least enforcement of any laws that may exist), and honestly there is in my experience a huge lack of respect for neighbors. People do what they want to do, without regard to how it affects their neighbors or other people. I'm not saying everyone is like that everywhere you go. But it does seem to be a fairly common thing here. And not just noise. And while I haven't lived in Thailand yet, I did see a bit of the same thing there. Not nearly as bad, but it did appear to still exist in a lesser form.
Almost all of the people moving to PH are dudes into single moms. Everything is better in other SE Asian countries. PH has 2 main draws. Filipinas. English. It's for lazy dudes.
GO BACK TO YOUR SWEDEN, WE DID NOT ASK YOU TO COME AND COMPLAIN. WE MIGHT NOT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY BUT WE SURVIVE AND NOT COMPLAIN, WE ADAPT TO ALL KINDS OF SITUATION, FLOODS, TYPHOON, HEAT OR ANYTHING, WE ARE PLIABLE NOT LIKE ENTITLED SOB'S LIKE YOU. YOU HAVE ENOUGH MONEY GO TO BGC AND STFU. PLEASE CHECK FINN SNOW BLOG, NEVER COMPLAINT BUT ACTS AND ADAPT.
Dude is 100% honest, all based in reality.
He's entitled shit. Typical Expat whose pension can make the homeless wherever he came from. They all came here for savings but can not adapt. WTF? They don't want to part with their money.
Loved this rant :) Too many sugar coaters these days.
We use the tap water in metro manila for brushing our teeth and sometimes for cooking rice. But we have purified water for drinking water. it's not bad or smelly here I haven't noticed that, but I take your word for it that it's like that where you are.
Most of the time our tap water is clear, no smell or anything. But we have also been getting a lot of maintenance over the past few months, not just in our area but all over Rizal, NCR, Cavite, Laguna, etc. And usually for a couple hours after water is restored, that's when the quality is really bad. Water comes out looking milky, or muddy, or smells real nasty. But I have heard of other areas nearby that constantly have bad water even outside of maintenance periods. It's just something you have to deal with sometimes.
In Mactan and Cebu there is a lot of areas relying on Deep Well Water.
One of the locals has told us about the tiny parasitic worms in the water supply.
Have any of you guys had a problem with your scalp or skin after living there for a year or more?
I had to start washing my hair with those treated 5 gallon bottles of water, and drank nothing but Absolute water.
Gone back to UK now and my scalp improved within days, as did my digestive system with decent food and no fried junk food any more
I have airbnb double room with AC share kitchen and CR Seaviews With big balcony back and front 5000 php all for everything water and electric.This was a deal done with landlord.the Seaviews and big balcony was the bonus for me
I'm not in the Army anymore, so sharing quarters with non-family isn't something I'm interested in doing again. But if you're running solo and on a tight budget, you're doing one of the better options. Simple, cheap, and comfortable enough to survive if you have decent house-mates and you're living in a good area. But you also probably don't have much personal property that you need to worry about, so many of us living in the west get too attached to "things" and we end up with a room (or more) of just stuff. Carlin was right.
Here (in Mexico) we have the beautiful brick bóveda ceilings with ceramic tile roofs, so I cannot speak to the ceiling issue another commenter spoke about, so our construction is maybe not quite the same. Also, the Mexican block-house builders are very skilled at what they do, so the construction IS solid.
Great info. A lot of these points are definitely easy to overlook when everyone else is shouting about how amazing things are.
There are a lot of great things here, and as long as you're willing to adapt to the standards here you can get lucky and find some decent places to live. And I'm not saying EVERY house/apartment/condo/etc in this country is a nightmare with horrible construction, there are some (although rare) places that get built quite well when compared to Filipino standards. But I also don't want to donate a kidney just so I can afford rent at a place like that.
I have bult a 1500sqft western-style bungalow on the countryside in the Philippines, because I am married to a Filipina and wanted to setup a nice residence for my parents in law and have a nice stay there when visiting. House and lot were about 40k USD at that time (2015). Built by neighbourhood friends in the area, no architect involved, etc, thats how its done in the Philippines :)
I agree with everything Jason says here, but obviously each of the items depends on where exactly you stay. Not wanting to undermine the level of detail mentioned here, but to sum it all up, Philippines IS still a poor country and you will see that every day, when living there. I visit my parents in law once a year for 2 weeks and the overall living standard DOES NOT CHANGE over the years. It might be considered a developing country, but the corruption and unwillingness of the people to get the job done just keeps the living standard where it is and always was.
There are so many other topics (schooling, traffic, politics, corruption, bribery of local government officials, assassinations, begging) which are an issue for me to live there permanently.
We also visit wife and family now and then but wouldn't settle there even if housing was free.
I think a lot of the reason why the Philippines is lagging behind on improvements and development is the corruption of government, from the top all the way down to the local barangay officials. Maybe one day this country can rid itself of that cancer, or at least get it under control enough that the Philippines can surpass places like Thailand.
@@jasoninrizal3451 I read that Singapore was in a poor state in the late 1960's nut has forged ahead into a wonderful country and financial centre since.
Malaysia has done extremely well for itself since the mid 1990's, but poor old corrupt Philippines is still at the bottom of the crab mentality bucket.
Honestly I think it will still be there in another 30 to 50 years from now
Building in PH is basically off grid. Yeah maybe sewer, water and power comes in, but that's just the pipe and wire. Land in PH that doesn't have sewer, water or power sells/leases for a lot less, so that would help handle your own waste, water and electric.
Installing hydro electric is very possible in PH. Filipinos value land by location and/or ability to grow food. Land that's steep, rocky with a year round stream is considered almost worthless. In the US it's the opposite. Hydro can be installed for very little cost, low maintenance, 24/7 power.
Choosing a homesite above 3000-5000' means AC isn't really needed.
Building a large house on the beach seem more like showing off than being something the owner will enjoy.
I like your ideas. :)
Hey Waterbug, I had the same notion to combine a solar and hydro system. Have you done any research on micro-hydro turbines available in PH?
Love the video, thanks for keeping it real, very informative, I love camping and there are a lot of solutions to the problems you outlined while living in the apartment. My number one top solution to the water problem is purchase a Lifesaver Jerrycan, it uses nano filters and activated charcoal filters to produce sufficient London standard water, even directly from sewerage, so you have plenty of water for washing and bathing. It works out at 4 cents a litre and will serve a family of four for 3 years before needing to change the nano filter, carbon filters more frequently of course. I also suggest a Japanese folding tub, great for water storage and also taking cooling soaks or Malaysian Kampong style baths with a water scoop to pour over your body in the shower area. For heated water, I use a 20 litre portable shower (like the one I use on my yacht), with pressurised hand pump, water is 19 litres of room temperature water with 1 litre boiling water added, gives a nice long warm shower, and good for washing greasy dishes. For sound blocking, you can put bubble wrap on the windows, it is also a cheap way of keeping the cold in when running an air conditioner. I find noise cancelling headsets great, and earplugs when sleeping. Keeps the bugs out of the ear as well. It you really want to go hardcore you could consider a Turtlebug Hammock stand with a Hennessy hammock (asymmetric design), complete with bug netting, the best sleep you will have in your life.
Just what I have been looking for . I have soooo many unanswered questions !!!! Great job ... Also I like your approach to content over monetization Haha
I'd rather get useful information out to people that may be in a situation like I was a few years ago, instead of just creating click-bait videos that earn me ad revenue to pay for beer and bargirls or whatever. A lot of other channels are putting out useful info too, but we all tend to miss things. That's why it's good to watch as much as you can, filter out the truth from the BS, and form your own opinion based on what you've seen or heard. I'm already getting trolled after this video, and I'm sure it'll only continue to get worse. Oh well, was expected. I'm just giving my honest opinions. And feel free to send an email if you have questions that I haven't covered so far.
@@jasoninrizal3451 Fuck ya .. Ooorah. I will reach out
Damn bro …. You couldn’t pay me to live like that. Good luck to you.
Houses aren't connected in USA? Ever been to San Francisco? Boston? D.C.? Philly?
You had me laughing my ass off thank God there's somebody finally honest about living in the Philippines as a Westerner and not trying to sugarcoat that country.
Finally ! Some honesty! Yup, cheap for a reason, damn near every country that's "affordable," has a downside. I fell for the TH-camr bullshit in 2021 right after covid was done. I went to Mexico first, THAT was an eye opener! Everything negative I encountered was never cover in any of those BS YT videos. Mexico is not quite as bad as you describe the Philippines, but, it's not to an American standard. I was in Mexico until Thailand opened up, it was a huge upgrade, but even Thailand had drawbacks. I got lured back to Mexico after six months by 😸. I'm still here, but the reason I came back isn't, so I am looking at SE Asia again.
There are plenty of downsides in the Philippines, but there are also plenty of upsides as well. As much as I love Thailand, I think the language barrier is the main reason I didn't go there instead of the Philippines. Even if I hadn't met my wife, I think the Philippines would be still be top choice. I just wish I had known about a lot of this stuff before coming here, so I could have been better prepared to deal with it.
The Phils is better with the longer visa stays, allowing up to 3yrs before having to leave overnight and starting again. I've been visiting since 2008, I built in 2018. Covid and health issues kept away for a while. But it's still more fun there ...
More videos like this giving lots of transparency about the realities of housing in the PH is needed. So much more than the amount of space must be scrutinized for consideration. Affordable living in the PH is possible so long as you "live like a local" ....and that includes living in a place where construction and amenities reflects how the locals survive, not your Western living standards. I've stayed in nicer high rise condos in Cebu City where I experienced sub par water pressure and power outages....yes, in the city where the so-called infrastructure is "better". Don't get it twisted folks - this is a developing country, you need to completely rethink what your housing reality is going to be like once you settle in. Good, honest video. Thank you.
You can fact check some things. I check food prices. Bananas for example are the same price or cheaper here in Phoenix AZ than what I see in PH videos. Eggs, chicken, green cabbage, sardines are also the same or cheaper here in Phoenix than PH.
Expat Tubers could check US prices because places like Walmart have websites giving all food details and current prices. Also almost all food stores have weekly fliers online. But they don't because reality doesn't sell online. Their viewers want to hear lies...they demand it.
I'll probably do a "food" video soon, since it's been requested. But yes, many food items like raw fruit/vegetable/meat are more expensive here if you're looking for the best quality. You can get stuff here cheaper, but you get what you pay for. Vegetables and fruits are a lot smaller, not shipped/handled properly, and are either already spoiled or near-spoiled by the time you buy them, or they tend to spoil shortly after you get home. You can shop at the open markets for fresher food, but it's probably still going to be small and could be infested with bugs. Shopping in the bigger cities like Manila, you'll find much better quality of foods, especially meats, but that comes at a premium cost. And a lot of the produce and meats aren't even local, they're imported from places like China. So you need to be careful what you buy, and whenever possible try to determine where it came from.
standard in philippines..is worse than a cheap workers room in thailand..I've seen some expats pay 2-300$ for a small room that in Bangkok would cost under 100$
my 1 bedroom condo in Bangkok that cost under 300$ with scooter parking roof pool gym and FREE fast 100mbit wifi would probably cost the double och triple in philippines with worse standard
Thre isn't an air vent in the water system to provide for good water pressure. Electric outlets are not numerous,i.e. Just one in bedrooms. Many electrical extensions are run all through apartments or houses. Today's modern electronics cause overheating and possible fires, especially in the por area where it's not uncommon that this fires burns multiple homes.
You sound somewhat aggrieved. If you are so dissatisfied, just leave. Ultimately, you get what you pay for. Here are some facts for you. I live in the Philippines, Antipolo, Rizal province, in fact. My wife and I own 3 residential properties in high-end developments. They are all four-bedroom detached houses in gated communities. They are top quality and not cowboy-constructions. We bought them outright 4-5 years ago, for PP6M, PP5.6M and PP7.1M respectively. Over the past few years they have doubled in value. Our houses have all the amenities one would expect in the West, including gardens. We also built 3 commercial properties in Teresa, which we rent out. Our water supply is fine for washing etc., but we have always bought distilled water, even when we lived in HK, for drinking. Electrics are fine, and we have only had one outage in all the time we have lived here, and that was during a typhoon. We have no noise and regular trash collections. Your place doesn't look too salubrious or spacious. If you want a better life I suggest you stump up a bit more cash and move to a decent neighbourhood. Quit complaining. Why are you here in the first place if it is so crap?
Sounds like you aren't happy with my content, so I doubt it would do much good to recommend you watch some of my first videos that explain why I moved here. I'm a disabled veteran with a limited income, so I lack the funding to "stump up a bit more cash" and enjoy the better lifestyle that you have. Antipolo is a nice city, and over the years I've heard it's quite popular with ex-pats that don't want the Dumagete/Angeles experience. But your feedback has also confirmed what I was saying, you are talking about less-common and quite a bit more expensive properties than what's normally available. You're doing well for yourself, congrats. But not everyone has that luxury, and many ex-pats are going to have a lower income/budget than it sounds like you have.
@@jasoninrizal3451 Not at all. I have no problem with your content. While I am not going to slavishly agree or like everything you say, neither shall I dismiss it. Any information is useful but I find that too many people focus on the negatives while ignoring the positives. The essence of my response was simply that people are always looking for the negatives about living here and are presenting them as the norm.
@@joshuarizalforeman816ha ha your worried about value of your stinky properties , cause you way overpaid bro, don’t ever ever buy property in Pi, rent and keep your money in the bank in USA 5% interest 😎 bro
That property belongs to him😂nope
Bro, why are you so bitter hurt because somebody finally told the truth? The point that he is making is, that there will be culture shock to most Westerners compared to their previous standard of living.
Yes, you may have the resources as you so clearly described, and that's great for you. But the fact of the matter is, most Expats are not banking like you are. Most Expats are coming over here with a social security check and a few thousand dollars from selling their former possessions.
What he is saying is that most youtubers with platforms are not telling the true story of what everyday, common will have endure and experience because the quality of life, quality of housing, quality of infrastructure is not the same as in Western countries. All Expats aren't as blessed as you. Common Expats are living off of $1,300 to $2, 000 a month in the Philippines.
Im just amazed that you would post an adversarial rebuttal when he is merely trying to spare Expats from the lies, misinformation, and watered down truth that hundreds of youtubers are spout. He should be commended.
But you want to defend the lies , misinformation and nonsense. You are not a true brother. You are a selfish bustard, who only care about yourself. You should be ashamed.
Cold water only clothes washing machines are now common in the US. Many laundry detergents are now made to be used with cold water.
Connecting a washing machine to hot water often was a silly deal. Newer machines use so little water very little hot water actually made it to the machine when the heater was 20', 50' from the machine. The hot water then has to heat up the wash basket and clothes so the result is very little useful heat. Instead modern cold water machines add a heating element to the machine so you can get an actual warm water cycle.
I was not aware of that. I've been using LG appliances for over 20 years, never had any issues with hot water in the machine. In fact, my last dryer even had to be hooked up to the hot water because of the steam function (rarely used, but useful at times). Probably depends on the age/quality of the washing machine, but I did notice a difference between using cold-only and warm/mixed cycles. Also depends on the garment and the care instructions.
Sacramento here, $1,419 for a 650 sq.ft. 1 bedroom.
LMAO, plus all first world, industrialized Western standards, building codes, infrastructure, basic Western amenities, etc, right? Just saying. Trade offs for everything.
For $1000 less you can live in a lovely 1 bed condo in Hua Hin, Thailand facing the sea with swimming pool, sauna, gym, air con, cooking facilities and tropical gardens.
Same apt here in Thailand, seaview /w pool for $375. Electric $30, water $3, free WiFi.
This is the information I need before I make the move
I don’t know where he is but in my area it’s nothing like what he’s saying.
It’s obvious that he hasn’t traveled around the USA at all.
Back in the USA I have lived in houses built of cinder blocks, houses connected to each other (Hawaii & California), entire rows of houses connected to each other (New York, San Francisco), etc.
I have a good size home here in the Phils, 2100 sqft built the same or better than back in the USA.
We have hot water on demand for the showers, kitchen, and laundry room.
It’s better than having a water heater for the entire house.
We have an HVAC system for the house just like in the USA as well as inverter type aircon units in the bedrooms.
Water pressure??
We have a large tank in back that holds more water than we use in a week.
It is supplied by city water and has a pump that gives us great water pressure and yes we have a filter system on it.
Something he doesn’t understand is WHY most houses are built of concrete in the Phils.
It’s better at regulating temperature and the Philippines doesn’t have massive forests of pines and firs to use for homes.
Now as for price my home here cost me less than 100k for a place better than my $600k house in the USA.
Oh and the power outages?
We have a generator for those and my neighbor has solar with batteries.
I think he didn’t choose very well and is bitter about it.
I was talking about normal suburban housing in the US, not big-city housing as you mention. There are reasons why I would never live in a place like New York or Frisco. You are also pointing out exactly what I stated in my video: you're using a water tank with inline filter, not standard here. You have a backup generator, not standard here. Your neighbor has solar, not standard here. Hot water for your kitchen and laundry, not standard here. HVAC, not standard here. And by "standard", I mean the average home built to Philippine standards that the common Filipino would be living in. I'm not sure what your situation is, how much you're paying for your place or where it's located, but I'm going to guess you are bringing in a fair income and can afford a better lifestyle here. I "chose" my housing based on my limited income and what is available here.
VERY HELPFUL, THANKS !!!
Every time we went in a Shopping Mall there and one of the property sales agents came to me trying to get me interested in buying a house or condo, I said "come back to me when your company actually learns to build a real house, not a flaming sandcastle"
That quickly got rid of them.
I have had houses in UK that were built from 1898 to 1937 and all of those will still be standing in another 100 years from now.
I doubt any of these mass produced houses will survive 30 years in Philippines.
Brick built is the main form of construction for houses and apartments in UK but there are houses built with double breeze block (hollow block) walls with good insulation in between which enables the interior to remain cool in the summer and warmish in the winter without having to continuously run the central heating.
Sorry but I would not invest 1 peso in a Philippines property
Hi I am retired and have lived in Manila for over a year the philippines is just like other country you can't compare any thing because they all have different setups why when foreigner come here they complain about it I am from chicago where the rent is extremely high there is a pro and con to all the countries even if you move to another state in the USA there are issues I've lived in Graham Oregon San Francisco Sacramento Florida by being in the military if you don't like where you live go home the standard of living anywhere is hard to compare to the USA
The standard of living here is lower than in the US, but for most it's something you can learn to live with. If you can't adapt to the lifestyle here, then you might need to consider other options. But for those of us without other options, you just have to adapt.
The Philippines is by far the worst in Asia.
Good points! I've been here 18 months and spent most of that time in a conventional housing community of Cebu. I recently moved to a condo downtown Cebu and this is as close to what I'm used to back in the U.S. A lot of what you said I experienced and I didn't like it. The roaches look like baby lobsters they are HUGE! Where I'm at now there are no roaches, I now have hot water a washing machine and a proper mail box and everything I need is in walking distance. I don't think I can go back to an average housing community here. But the experience sure as hell forced me to appreciate the small things we often take for granted.
And for the life of me I'm not sure why floors here aren't built smooth everything has a raise or lip to step over; even brand new structers.
In both houses we've lived in, we did see roaches but not that often. The ants are the biggest issue for us, both houses have had major ant problems. We keep most stuff inside airtight containers, and sometimes those containers are then stored inside ziploc bags for an extra layer. Still, ants all the time, just have to deal with it. Pest control here is a joke, no point in dealing with it. Best option is to rely on cans of spray. I think the lip/step you see in a lot of places is to help with "flood control", like if a pipe leaks. Some places also have actual flooding problems, because of poor drainage. When it rains, streets flood. And during the heavy rains like we've been seeing this year, whole towns are flooding. Those lips might help with some of the high water, but will do nothing if there's heavy flooding. Our CR (bathroom) for example was built slightly lower than the rest of the house, which I can see it helping keep water in the CR if the toilet/shower/sink leak, but I also see that in other areas of houses such as kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms, etc.
The extra several greenbacks to pay for pest control monthly in the states is now seen as a creature comfort luxury. Thanks for bringing this into proper perspective. Lol. So much taken for granted in the West.
@@jasoninrizal3451 Baking Soda and equal parts Powdered Sugar has been proven to be a great pest killer. The baking soda kills them. And thanks for broadening my prospective about the water barriers.
Just spent about 1 month in the philipines, about 2 weeks of it in manila (2nd time in philippines. Spend alot of time with the womans family , i think what you say is spot on.
Please consider doing a video on food. Is there even a health dept checking on restraunts and open air food markets ?? Any stastics on # of food posioning cases ?? In US I can buy Oikos greek yogurt, deli cheese, real milk, Angus beef but the Philly has their own versions... With free bone slivers in fish, chicken and beef from what I hear.
Sure, I can do a video discussing food. I have no clue about reported cases of food poisoning here, doubt that's something even tracked. But food safety is nowhere close to what you see in places like the US, they lack many of the laws/regulations we're used to in places like the US (or maybe they have laws, they just aren't followed/enforced). But I've been traveling all around the globe for decades, eating old military rations and local street foods that most westerners wouldn't touch. It's a very broad spectrum here, much of it comes down to where you live and how much you're willing to spend. If you're a picky eater, or want to have western-style food/ingredients, that comes at a premium.
@@jasoninrizal3451 Thanks for the quick reply ! I think you would be very helpful to many and get alot views doing a video about how n where to buy safe food in the Philippines. Open markets touted to save $ but flies buzzing everywhere and meat never refrigerated make me nervous. Food stalls n restaurants probably fet their food there too. US has recalls on veggies due to Ecoli and imagine same happens in Philly. Video coverage of food markets would be a plus if u do a video discussing this. Also video showing different food items and their prices could be another video from you that could gain alot of views for you. Good luck !!.
what kind of curtains is that?
LOL. Dude methodically explaining the differences in US and Phil housing until he goes off at the 5:20 mark is classic. Jason is everyone's straight shooting brother in law at the family birthday party who is not going to put up with the uncle and aunt who are constantly late and then finally show up and complain about the brand of beer that he bought. (and the uncle and aunt brought no food and no gift, by the way...) I look forward to future videos.
I don't usually make notes for my videos, and definitely don't go off scripts or practice or anything. When I make these videos, I talk to the camera the same as if I was talking to a buddy back in the US. That's why my language and attitude is also the way it is, I forget that the people watching my videos aren't friends I've known for years, and might not be comfortable with my conversation style. But I'm just trying to be open and honest about my experiences here, and hopefully helping others see what it's like without the blinders on. No filters, no bullshit, it's just my honest opinion on topics that I think others would be interested in hearing about.
@@jasoninrizal3451 I think that your conversation style is going to be a huge hit and will resonate with ALOT of people who watch your videos. Everyone appreciates the brother in law who has the guts to say what needs to be said. Take Care, Sir. -Dave in Cincinnati
@@TheInvisibleAmericanMan Well said :)
Prices are good, Quality is bad. Like the old saying goes = You get what you pay for and the Philippines is not for every one.
After having visited the Philippines since 2007 and having lived there in 2015, I have decided not to retire there and for a lot of reasons. Most of which you have covered. But there are many other reasons like out of stock, wait for some time which could means hours. I could go on but what would be the point. I will be retiring in Thailand and this coming from an American with a Filipina partner. Life is too short to endure those types of suffering, especially for guys in the 4th quarter of their lives. Medical in Thailand is also incredibly better than in the Philippines. But to each his own. Just because you are with a Filipina does not mean you have to settle there.
I posted a response to your other comment, but I do understand where you're coming from. If it was just me and my wife, moving to Thailand would be a lot easier. But I also have to consider her family and the tight bond my wife has with them, and that she's just not ready to move away from them yet. Maybe later, but I just don't think it's best for them right now.
Spot on comment, I would do the same and retire in Thailand but the same problem with the excessive humid heat is stopping me at my age now, I need my four seasons.
Will still get to Thailand for every second winter though
Problem is Thailand doesn’t offer permanent residency permits. Plus you have to register with immigration every 3 months or so. Foreigners can’t legally own land. The country basically does everything it can to prevent you from putting your roots in.
@@jpny4750 The immigration laws in Thailand have been changing over the years, I'm guessing in part due to experiences with COVID. Because Thailand is connected to a few other countries, doing a visa run isn't that difficult or expensive from what I've heard. But it still sounds pretty inconvenient to have to do it so often.
Don't forget that when you live in a row house you will be fighting a rat problem on a regular basis. Nothing like trying to sleep with critters running across your ceiling all night.
Oh the other thing we do is you can buy this really cheap electric teapot type thing. ITs like 5 bucks. Its plastic lined with metal with a heating element. You put the water in there like your making hot tea, it will heat the water in like 20 seconds super hot scalding hot and boiling, then just mix that with the tap water in a bucket to lower the temp so you can have a warm shower with a bucket and a tabo. If you don't want to install a heater.
that thing you're describing is called a kettle. It's intended simply to boil water to make tea or instant coffee (I gather these drinks aren't so popular in the US so they're not found in every kitchen like they are in the UK) but it can be used as you say. Also it works to add hot water for washing plates etc & even added to your washing machine if it's a top loader.
My wife will heat water in the electric kettle for her and our daughter's baths, but I'm not a fan of tabo. That's not a shower, that's a "scooping". If I have a shower and enough water pressure, I'm taking a shower. Might not be hot water, but at least it's not ice cold either. Just have to get used to it. I would like to install the shower heater, which costs around 10k (~$200), but it also requires hiring a proper electrician to install the new outlet and properly connect it to the breaker box. That can also cost around 10k for a PROPER job, which is very important considering it's an electrical outlet near water.
"Electric teapot type thing" or "kettle" ... You choose!
An acquaintance of mine got a bride in the Philippines and moved over there from New York. Lived there for several years and had to end up coming back to the States said things were bad there.
Liked the video, you really talked the truth about this place, all of those conviniences and class of living condition is something you really has to accept, i rather stay here in the U.S if i have to put up with all that you said!!
I assume that most ex-pats moving to the Philippines are doing so because they are no longer able to afford living in the US. If you have enough money to continue living in the US, even if it means lowering your lifestyle, then that's probably the better solution. Because moving somewhere like Philippines, Thailand, etc will mean lowering your lifestyle regardless. Poor housing in the US is still better than what you'll probably be able to afford here.
Good information and VERY entertaining! You should consider doing a "Stand Up" comic routine on this very subject. 😁
Also noticed that just in general about places in the Philippines, where are the garbage containers , most often its a box or just random bag sitting in a corner. After a few days at the wifes families place i went and bought them some garbage cans for kitchen and rooms. Was one of those thing you just take for granted being in northamerica..... a place to put your garabge.
Plus the electric power is more expensive than united states.
Brilliant video and so true 👏👏👏
Glad to hear some truth , for a change .
And it is for these reason that I won't be moving anywhere now or anytime in the near future. I love my beautiful home in Sydney Australia. Simple, but its mine.
Good to hear real spoken English from a Phils based TH-camr, goddamnit! 😂👍
I see it like this I was married in the Philippines. Some 48 years ago. I have lived in there also. I have a lot of time for the Philippines 🇵🇭 people who are happy,friend,helpful in every way. If a person from overseas living in the Philippines doesn’t like it then Leave quite simple.
3 years in cebu. 100% truth being spoke here. I live in a mid range condo 30k a month and we have power outages. Water outages every week. Internet will go down for several days. I pay for 2 internet services so if one goes down i can switch to the other. As i work from home for a usa company. Haul 5 gallon jugs water to my condo. My electricity bill in usa was on budget billing and was 81 usd a month this was for a 3bdr mobile home what i felt poor insulation . 1400sqf kept my house temp 72 year round. My 800 sqf 2bdr condo said hold my beer i can do worse insulation job. I keep my temp at 80. Cost me 120 a month. Ps also never seen a cockroach in my life till i moved here now its a daily battle traps sprays roach motels gels. Yet they still randomly appear. I just learned to store everything in plastic seal containers. Even though my gf does tell me that they add extra protein to the food. 😂
Back in the US, I was living in Southern Oregon, higher-elevation city that got real cold in the winters and pretty toasty in the summers. My power bill was around $72/mo during the summers, with my aircon on 24/7 and keeping the temp throughout the entire apartment at around 75F. Winter was a different story, due to bad insulation it could get super cold, and power bill could be $160-$285/mo depending on how bad it got. Here, without aircon the interior of our house averages something like 85F and our power bill was less than p3000 ($60), but that was sucking. Here, with aircon in the bedroom and now in my office, with fans in the living room and kitchen, the temp is much better and humidity in the house is much lower. But our power bill is averaging around p8600 ($170) per month. So yeah, power is more expensive here.
may I ask who do you recommend for internet services there in Cebu ?
@@GerinPhils Just depends where you live some areas have fiber others copper dsl or 5g . I use pdlt fiber 1799 peso a month. My back up ditto 5g. 800 peso a month. Think sky converge and globe all have internet services as well. Just 100% depends on location and if the building was ran with fiber.
@@Adventure5619 thank you
Useful information. Great video.
Yes, good approaches to compare. Find out what are pears and what are apples. Then you know what you shouldn't compare. But if you don't know, the middle class in the West easily has a 6-figure wealth without being super rich. And the real 1% rich (US+Europe) do not live in Asia
My worry is that you can take all these precautions and then the weather, typhoons, earthquakes, volcanos, bugs, and heat is still going to be challenging. Can you make a video about how to make your home rodent and bug free?
I can live with the same cheap rent in the same kind of horrible building in the US.
EXCEPT MY NEIGHBORS WOULD BE MEXICANS OR AFRICANS.
Which doesn't matter to me
Tap water in Metro Manila is safe to drink. It's purified by the water company serving Metro Manila. I always drink tap water. I never get sick.
Unless something has changed recently, I seriously doubt that. To my knowledge, Manila Water and other providers do NOT purify their water. That's why even in the higher-end condos in NCR still require purified water delivery in the jugs. Some of the better condos even have water purifier shops in the same building, to supply the residents. Filtered water maybe, but not purified. And not everyone will get sick from drinking the tap water, just depends on your immune system and other variables. I drank tap water for 3 weeks in Manila, only got sick once, but it was a night of puking that I won't soon forget.
I get your point I think you drew some points out a little too much but I appreciate your info I recommend next time showing a little bit more video than you in a room. Your information is more comprehensive than 95% of other other Philippine videos I may decide to follow you but I'd like to see better videos that point out the real differences in living over there
I'll be doing more videos soon, but regarding doing videos that are "more than me in a room", that's currently the limit of my equipment. The camera I use is not a high-end GoPro, and the camera itself is dying. I don't know yet if it could handle a "walking video", will have to see. And doing videos of my walking around town, going to the supermarket, etc is out of the question. I don't have a big yard with grass and a nice view, so doing videos outside (where it's open, noisy, no privacy at all, etc) is not an option either.
Love your video and you are right….I have watched so many and it always sounds so great….😂😅
That's why it is always good to build your own house if you can afford and ready for stress, lol! At least you can choose what materials you want if you have good workers and best contractors that you can trust. People tend to forget Philippines is a progressing country. It won't happen overnight. They are way behind. If you want to live western style life, then you should be in BGC. If you complain and if you can afford. Or go back to US or find another country to live in. That simple
I'm sorry you're having such a bad experience. Give it some time. Get another place for a bit more next time and make sure you have a solar hot water heater on the roof. Let it sink in. Get out and enjoy the tropics and the people. That would be my suggestion. Just try to improve each time you move and do move. I envy you being able to get mangosteens there. :)
The construction in Mexico (where I am) is the same as you describe there, but I am SOOO thankful for it. At first, I was in culture shock because I missed wood so much, but then I learned that termites are a major issue here -- I became grateful for the cement block construction.
I also noticed something else. I lived in Hawaii before with all-wood construction and had cockroaches everywhere -- here we hardly ever see them. They just do not like the cement block construction as well as damp wood. We keep our shower drains covered and rarely see a cockroach. For this I am thankful.
It's true in other parts of the tropics as well. With the all-wood construction in Belize (a nearby country, for example) there were enough cockroaches to carry you off at night.
Our biggest problems here are with leaf-cutter ants that like to move into the houses to look for bread scraps or simply when it rains too much and they want a dry space, and micro-mosquitos that do not announce their arrival. And some places are infested with scorpions that can be quite venomous. But -- you learn to cope.
Think about why you moved and what you hope to gain from it. You can always return home to Oregon (sounds like this is where you're from).
so true what u are saying
Also you better get used to screaming children, neighbours having the occasional blood bath, drunk folks, karaoke until dawn, dogs barking, roosters doing there thing at 4am....I could go on and on but it is what it is!
The severity of the noise will depend on where you live. The more "upscale" gated communities with active HOA and gate security will usually have a lot less noise due to rules, and that includes fewer ferals running around or strict policies on chicken coops. Those nicer areas come at a much higher cost though, but if you can afford it, I highly recommend it. Living in a non-HOA subdivision, or bigger cities where everything is just clustered closer together, then yeah you're going to get a lot of noise. Headphones and earplugs are not sufficient. Just have to adapt.
They dont give a f..k about there neighbours,its me,me,me.
Lol, and more often than not it seems HOAs in the states are seen as an ever increasing additional cost that only limits your ability to live in a fairly unabated life space where in the PI it sounds like it preserves a space for basic Western conservative values of peace, safety cleanliness, basic standards for structure and order.
Thanks for this. Vloggers are always telling you how cheap it is, but they gloss over a lot of things.
Maybe it's because they've forgotten what it was like living in their home countries, and they just learned to adapt to things here so quickly/easily that they aren't thinking about it when making videos? Or maybe they're concerned that being completely open and honest about everything, good and bad, will cause backlash from some people? I'm already seeing a lot of negative comments and people nit-picking my opinions, which is fine with me. But I have a feeling that some people just don't want that negative feedback.
If you have the money, you can build the house you want, any house you want and don't get a cheaper apartment, stop complaining, just get out of the country.
If you have that kind of money, then why even waste your time watching videos on TH-cam about cheap housing? Shouldn't you be overseeing the help while they polish your golden toilet or something?
Weird response bro.
@@johnv5156 Weird to defend himself?.......um..okay.....
I appreciate your informative content - grateful new subscriber
I get where you're coming from, sorry if it's an issue. But it's just how I talk with people I know, and when I make videos about this kind of thing I'm talking to the camera the same way I would talk to a buddy back in the US. You can't just blame my military background, it's a mix of things. But I am aware my language needs to improve. It's something I've been trying to work on since moving here, but because I don't socialize nearly as often here (mostly just wife and her family), I could definitely use more practice. Maybe it's something I can focus more on as I get back into creating videos again.
@@jasoninrizal3451 I'm humbled by your kind reply, you are both an officer & a gentleman! I'm going to change my original comment, I don't want to plant something in other subscribers heads, which doesn't need to be there. I look forward to your awesome future content, Thanks again for taking the time to reply to me, I also appreciate your open-minded approach to comments. God bless you brother & thank you for your service!
@@walkerskii Don't worry about it, I have no issues with honest constructive feedback. I totally agree that my language has been an issue, it's something I just forget about once I start talking to people. Happens even when talking to my wife's family, so it's something I need to focus on correcting.
Alot of what Jason is saying has some factual basis
I've lived in the province for seven years. My thought you can curse the darkness or light a candle. Dont expect the government to hand you a lighter.
I don't mind the quieter simpler lifestyle that comes with provincial living, but there are some things that I'm still too attached to. I don't enjoy living too close to the metro areas either, so where I'm at now is kind of the best balance. Only thing I have really disliked about the way-out provincial stuff is that many of the barangays I've seen have limited support/budgets, and government works/utilities are maintained far less the further out you go. At least that's what I've seen in the areas I've been through.
I "Like" about one video per year on youtube and yours is going to be one of them. This was absolutely my observation. After finding a wonderful girl from bohol the worst quality food and housing i've ever experienced in my life has been in the Philippines. All of the vloggers deny this and i'm still not sure why.
Have you checked out Mark at Overstay Road? Probably my favorite Philippines channel, definitely "like" worthy content. He has been pretty open and honest about a lot of the stuff here, although maybe not going all-out on certain details. But he's shown some of the factors in cheap living here, with a more humorous approach.
@@jasoninrizal3451 I'll check him out thx
If you're concerned about your food, buy acres of land build your house, plant fruit trees and vegetables, raise organic chicken with lots of organic eggs, build a fish pond with a running ARTESIAN WELL for free water consumption. So many Filipino millionaires are doing this if and when you're concerned about your HEALTH period. Choose an area location that isn't prone to FLOODING of course. The countryside is the best with so many gorgeous BEACHES and, most importantly, full of HAPPY people. Choose also a cooler climate location.
@@mindapinlac2384 This is null because a foreigner can't own land in the Philippines
@@mindapinlac2384 and can you name even one location that ticks all those boxes? With how poor quality the condominium construction is i'm not sure you can build all of the things you mentioned to a high quality here in the philippines..
2 bedroom apartments in Portland and Salem are 1600 to 1800
No wonder people live in tents and their cars at Walmart.
Guys don’t come here for cheap rent. Guys come here for younger, more beautiful women. No feminism no abortion and no gay marriage. Very strict conservative country. That’s why we come here I am pushing 2 decades.. bottom line you couldn’t get a woman to talk to you in America, unless she was 400 pounds with three kids
Sure, some of the ex-pats come here for that reason. But definitely not all of us.
@@jasoninrizal3451 What about guys like me with plenty of money? I can live anywhere, speak Spanish. It's the culture that I love. I can see you are struggling financial so that's your view.
It seems many of the expat PI YTers harp on living on the cheap and foster a false sense similar to the goldrush to move out West and sidelining all the risk and danger that went with it, or calling a place Greenland to draw in more foreigners with misled perceptions that the land is lush and plentiful of green life. LMAO. IMHO
"Strict conservative country" ...hence the unchecked over-population, and pollution.
and you are not 400 pounds yourself??
i was like, how can he fill up a 30 min video, talking about housing!! but you did, with a fully backed arguments. i would like to see more of "the reality" topics. also, where im from (not Ph nor US), i have been drinking tap water for almost all my life, watched some expats videos, and surprisingly, they were warning other expats not to drink tap water!!
If you grow up in an area where you're drinking the tap water, you will slowly get used to it (immune system or whatever). For people coming from "Western" countries like the US, where our tap water is clean, many can't handle the unclean water found in places like here or Mexico. When I first got to the Philippines I was drinking the tap water in our condo, but got real sick overnight after a couple weeks. I don't drink tap water after that.
I’m a little confused…complaining about 130 a month rent and being surprised that outlets need surge protectors. 130 a month isn’t bad but you shouldn’t expect the infrastructure you had before.
No offense, but I do think you might have misunderstood some of the points I was trying to make. It's not the price of rent here that I have a problem with, it's the lazy shortcuts people take to do things. Doing something right the first time means you don't have to keep repairing or replacing something because you did it the wrong way. And when it's something where safety is a concern, shortcuts and being cheap can get people killed.
👏👏👏 thank you.
Thanks
100% spot on
These housing comparisons are absurd. When we moved to brooklyn new york 40 years ago in 1990, we were renting an apartment for 75 dollars per month but it still had faucets where you can adjust the water hot warm cool and cold, i am paying $700 a month for a condo in Cebu and the faucets have just one water temperature of the street. The interior of the house looks like it's 20 years old after 2 years. Based on the infrastructure why aren't these rentals going for 75 dollars? Because i was getting better infrastructure at that price point 40 years ago in the US.
Tell me the best part about Thailand is they speak English. The infrastructure is terrible. This is my second trip to Thailand since I've been to the Philippines and it's leaps and bounds cleaner and leaps and bounds better on infrastructure. I'm out in a province and the internet never goes out the water never goes out the electricity never goes out the housing is better too
Gosh I live in Toronto and thought moving to the Philippines for afordability ... now with the price you say about the US; I should move there; seems like half to 1/3rd of the price vs Toronto 😂
Considering I haven't lived there in almost 5 years, and the housing prices are all FUBAR from what everyone is telling me, I'm guessing my comments about pricing are quite outdated and inaccurate now.
Where were pay 600 a month for 2 beddroom apt. I live outside of Dallas Tx I pay 1800 a month for the same.
Southern Oregon, in a city with a population of around 22,000 (as of 2020 census). So it definitely wasn't a larger city, hence the lower cost of living. And yeah, living anywhere near a major city like Portland, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc is going to be more expensive. Housing prices were also more realistic before COVID, and since then (plus other reasons) it seems like housing prices are all jacked up. You can also blame the massive influx of "migrants" and the government deciding to provide them with housing that should be reserved for actual citizens and legal residents in need.
you speak truth
So, construct it all yourself?
If Gates or Musk wants to adopt me, then sure.
Good idea but still the building materials are mostly trash, just look round a 5 year old mid quality or older subdivision and look at the decay in the outer shell of the houses.
Look at a 20 year old subdivision and most properties look ready for demolition, and these places are not the cheaper subdivisions
You have a hilariously sardonic sense of humor.
Dude, you sound bitter. Thailand has much better quality housing, infrastructure, and food for Less. Why did you choose the Philippines?
This sounds absolutely awful, and to TBH it sounds like you hate it. I can see why dudes try to opt for Thailand, infrastructure and a cheaper price is worth the potential visa headaches. Oof. Thanks for turning me completely off to the Phils. Nice for a visit, but that's about it. People wonder why things are more expensive in 1st world countries, this is a shining example of why, it works, there are backups, it's maintained, and built well to begin with.
Bro, go to Thailand. It's wayyyy better. There is really not much of a language problem. Harder to get the ladies, though.
If I hadn't met my wife, and wasn't mislead on VA information, I probably would have picked Thailand. But because I haven't lived there yet, or looked at housing while visiting, I'm not sure how different their situation is compared to here.
@@jasoninrizal3451 It's not and day. I was in Thailand but I dated a Filipina there. I'm in the Philippines now and it's the worst place I've ever been to 😂
or Malaysia, Vietnam. Philippines towns look like dumps.
Where are you that’s so quiet at home to film? I’m jealous lol
We live in one of the "former gated" subdivisions, on the outskirts of town, and within the subdivision we basically live on the very end of it at the top of a hill. So we get very little traffic in this area, no main roads nearby either, but still plenty of noise during the day from neighbors or vendors. I also prefer to do my videos in the late evening, while my wife is working and the kids are sleeping, to avoid interruptions. Besides the barking dogs there isn't much going on outside at that time.
12:40 You've never seen two connected houses in the USA? So that means you've never been to places like NYC & saw "brownstone" houses which are sold for millions of dollars?
The reality is that sprawled out suburban lifestyle is very expensive. You mentioned water issues being rare in the USA. Jackson, MS is one of those unlucky places. The more spread out the community is the more it cost to build, maintain, & repair it's infrastructure. The residents of Jackson cannot afford the sprawled out suburban lifestyle they live & that's why they're begging the Federal government to use our tax dollars to pay for a lifestyle they cannot afford. They need to live in more dense urban communities to bring their infrastructure cost down by having one stretch of pipe supply multiple households instead of just one.
Some people in the province, have a well where they can install a pump to get pressureised water. I can agree with you with many things you mentioned, but I'm curious why are you making a comparison between the US and PH? I mean you chose to live in Ph with all the shortcomings etc roosters, karaoke etc, and no amount of bashing will change the way Filipinos do things so all you have to do is deal with it, I mean you're living in a developing country so there's no comparison period.
I'm not bashing on the Philippines, at least not in the way I think you're implying. I'm just trying to make others aware of the downsides that rarely seem to be mentioned about what it's actually like to live here, things people should be aware of. I constantly mention that I'm not saying this is a bad place to live, or to not move here. I think the saying is "It's not all puppies and rainbows" right?
Yep you get what you pay for, gos along with food and pretty much everything else. Atleast you can choose, where as in the west I'm finding there is no cheap, there is no choice its either unaffordable or unobtainable atleast thats how i choose to see it 😂.
When I was able to work and have a normal income, I was doing ok. I wasn't rich, I didn't have a crazy monthly budget, I was just living normal. But I could afford to buy food and groceries, I could afford to go to the range once or twice a month, I could afford to do what I needed to do. Once I lost the ability to work or go to college, and lost the majority of my income, that all changed. I made too much from VA disability to get SNAP benefits, so most of my food came from the local food bank or a monthly donation from places like the DAV. And the quality of meals went way down, so I was no longer eating as healthy. I also had to drop the hobbies, had to pawn a lot of my stuff just to cover the bills. When I hard to start selling appliances and furniture just to pay rent or utilities, that's really when I realized I could no longer remain in the US.
Hot water heater is like $300 for showers. And a triple osmosis purification system for the sink is $250. America has made you soft .
A decent shower heater at Abenson, Anson, SM Appliance, etc is actually only around 10k ($200), but the cost to properly install it with an outlet tied into the breaker is going to probably cost another 10-15k ($200-300) based on our quotes a few months ago. That's a bit outside of my budget, especially considering we might be moving again in less than a year. America didn't make me "soft", it made me broke.
Like living in a Shipping Container so small.😊
You get what you pay for........
Townhouses, condos, row houses, brownstones, did you really never see the condos that surround golf courses or a picture of any crowded city back East like NYC or Philly??
All those hoses touch.
You went from a state with 4 million people, in the Phil the population density would have Oregon at 100million. Yeah, it's packed.
BTW Salem is $1050 for 1 bedroom, and Portland is $1,600. And you might want a bodyguard for those neighborhoods.
Where were you getting a 2bdm for $600? Seriously I'll tell people.
I was talking about the typical suburban housing, not the big-city housing. Of course bigger cities are going to be cramped, yards are non-existent, etc. I'm sure most people get the point. I'm guessing the majority of people in the US are not living in those types of housing, and if you can afford to live in a city like SF or NY, then I doubt you're one of the people seeking info on moving to the Philippines. I also haven't lived in the US since 2020, just before COVID. It sounds like the housing market is all FUBAR right now, and prices are nowhere close to what they should be. So I have no idea what the current costs are, but of course the larger places are going to have crazy costs due to limited availability.
The black mold on the wall is disturbing
If you mean on the wall in my house, that's not black mold. They had to cut a larger hole for the aircon and they patched it up with some kind of cement. The darkish color above the aircon is burn marks from their grinder, which was tossing sparks all over the room and almost caught the sheet on fire that was covering my stuff. Hasn't been painted over yet, the owners can deal with that after we leave.
@@rogregen4419 And it's fucking everywhere.
Truth.
Yankee go home, haha. I agree that no one tells the truth, they want to sell the $1000 a month live like a king dream. Telling people that it sucks doesn't get eyeballs on TH-cam and people want to have likes and subscribers. Barking dogs, rooster crowing, motorcycles with no mufflers, and karaoke makes your substandard housing even better. It's not so much cheaper to rent, it is so much cheaper for those in overpriced places like California, but not so much for Oklahoma, or Kansas in comparison. The pandemic has screwed up prices in the US housing and rental market, so that there is a big gap in cost of living that isn't normal. So people are looking at price alone and not quality difference between the USA and the Philippines.
$1000 is doable in the smaller cities or in a province. All depends on your lifestyle. I have almost double that in my province, and I can save ...
If I was single and was ok with the lower-end lifestyle, $1000 a month is definitely doable. I was doing ok with myself and my wife (then gf/fiance) on less than $900/mo, but the lifestyle was pretty low and there was ZERO savings being set aside. So it's doable, but with many special factors and considerations, and the lifestyle is going to most likely be far below what you're used to.
No such thing as a free lunch.
There are a lot TH-cam videos comparing living in the Philippines and Thailand. When it comes to infrastructure Thailand wins every time.
That is what I hear often, but haven't experienced it myself so I can't honestly compare the two. Best suggestion is to check them both out, and see which is best for your personal preferences. If I didn't have the connections in the Philippines, Thailand would have been my next choice.
The truth I guess but what a very depressing video from the look of that small room and the dude sitting in it doing the talking awesomely depressing....thank you !
$600 a month? $1000 a month in portland? Lol no. More like minimum, $1800 - $2400
To clarify, my rent when I moved into that apartment in 2014 was $550/mo, and during the 4-1/2 years of living there my rent was increased to around $600/mo. I think my neighbor was paying around $725/mo for identical unit when I left, so my rent might not have increased to match his because I was on VA housing program. But similarly-sized apartments in my old town (with similar amenities) were around the same price: $600-$750 depending on part of town and how old the building was (my apartment building was built in the 70's, and it showed). And I realize I misspoke regarding the prices in Portland, as I was thinking of my brother's place over in Hillsboro, just outside of Portland. They were paying $1,100/mo for a 2br, but it was an older building.
1st good video. Thanks for your honesty. One of the reasons the cost of living is so much cheaper in the Philippines is bc of poverty. It won't continue that way because of you vloggers posting videos on how CHEAP it is there. as if the Filipinos are not watching and listening. Of course they're gonna raise their cost of living especially for you foreigners! Why wouldn't they. You foreigners are making a mockery of them and raising the price for EVERYBODY. Eventually (but not too soon) the cost of living will be comparable to the USA. KEEP ON TALKING..!!
$600/mo for a 2 bdrm in the USA..!!?? Where tf did you live? Gotta be very low quality living. Why BUY if you're complaining so much? Why not just RENT.
Housing in PH is awful compared to neighboring countries, from style to prices. BTW you forgot the very important part about noise pollution and that is windows. Double glazed with good frames block out so much noise, but they're not being used due to cost. Therefore you feel like your neighbor is messing with your stuff in the driveway plus the echo between tightly built structures. Much better value MY and TH. Reason other YT'ers don't mention it is Filipinos understanding them and they can't afford free speech and/or just paraphrase the usual narrative. PH has other advantages, one has to concentrate on the positives vs. other places such as the language, ease of residency, etc.
The worst is the plumbing and bathrooms,,,haha
Well I suppose it's a free world and if you don't like it go home.
I don't like the cursing.