So, does philippines is as expensive as it is presented hère? Or it is because boracay is is an expensive place ? Where would you recommend to live on a budget in philippines ?
@@francoisneko well so far, on the places I've went, not all of them is expensive tho. There are some pretty cheap and affordable beaches to go. Since most of the Philippine beaches are crystal clear, it's not hard for you to find one. Like Anilao, Crystal, Laiya, Verde beach and more. But there are also pretty expensive ones. Especially if its private. Like Amanpulo, Siargao, Island Buenavista etc. It depends on your budget and on the commodities of that specific place.
I'm now in Thailand and after visiting Vietnam and Cambodia I'm in shock here. The prices are so high I can't believe it. For example beer in Vietnam or Cambodia is for 0,5-1 USD. In Thailand 2-3 USD !!! I slept in hostels usually for 3-6 USD per night. In Thailand for 9 USD. Thailand is getting so expensive and people are not smiling any more as they use to when I was here 7 years ago. So sad ..
Yup, it's kind of the sad truth of Thailand once you travel around a lot more - places like Chiang Mai are amazing for costs, but the islands are insanely pricey.
Its been 7 years now that so simple and normal when the country is going forward so everything prices up because minimum wage is increased and high income. Its fine if their income is covered. You can’t fixed all cost as it cheap in the past all the times when the countries is moving to the future or going to be developed country. Name the developed countries in this world that the cost of living is cheap like Vietnam, Cambodia or Thailand?
I've never expected that Philipines's beach is such beautiful and peaceful! In term of natural sight-seeing, I like Vietnam and Philipines. But considering in term of art and culture, I think Chaing-Mai offers more than the other places. Definitely, for the food, Thai food is number one, in my opinion.
As an Indonesian, I can say that Bali is expensive compare to the rest of Indonesia. I notice most foreigners use Telkomsel for data plan. While I must admit it works well esp if you traveling to remote areas, it is also the most expensive. Oh yeah, if you prefer Western food than local food expect to pay more.. it's just is. Especially if many of the ingredients are imported...
I'm from the philippines! if you guys are considering establishing a digital nomadic lifestyle here.. DON'T DO IT YET!..as we are developing the infrastructures to support it.. just give it 2 years or maybe a year and a half we'll catch up :-) for now, do consider other locations... good luck
Yeah thats the only thing stopping us really, thats why we stayed for a month in Bora - the new development there had decent wifi. Hard to guarantee that every where else
I think it will take more than 2-3 years honestly for the Philippines to catch up. A better estimation would be 5-10 years which is a good time to develop especially since the development of Philippines has barely started the last year's only Let's give it a bit more time
@@meganod279 i'd say just give it two years, to have that decent development catered to citizens.. philippines is set to become an upper middle income country anytime by this year anyway... look it up :-)
@@kevin080592 I don't agree actually. I have been quite many times in the Philippines and other south east Asian countries. If you are talking about Manila then maybe in 2 years it could develop quite good, but for the rest of the places from Cebu to Davao and Mindanao I don't say the same. Mindanao is still quite underdeveloped and will take surely about a decade to develop more as for cebu it needs more infrastructure to be built in order to be able to compete along with Manila. Also the Philippines still needs to repay all the money they loaned from China which will take a really long time to give prosperity to the citizens. Out of the video I think that Thailand is probably still the best place to be as a total but the Philippines is the only country of them that is now starting to develop and I think a good estimation is 5-10 years. For now the Philippines still need time. I liked the Philippines and the people but time is always needed to be able to compete.
Wow, this must have taken a long time to compile. I love how comprehensive it all is and informative. We really want to visit the Philippines since its the easiest for us in terms of visas.
Great comparison. I am planning to retire in Malaysia because it suits me the best but Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines is right up there for me regarding retirement but I have other options for my retirement in either Singapore, UAE or Qatar even though they are more expensive
Great vlog guys. We’ve travelled to most countries in South East Asia and love this part of the world! Thailand is probably our favourite (the food!) but just back from a month in the Philippines and loved it.
Daneger and Stacey we didn’t really go to the north either, that’s for another trip! We went to Coron, El Nido, Malapascua, Bohol & Boracay. Although we thought the beach was great at Boracay, we much preferred Palawan. Palawan had much more of a backpacker vibe whereas for us Boracay was way overpriced and felt like more like package holiday tourism. I’d love to go back to Palawan again and do private tours this time to get some really epic drone footage!
philippines 7641 island beaches and waterfulls , caves , mountain to explore and it so cheap the people are welcome you as part of the family .., festival and more philippines to offer ..
Our opinion only: Thailand - better food, nicer people, more commercial (in a bad way), easier to travel, more expensive Vietnam - less discovered, less touristy, cheaper, but doesnt have the food and people of Thailand
SE Asia has always been a bucket list. Our travelling for the past 5 years has been 6 - 7 weeks each year in Italy. In the past 2 years we have become divers so have added about 4 weeks each year diving in locations from the Red Sea to the Sea of Cortez to Saba and Cozumel. Inspired by your travels in Asia we are planning on making good on the bucket list by starting to plan a 3 month trip in Mar - May, 2020. Preliminary thoughts are 1 month each: Vietnam, Thailand & The Philippines. Combining diving, trekking, history & local culture (no shopping so sorry Stacey) where do we start ? So vague, I know, but I think you are more qualified than most to ask for guidance. Just recommendations would be appreciated. Love you guys.
Sounds like an epic 3 months Ron. Where to start is a tricky one, it sounds like your plan of 1 month in each is a good approach - the best diving will likely be in Thailand but the water in the PH is stunning, if you can find diving there it has the chance of being something very special. Hard to know where to start though sorry, Vietnam you go either North or South, so work that around the best flight path in then out. Thailand travel is easy, you can get anywhere from anywhere easily. PH is challenging to move around and more restrictive with the travel options.
Thank you so much for taking the time to bring us this valuable info. It's very much appreciated! Pay no attention to the jerk who gave it a thumb down. Unfortunately, there's always at least one rotten apple in the bag!
The best Indonesia, because for being the most beautiful country in the world with beautiful islands and very, very beautiful beaches, the beaches in Indonesia are the best
Great idea to run the cost comparisons by category and then look at the overall spend too. That allows people to decide which country would provide best value for them based on their own priorities.Worth all the time it took to pull together!
You visited an expensive island in the Philippines. There are much cheaper similar locations throughout the Philippines. I am extremely interested in learning more about Thailand.
*It all comes down to what you want to see, what you want to do and how much do you want to spend* As an aside, PH is the only Christian dominant country in SEA with English as their 2nd language.
Thank you for this video and the amount of time you took to put it together! My husband and I have lived in Thailand, China and now Malaysia but are looking for a new place so your video has given us lots to think about.
I think these numbers are more reliable. When you travel you have more costs and it takes a while to find good deals, economize etc. to live decently and enjoy the stay and not get sick I think the numbers are reasonable.
Yeah, pulling old clips, tracking numbers, editing 30 minutes of chat etc - these videos take way longer than vlogs (normally 2-5 hours) so it's cool to see the love
Het Daneger and Stacey, first time commenting on your channel. However, we’ve been watching you now for about 6-8 months. Thanks for all your work you guys put into the videos. Just wanted to say thanks for the comparison and I feel you’re in line with what we have experience so far. However, we have not been to Philippines and we’re headed to Vietnam next month. We’re currently in Krabi, Thailand and enjoying every moment of it. It’s definitely more expensive then Chaing Mai. We two have been traveling for about 2 years and so far have had nothing but great experiences. We normally stay in a location for at least a month and sometimes longer. We will be in South East Asia until May 2019. As mention headed to Vietnam next month then Cambodia and then back to Chiang Mai and headed back to the states. I recently just subscribe and will now start following you guys on Instagram as well. Who knows maybe our paths might cross in this small world. Keep up the good work.
Always cool to see a long time watcher, first time commenter, jump in here and leave some solid thoughts - thanks guys! Sounds like you've had some pretty cool adventures and lots more epic stuff to come! How are you finding Krabi? Staying in Ao Nang? We know Railey is nice, but difficult to stay there, how are you finding Krabi in general? We're visiting soon and need to lock in some timings
Hey guys, thanks for responding to my comment. As far as Krabi, Thailand we’re staying in Ao Nang. We chose Ao Nang because they seem to have more accommodations options. We’re staying in a Airbnb about a 15 walk to Ao Nang beach. We have been here almost a month. It’s pretty easy to get around walk, Tuk Tuk, taxi, and hop on trucks. Costing about 60baht up 400baht depending on were you want to go. Ao Nang is great if you want to do the tourist things like all the different islands hops. Tons of restaurants and night markets and street vendors. The prices are cheaper at the night markets for food and street food but still Chiang Mai is still cheaper on all accounts. The temp is definitely warmer and the humidity is more intense. The temp has been average about 91-95 degrees in the day and about 72 in the evenings. Sorry about the degrees vs Celsius we’re from the US. If you would like more information don’t hesitate to contact us on TH-cam or Instagram. Safe travels!!
Curious, as a US citizen.....I wonder if we could only use tourist visas if we just made a constant loop and did 6 months in Thailand, then 6 months in vietnam, then Philippines, Malaysia, Bali, Cambodia ?
In theory, yes. But tourist visas in Thailand are only 30 day (Though can be extended), Vietnam can be longer and the other places are all different as well. That's essentially what we did for a few years but you need to get on top of visas
Thailand was the cheapest groceries??! I find that very difficult to believe.. I lived there 4 years... My rent was far cheaper than groceries and meals out. Here in Vietnam.. MUCH cheaper groceries.
Fantastic video as always. Super informative. You guys are definitely one of my top 3 favourite you-tubers. I especially enjoy the interaction between you two, and the great quality of your videos. Looking forward to more travels with you.
Great video and useful content as I just booked 2 months in SE Asia - starting with a month in Vietnam and thinking Laos or Thailand for the 2nd month. Or maybe, i do a short trip to Laos and make it close to 2 months in Vietnam?! Thoughts?
Sean Williams we did 3 weeks in Vietnam and it was enough. Laos is nice but it doesn’t have that many outstanding places so 1.5 weeks is enough. Cambodia well worth visiting. Thailand & Philippines both awesome but Thailand much easier to get around. Philippines has best beaches in the world but expect to use up whole days travelling to each island.
@@ArunsTravels Thanks. Yes, when looking more into Laos, I was having 2nd thoughts. Thailand is looking like a good option at this point. I have been to Cambodia (stayed at a home stay) and Philippines (El Nido) before and loved both places and experiences.
@Sean Williams Sounds like you've already got some good advice here ^. A month in Vietnam might be a little long, 3 weeks would be good, a month in Thailand is definitely possible with the north and beaches of the east and south (we're filming these soon!) and then you've got a week spare to pop to Laos or Cambodia perhaps, since youve already been to the PH
Hey guys so I know you're travelling as a couple and this question is off topic, but out of those 4 places which ones did you meet the most and least single female digital nomads in? I'm a single female and just got a job that will allow me to work remotely. It's a factor for me to consider for social reasons along with cost. Your thoughts much appreciated!!
Hey Tanya - probably the best spot is Bali. If you get a guesthouse you end up meeting loads of people at your place, I was there for a while by myself (Dane) and made lots of friends from our place.
To this day this probably the best breakdown on the biggest travel hubs for eastern asian countries. I don't know if you have been to Malaysia yet but I'd like to see how much that costs in comparison along with South Korea and Japan.
We really appreciate that!! We have spent a couple of months in Malaysia actually! Would need to spend more time in South Korea and Japan is on our list. Always great to know what people are interested in seeing, thank you for letting us know :)
guys I am curious about scooter rentals ... did you rent and return on same place ? Just thinking about going from Saigon to Hanoi and wondering how to do it
Great video with great info. One thing I've been wondering for longer terms stays in SE is, how do places compare during the monsoon? As a tourist, I've always planned my trips to SE around the weather, but living in a place you'd have to take the good with the bad weather. And it seems some spots (like Chiang Mai maybe) might be better than others during the rainy season.
Thanks mate. We avoid rainy season at all costs, we just leave and go somewhere else. We plan a years worth of travels as we go for the most part, but chase the sun constantly
Very nice comparison post, Daneger. I've lived in all those countries and all those cities, except Boracay. Been in Thailand, btw Bangkok and Chiang Mai last few years, and you're so right, Thailand is hard to beat....except visa issues and general immigration matters are becoming a bit of a pain in the butt. Of course, the beauty of Thailand is that there's always a way around, through, or under those crazy laws. Spend a bit of dosh with the right people and they'll find a way to handle your "problem". After 10 years in Asia, I'm off to either Zagreb or Cuenca in January.....time for a change. Again, thanks for your wonderful summary here. And thank god for the internet....meaning we diginomads can live anywhere!
Glad this was helpful/in line with your experiences as well. Not sure if you've found it or not, but I've got a similar video on Zagreb and the spend of things there as well... actually we did 2 now that I think about it. Might be helpful!
Yup, that's correct. In fact some of the housing could be cheaper if you were comfortable with just a room - so could go down by about 50% as well. Have been to Cambodia, but not for an extended time sorry, don't think it has the infrastructure to stand up to these other 4 as a good option for a month+
Love all of your videos! My husband has a 1 month sabbatical this year that we will most be likely taking to Southeast Asia in June or September/October. If it were you and you had one month, which cities would you divide your time and for how long in each? Thanks!
great one guys a bucket load of info that was helpful . Now one question , on your travels in Asia did you get stopped and told do not go there or prohibited to travel to certain areas because of trouble ( Guerrillas / fighting) unrest of some sort ? Thanks again on the info and happy travels cheers from OZ .
Nothing springs to mind really! There have been areas deep in the North of the Philippines that tourists were advised to avoid, but they're not really spots for tourists anyway.
Yes, to further your point at the end of the video, Bali is one of the most expensive places in Indonesia. My wife is from Makassar in Sulawesi and prices are significantly cheaper there. Why is this important? Depends on why people are looking for this info. A Bali vacation is quite different than a retirement plan. (I'm sure that the same goes for Boracay) so... Your milage may vary. 😁 That being said, great job on the video.
Mileage definitely varies massively - Bali is probably the most contrasting of all the comparisons, maybe Boracay is almost as polarising in terms of cost vs other spots as well. Our lifestyle was pretty similar in each though, so kinda fascinating to compare them.
A lot of places in SE are definitely cheaper than these 4 cities, but Chiang Mai would be a cheapest city that fit Dane and Stacey lifestyle. Even Chiang Mai, there are a lot of cheaper places that we can get as cheap as 9 US cent to 50 US cent per a bowl of noodle soup but the places are a distant from MAYA and Nimman area that Dane and Stacey live.
A really good guide. Some people will always nit pick cause everyone thinks they can do it better. I found it very informative and would be able to make a good travel decision based on your pricing also having watched the vlogs on the places you stayed, and seen the level of luxury or not. Hope 2019 is as good.
This might have taken you a few more hours to do but it is very well done. I find your comparisons realistic. I can only compare with mine in urban areas, Chiang Mai, Yogyakarta, Hanoi and Cebu. I agree PH tend to be more expensive especially transportation and communication. Hanoi was the cheapest. I've considered the mediteranean, south america to spend the winter months, SEA has a lot to offer, more bang for your money. SEA is also more welcoming I feel. Nice work. (I've been watching your videos here and there since your Hanoi days.)
@@DanegerAndStacey My comparisons were only for 1 week stay at each place (just plain tourist) and they were all very good stays. But I'm partial to Cebu (city) as a base because it has mountains, sea, islands. It has a good urban life, lots of things to do/see, places to eat/buy etc in the city. The province also has a lot to offer and it's a very pretty province. The city is well connected by air/ferry, not as congested like Manila(!) or other major SEA capitals, slower pace and more fun. I'm not a digital nomad but just trying to get away for winter. he he he
Would love a long term stay in Thailand, but the visa situation pushed me towards a one year tourist visa for Vietnam. Great videos, very much enjoyed.
We've always had travel insurance, not strictly medical though, each have their pros and cons. 2 recommendations that we've used: #1 - danegerandstacey.com/safetywinginsurance #2 - bit.ly/2MVgXge
Appreciate that, kind words 🤙🏼 We've visited Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos (have videos on all of them, but they're oldish) but if we don't stay long enough to track at least 2-4 weeks we don't include them. Too many people making vlogs and blogs with limited information just to get views these days. Will be in KL for 3 weeks soon and will level those out to a 4 week cost and make a COL video from there in a few months.
i am Indonesian, and i am agree with you, i noticed everytime visit my country, i felt every year it's going more expensive, Food price in Supermarket almost the same in Germany.
Would love to see Malaysia in the mix. I've been to all locations and Malaysia is my pick. Food, culture, value, modern. I will say that I enjoyed all countries though.
Good point for sure - we checked out Penang a while back and made a video on it, seeing if we could live there for a bit, but never actually went back for long enough to add it to the mix with enough detail. Where do you fancy most?
@@DanegerAndStacey Thanks for the reply guys. I really enjoy watching your videos. I like both Penang and Kuala Lumpur. Penang has the old British Colonial side and also the new and modern (Gurney) side. Kuala Lumpur is the nicest large city I've been to in Southeast Asia. Clean, modern, great transportation. I freaked out when the people getting on the MRT stood in lines. No shoving or edging everyone at the doors to the trains.
Thanks for an informative video. I really appreciate your beautifully shot and edited contents. Especially more now because after my trip to Bangkok and Chiang Mai last month I've been trying to edit and all of my short travel clips shot crappily by cellphone and oh boy, how time-consuming it is. I'm just doing it for fun, but still, it's a lot of work! I'm trying to learn from your videos. Great job and thanks again for putting 15 hours of hard work to create this great content!
Really digging this comment, thanks so much :) It just takes practice, and we've had 250 videos or so to practice haha. HAve fun with it though, we all started some where ✌🏼
excellant breakdown and very handy to know with me moving to thailand on march 31st,quit my job in australia and cant wait for a new challenge,100%agree on the internet speeds in thailand,insane speeds and probably 4-5 x quicker than my own place in adelaide,will purchase your book in the next week also
It's pretty crazy isn't it - we've got slow ass internet in NZ in some places as well, so painful moving around places just to try and upload vlogs!! Excited for your Thailand trip and for book readings, you're gonna love both 🤙🏼🤙🏼
We didn't really dig too much into it, so no worries 🤙🏼 Honestly you'd be pretty unlucky for it to happen, but as technology improves and peoples bad intentions leverage that, it does become more of a risk every day. Same goes for ATM skimming or accidents happening as you travel, travel insurance and VPNs are almost the same - smart to have, rarely needed, but could be bad if you don't have em.
All a VPN basically does is encrypt your connection which adds a layer of security (helps to prevent eavesdropping). Even if you run the most secure system with the most secure connection you can still be "hacked". IT security is about reducing the risk. A VPN will help reduce the risk and is recommend, especially on unknown / public/ hotel wifi networks etc.
Boracay in Philippines is expensive. Its a small resort island compared to Bali or Chang Mai. I've been to Thailand several times and I agree phone plans there are good but Philippine 4g speeds are improving.
I love Philippines over all. It has it all. Beach, culture, food, cuisine and colorful festivals. By the way, Im from Australia!
So, does philippines is as expensive as it is presented hère? Or it is because boracay is is an expensive place ? Where would you recommend to live on a budget in philippines ?
@@francoisneko well so far, on the places I've went, not all of them is expensive tho. There are some pretty cheap and affordable beaches to go. Since most of the Philippine beaches are crystal clear, it's not hard for you to find one. Like Anilao, Crystal, Laiya, Verde beach and more. But there are also pretty expensive ones. Especially if its private. Like Amanpulo, Siargao, Island Buenavista etc. It depends on your budget and on the commodities of that specific place.
Indonesia, as you said, can be a lot cheaper, just so happens that Bali and such are more expensive than most places (as we found out too).
True... that's why we like to real talk/warn a few people about it thinking their trip to Bali will be as cheap as Indonesia... if that makes sense 🤣
@@DanegerAndStacey bali is in indonesia
@febri Haha were well aware of that, been there 5+ times, just think you kind of missed the point we were making.
@@muhammadfirdausfebriansyah4481 Geographically yes but not culturally.
I'm now in Thailand and after visiting Vietnam and Cambodia I'm in shock here. The prices are so high I can't believe it. For example beer in Vietnam or Cambodia is for 0,5-1 USD. In Thailand 2-3 USD !!! I slept in hostels usually for 3-6 USD per night. In Thailand for 9 USD. Thailand is getting so expensive and people are not smiling any more as they use to when I was here 7 years ago. So sad ..
Yup, it's kind of the sad truth of Thailand once you travel around a lot more - places like Chiang Mai are amazing for costs, but the islands are insanely pricey.
True Thai people they need only money and lack of service mind unlike Balinese they are great and more friendly than Thai.
Its been 7 years now that so simple and normal when the country is going forward so everything prices up because minimum wage is increased and high income. Its fine if their income is covered. You can’t fixed all cost as it cheap in the past all the times when the countries is moving to the future or going to be developed country. Name the developed countries in this world that the cost of living is cheap like Vietnam, Cambodia or Thailand?
Is it as easy as it sounds to travel in SouthEast Asia ?
@@Doctor_Martain Thailand Malaysia Singapore Indonesia and some of Vietnam and Philippines quite easy
I've never expected that Philipines's beach is such beautiful and peaceful! In term of natural sight-seeing, I like Vietnam and Philipines. But considering in term of art and culture, I think Chaing-Mai offers more than the other places. Definitely, for the food, Thai food is number one, in my opinion.
Agree with your thoughts there!
As an Indonesian, I can say that Bali is expensive compare to the rest of Indonesia. I notice most foreigners use Telkomsel for data plan. While I must admit it works well esp if you traveling to remote areas, it is also the most expensive. Oh yeah, if you prefer Western food than local food expect to pay more.. it's just is. Especially if many of the ingredients are imported...
Hi there,SOUTH-EAST ASIA the loveliest region on earth to visit by many tourists from all over the world,enjoy SOUTH-EAST ASIA living...
Thanks Charles 👌🏼
Go Philippines!! But GO ASEAN too!!!!! We are UNITY in DIVERSITY!
that's indonesia national motto.. hahha bhinneka tunggal ika..
Seriously find these cost of living videos so so helpful! Great to see a side by side comparison thank you!
Happy they help Kirsty!
I'm from the philippines! if you guys are considering establishing a digital nomadic lifestyle here.. DON'T DO IT YET!..as we are developing the infrastructures to support it.. just give it 2 years or maybe a year and a half we'll catch up :-) for now, do consider other locations... good luck
Yeah thats the only thing stopping us really, thats why we stayed for a month in Bora - the new development there had decent wifi. Hard to guarantee that every where else
Beautiful
I think it will take more than 2-3 years honestly for the Philippines to catch up.
A better estimation would be 5-10 years which is a good time to develop especially since the development of Philippines has barely started the last year's only
Let's give it a bit more time
@@meganod279 i'd say just give it two years, to have that decent development catered to citizens.. philippines is set to become an upper middle income country anytime by this year anyway... look it up :-)
@@kevin080592 I don't agree actually.
I have been quite many times in the Philippines and other south east Asian countries.
If you are talking about Manila then maybe in 2 years it could develop quite good, but for the rest of the places from Cebu to Davao and Mindanao I don't say the same.
Mindanao is still quite underdeveloped and will take surely about a decade to develop more as for cebu it needs more infrastructure to be built in order to be able to compete along with Manila.
Also the Philippines still needs to repay all the money they loaned from China which will take a really long time to give prosperity to the citizens.
Out of the video I think that Thailand is probably still the best place to be as a total but the Philippines is the only country of them that is now starting to develop and I think a good estimation is 5-10 years.
For now the Philippines still need time.
I liked the Philippines and the people but time is always needed to be able to compete.
Wow, this must have taken a long time to compile. I love how comprehensive it all is and informative. We really want to visit the Philippines since its the easiest for us in terms of visas.
It's good the PH is so flexi on visas huh! KL is another option, which we'll add to this list in the next month or so of videos.
@@DanegerAndStacey Yea it's great 😀
Great comparison. I am planning to retire in Malaysia because it suits me the best but Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines is right up there for me regarding retirement but I have other options for my retirement in either Singapore, UAE or Qatar even though they are more expensive
Great vlog guys. We’ve travelled to most countries in South East Asia and love this part of the world! Thailand is probably our favourite (the food!) but just back from a month in the Philippines and loved it.
Cheers guys! We didnt really explore north in the PH, bet it was epic?
Daneger and Stacey we didn’t really go to the north either, that’s for another trip! We went to Coron, El Nido, Malapascua, Bohol & Boracay. Although we thought the beach was great at Boracay, we much preferred Palawan. Palawan had much more of a backpacker vibe whereas for us Boracay was way overpriced and felt like more like package holiday tourism. I’d love to go back to Palawan again and do private tours this time to get some really epic drone footage!
philippines 7641 island beaches and waterfulls , caves , mountain to explore and it so cheap the people are welcome you as part of the family .., festival and more philippines to offer ..
Good video. Trying to decide between Chiang Mai & Vietnam now. Might have to try & do both.
Amazing video!! I have a question is this based on a monthly budget?
Yup - all monthly costs for 2 people
This summer I have the choice of traveling to Vietnam or Thailand.
That's a super tough choice for real
@@Doctor_Martain yes
I'd say go to both but I don't know your budget but I always hear both
Our opinion only:
Thailand - better food, nicer people, more commercial (in a bad way), easier to travel, more expensive
Vietnam - less discovered, less touristy, cheaper, but doesnt have the food and people of Thailand
Thank you
Awesome video guys - so helpful!!
Thanks Erin 👊
I love that you list water.
not many jeepneys in boracay..Mostly tricycles on the island.
Yup, true! Those e-trikes are awesome 🙏🏼
Would Malaysia be pretty high on the list now? I've been to Thailand and liked it a lot but Malaysia appeals to me more!
We love Malaysia, definitely an easy place to set up as a digital nomad. Super cheap, great food, friendly people, beaches close by.
Malay has no good tourist spots
SE Asia has always been a bucket list. Our travelling for the past 5 years has been 6 - 7 weeks each year in Italy. In the past 2 years we have become divers so have added about 4 weeks each year diving in locations from the Red Sea to the Sea of Cortez to Saba and Cozumel. Inspired by your travels in Asia we are planning on making good on the bucket list by starting to plan a 3 month trip in Mar - May, 2020. Preliminary thoughts are 1 month each: Vietnam, Thailand & The Philippines. Combining diving, trekking, history & local culture (no shopping so sorry Stacey) where do we start ? So vague, I know, but I think you are more qualified than most to ask for guidance. Just recommendations would be appreciated. Love you guys.
Sounds like an epic 3 months Ron. Where to start is a tricky one, it sounds like your plan of 1 month in each is a good approach - the best diving will likely be in Thailand but the water in the PH is stunning, if you can find diving there it has the chance of being something very special. Hard to know where to start though sorry, Vietnam you go either North or South, so work that around the best flight path in then out. Thailand travel is easy, you can get anywhere from anywhere easily. PH is challenging to move around and more restrictive with the travel options.
Thank you so much for taking the time to bring us this valuable info. It's very much appreciated! Pay no attention to the jerk who gave it a thumb down. Unfortunately, there's always at least one rotten apple in the bag!
Thanks for having our backs 👍 Think this one's drummed up some rotten apples and rotten eggs as well, to be expected though!
The best Indonesia, because for being the most beautiful country in the world with beautiful islands and very, very beautiful beaches, the beaches in Indonesia are the best
Great idea to run the cost comparisons by category and then look at the overall spend too. That allows people to decide which country would provide best value for them based on their own priorities.Worth all the time it took to pull together!
Pleased it’s been worth all the time! Appreciate the good vibes, as always Rex 🤙🏽🤙🏽
You visited an expensive island in the Philippines. There are much cheaper similar locations throughout the Philippines. I am extremely interested in learning more about Thailand.
That's very true, but the same can be said for Chiang Mai, Hoi An and Bali
Thailand is the best in my honest opinion. It has the best food, infrastructure, living standards, transportation and entertainment.
*It all comes down to what you want to see, what you want to do and how much do you want to spend*
As an aside, PH is the only Christian dominant country in SEA with English as their 2nd language.
The most handsome vlogger ever.
Fantastic job !
Thank you 🤙🏼
Thank you for this video and the amount of time you took to put it together! My husband and I have lived in Thailand, China and now Malaysia but are looking for a new place so your video has given us lots to think about.
No worries - glad we can help!
I think these numbers are more reliable. When you travel you have more costs and it takes a while to find good deals, economize etc. to live decently and enjoy the stay and not get sick I think the numbers are reasonable.
Best video yet. Thank you for your time putting together such a concise and useful information!
Appreciate it, thanks 👌🏼
These are my favourite videos!! Please keep them coming.
Good to know, thanks Lena!
15hours what .. just know that alot of people here appreciate you guys hardworks ..thanks man so much info. love this channel
Yeah, pulling old clips, tracking numbers, editing 30 minutes of chat etc - these videos take way longer than vlogs (normally 2-5 hours) so it's cool to see the love
Het Daneger and Stacey, first time commenting on your channel. However, we’ve been watching you now for about 6-8 months. Thanks for all your work you guys put into the videos. Just wanted to say thanks for the comparison and I feel you’re in line with what we have experience so far. However, we have not been to Philippines and we’re headed to Vietnam next month. We’re currently in Krabi, Thailand and enjoying every moment of it. It’s definitely more expensive then Chaing Mai. We two have been traveling for about 2 years and so far have had nothing but great experiences. We normally stay in a location for at least a month and sometimes longer. We will be in South East Asia until May 2019. As mention headed to Vietnam next month then Cambodia and then back to Chiang Mai and headed back to the states. I recently just subscribe and will now start following you guys on Instagram as well. Who knows maybe our paths might cross in this small world. Keep up the good work.
Always cool to see a long time watcher, first time commenter, jump in here and leave some solid thoughts - thanks guys! Sounds like you've had some pretty cool adventures and lots more epic stuff to come! How are you finding Krabi? Staying in Ao Nang? We know Railey is nice, but difficult to stay there, how are you finding Krabi in general? We're visiting soon and need to lock in some timings
Hey guys, thanks for responding to my comment. As far as Krabi, Thailand we’re staying in Ao Nang. We chose Ao Nang because they seem to have more accommodations options. We’re staying in a Airbnb about a 15 walk to Ao Nang beach. We have been here almost a month. It’s pretty easy to get around walk, Tuk Tuk, taxi, and hop on trucks. Costing about 60baht up 400baht depending on were you want to go. Ao Nang is great if you want to do the tourist things like all the different islands hops. Tons of restaurants and night markets and street vendors. The prices are cheaper at the night markets for food and street food but still Chiang Mai is still cheaper on all accounts. The temp is definitely warmer and the humidity is more intense. The temp has been average about 91-95 degrees in the day and about 72 in the evenings. Sorry about the degrees vs Celsius we’re from the US. If you would like more information don’t hesitate to contact us on TH-cam or Instagram. Safe travels!!
Very informative. Thanks...
How about Da nang Vietnam?? and Medan (Northern Sumatra) Indonesia?
Haven't been to Medan but have spent a bit of time around Da Nang - similar COL to Hoi An
Curious, as a US citizen.....I wonder if we could only use tourist visas if we just made a constant loop and did 6 months in Thailand, then 6 months in vietnam, then Philippines, Malaysia, Bali, Cambodia ?
In theory, yes. But tourist visas in Thailand are only 30 day (Though can be extended), Vietnam can be longer and the other places are all different as well. That's essentially what we did for a few years but you need to get on top of visas
Invaluable info. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for info
Very informative thanks for your sharing!
I Love Chiangmai and wanna go there again
Thailand was the cheapest groceries??! I find that very difficult to believe.. I lived there 4 years... My rent was far cheaper than groceries and meals out. Here in Vietnam.. MUCH cheaper groceries.
Thai food is the tastiest in our opinion, so cheap to eat out more frequently which off sets the cost
I love the Philippines
3 years later, obviously prices have increased. But would you still stay the order though is the same in terms of cost of living?
Much appreciated. Your stuff is always helpful. You guys are great!
Thanks man 🙏
Fantastic video as always. Super informative. You guys are definitely one of my top 3 favourite you-tubers. I especially enjoy the interaction between you two, and the great quality of your videos. Looking forward to more travels with you.
You're the best, thank you! 🤙🏼 honoured to be in your top list... just out of curiosity, who would be your other 2 favs?
Awesome comparison! Its great to see a breakdown like this, very helpful.
I really appreciate this..thanks man
Appreciate you watching and commenting 🤙🏼
Great video and useful content as I just booked 2 months in SE Asia - starting with a month in Vietnam and thinking Laos or Thailand for the 2nd month. Or maybe, i do a short trip to Laos and make it close to 2 months in Vietnam?! Thoughts?
Sean Williams we did 3 weeks in Vietnam and it was enough. Laos is nice but it doesn’t have that many outstanding places so 1.5 weeks is enough. Cambodia well worth visiting. Thailand & Philippines both awesome but Thailand much easier to get around. Philippines has best beaches in the world but expect to use up whole days travelling to each island.
@@ArunsTravels Thanks. Yes, when looking more into Laos, I was having 2nd thoughts. Thailand is looking like a good option at this point.
I have been to Cambodia (stayed at a home stay) and Philippines (El Nido) before and loved both places and experiences.
@Sean Williams Sounds like you've already got some good advice here ^. A month in Vietnam might be a little long, 3 weeks would be good, a month in Thailand is definitely possible with the north and beaches of the east and south (we're filming these soon!) and then you've got a week spare to pop to Laos or Cambodia perhaps, since youve already been to the PH
Great vlog team.... bring on 2019... Kiwis everywhere.
Cheers! Kiwis taking over 🤣
Your footage at the beginning of the video is incredible! Awesome video!
Thanks 😉 Was cool pulling out the HDs and digging over some of our older adventures
Great video, lots of useful info. Many thanks for the work you put in.
You're welcome 🤙🏼
Hey guys so I know you're travelling as a couple and this question is off topic, but out of those 4 places which ones did you meet the most and least single female digital nomads in? I'm a single female and just got a job that will allow me to work remotely. It's a factor for me to consider for social reasons along with cost. Your thoughts much appreciated!!
Hey Tanya - probably the best spot is Bali. If you get a guesthouse you end up meeting loads of people at your place, I was there for a while by myself (Dane) and made lots of friends from our place.
try cebu philippines. cost, cheap apartments, near beaches and waterfalls and has good wifi,
To this day this probably the best breakdown on the biggest travel hubs for eastern asian countries. I don't know if you have been to Malaysia yet but I'd like to see how much that costs in comparison along with South Korea and Japan.
We really appreciate that!! We have spent a couple of months in Malaysia actually! Would need to spend more time in South Korea and Japan is on our list. Always great to know what people are interested in seeing, thank you for letting us know :)
Great video. Thank you !
guys I am curious about scooter rentals ... did you rent and return on same place ? Just thinking about going from Saigon to Hanoi and wondering how to do it
We stayed in the same spot, but loads of people buy bikes to travel Vietnam. There must be companies that offer the service now!
You can buy a scooter at agency in Saigon ,after you finish you can sell it, at the same that agency in Hanoi.
Worth the effort! Amazing video Daneger ❤️
Love you ❤️
Appreciate the time taken with this video as it was really interesting to learn. I'm now really tempted to go to Thailand!
You're welcome :) Thailand is a real winner... we might just be going there in a few days 🤣
Travelling K welcome to Thailand
Why is Malaysia not included among the countries compared, considering it's location, as the hub and home of Air Asia?
We only document places we’ve got extensive knowledge about. Spending nearly a month in KL soon so will feature a COL video then.
PHILIPPINES! ♥️
Daneger it was such a really great video explaining everything to us Great Job
Love your comments - thanks man 👍
@@DanegerAndStacey Sorry I am not a man
Ahhh sorry! That’s my typing and kiwi slang (Dane). My bad 😩
Great and informative vlog. Keep doing....
The prices you've listed here. So, are they per person or for a couple? Thanks.
Per couple :)
Daneger and Stacey Thanks
Great video with great info. One thing I've been wondering for longer terms stays in SE is, how do places compare during the monsoon? As a tourist, I've always planned my trips to SE around the weather, but living in a place you'd have to take the good with the bad weather. And it seems some spots (like Chiang Mai maybe) might be better than others during the rainy season.
Thanks mate. We avoid rainy season at all costs, we just leave and go somewhere else. We plan a years worth of travels as we go for the most part, but chase the sun constantly
Very nice comparison post, Daneger. I've lived in all those countries and all those cities, except Boracay. Been in Thailand, btw Bangkok and Chiang Mai last few years, and you're so right, Thailand is hard to beat....except visa issues and general immigration matters are becoming a bit of a pain in the butt. Of course, the beauty of Thailand is that there's always a way around, through, or under those crazy laws. Spend a bit of dosh with the right people and they'll find a way to handle your "problem". After 10 years in Asia, I'm off to either Zagreb or Cuenca in January.....time for a change. Again, thanks for your wonderful summary here. And thank god for the internet....meaning we diginomads can live anywhere!
Glad this was helpful/in line with your experiences as well. Not sure if you've found it or not, but I've got a similar video on Zagreb and the spend of things there as well... actually we did 2 now that I think about it. Might be helpful!
Most of the other xosts except say housing and utilities would be half for one person then, right?
And I'd like to ask as compared to Cambodia?
Yup, that's correct. In fact some of the housing could be cheaper if you were comfortable with just a room - so could go down by about 50% as well. Have been to Cambodia, but not for an extended time sorry, don't think it has the infrastructure to stand up to these other 4 as a good option for a month+
Helpful... :)
Congrats on passing 70k subs...
More people learning about quality content = More quality content... ;)
Thanks man - appreciate your good vibes for so long now as well 👍
You guys are great 😊 this is really helpful for me since I'm heading to S.E.A in September. You both make me proud to be a New Zealander ❤
You make us proud to be content creators with comments like this, wowsa, thank you ❤️
Thailand is the BEST!!!
Love all of your videos! My husband has a 1 month sabbatical this year that we will most be likely taking to Southeast Asia in June or September/October. If it were you and you had one month, which cities would you divide your time and for how long in each? Thanks!
Most definitely Chiang Mai and maybe Canggu or somewhere in Bali also :)
great one guys a bucket load of info that was helpful . Now one question , on your travels in Asia did you get stopped and told do not go there or prohibited to travel to certain areas because of trouble ( Guerrillas / fighting) unrest of some sort ? Thanks again on the info and happy travels cheers from OZ .
Nothing springs to mind really! There have been areas deep in the North of the Philippines that tourists were advised to avoid, but they're not really spots for tourists anyway.
Can’t wait to watch where you’re off to next! :)
Stay tuned on Friday :) Or Maybe Thurs USA time.
Yes, to further your point at the end of the video, Bali is one of the most expensive places in Indonesia. My wife is from Makassar in Sulawesi and prices are significantly cheaper there. Why is this important? Depends on why people are looking for this info. A Bali vacation is quite different than a retirement plan. (I'm sure that the same goes for Boracay) so... Your milage may vary. 😁
That being said, great job on the video.
Mileage definitely varies massively - Bali is probably the most contrasting of all the comparisons, maybe Boracay is almost as polarising in terms of cost vs other spots as well. Our lifestyle was pretty similar in each though, so kinda fascinating to compare them.
@@DanegerAndStacey it would be interesting to see the comparison to Langkawi, Penang, or Kelantan in Malaysia...
Spending time in KL soon and will do a COL from there as well 🤙🏽
@@DanegerAndStacey we really enjoyed KL. Hope you have a great time there.
Thanks! We’ve been plenty of times and have a few vlogs, but generally only traveled through. Have a nice apartment lined up 🤙🏽
Nice work Dane! Some valuable, and surprising info there - I didn't expect Thailand would be so much cheaper in many aspects!
Cheers Rafal. Really shows the value of Thailand because we weren't messing around there, eating out often and living a pretty solid lifestyle
Rafal Gralak that why we have lot of tourism top of the world
Rafal Gralak that why we have lot of tourism top of the world
Hi daneger and stacey yes its depend your expend the money or how to expend
Now the next question is... Are the cheapest always come with the best in everythings? Or the otherway around?
Nope, definitely not! If you went all out on food, accommodation and lifestyle though Thailand would probably still win.
A lot of places in SE are definitely cheaper than these 4 cities, but Chiang Mai would be a cheapest city that fit Dane and Stacey lifestyle. Even Chiang Mai, there are a lot of cheaper places that we can get as cheap as 9 US cent to 50 US cent per a bowl of noodle soup but the places are a distant from MAYA and Nimman area that Dane and Stacey live.
A really good guide. Some people will always nit pick cause everyone thinks they can do it better. I found it very informative and would be able to make a good travel decision based on your pricing also having watched the vlogs on the places you stayed, and seen the level of luxury or not. Hope 2019 is as good.
Thanks for having our backs, Judy 🙏 Only one dumb comment so far haha. Glad we've been able to help some people. Hope 2019 is great for you as well.
This might have taken you a few more hours to do but it is very well done. I find your comparisons realistic. I can only compare with mine in urban areas, Chiang Mai, Yogyakarta, Hanoi and Cebu. I agree PH tend to be more expensive especially transportation and communication. Hanoi was the cheapest. I've considered the mediteranean, south america to spend the winter months, SEA has a lot to offer, more bang for your money. SEA is also more welcoming I feel. Nice work. (I've been watching your videos here and there since your Hanoi days.)
Appreciate the feedback - glad it was interesting! How did you find Cebu as a base?
@@DanegerAndStacey My comparisons were only for 1 week stay at each place (just plain tourist) and they were all very good stays. But I'm partial to Cebu (city) as a base because it has mountains, sea, islands. It has a good urban life, lots of things to do/see, places to eat/buy etc in the city. The province also has a lot to offer and it's a very pretty province. The city is well connected by air/ferry, not as congested like Manila(!) or other major SEA capitals, slower pace and more fun. I'm not a digital nomad but just trying to get away for winter. he he he
Would love a long term stay in Thailand, but the visa situation pushed me towards a one year tourist visa for Vietnam. Great videos, very much enjoyed.
This is the sad truth, wish Thailand was as lax as Vietnam on the visas!
Thank you very much for sharing. I love it!!!
Can you tell me what you guys do for medical insurance. Have you ever had to use it?
We've always had travel insurance, not strictly medical though, each have their pros and cons. 2 recommendations that we've used: #1 - danegerandstacey.com/safetywinginsurance #2 - bit.ly/2MVgXge
Thank you so much
Really great video, you broke it down fantastically. This is probably the best break down video I've seen. What about Laos or Cambodia?
Appreciate that, kind words 🤙🏼 We've visited Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos (have videos on all of them, but they're oldish) but if we don't stay long enough to track at least 2-4 weeks we don't include them. Too many people making vlogs and blogs with limited information just to get views these days. Will be in KL for 3 weeks soon and will level those out to a 4 week cost and make a COL video from there in a few months.
@@DanegerAndStacey That's great, I can't wait to see the less tourist heavy South East Asia destinations featured. Keep up the great work.
Lost count how many times I've re-watched this vid, absolutely love the way you both travel, thanks so much for sharing 👍😎👍
Oh that's awesome!! Thank you, happy to hear you enjoy our travels :)
1000 usd in Indonesia is equivalent to 8000 usd in Florida which is insanely expensive. Not fair to Indonesia
That's essentially the same comparison for all of these places though, so it's an even playing field
i am Indonesian, and i am agree with you, i noticed everytime visit my country, i felt every year it's going more expensive, Food price in Supermarket almost the same in Germany.
Such a helpful video 👍
Thanks Becci 👍
Would love to see Malaysia in the mix. I've been to all locations and Malaysia is my pick. Food, culture, value, modern. I will say that I enjoyed all countries though.
Good point for sure - we checked out Penang a while back and made a video on it, seeing if we could live there for a bit, but never actually went back for long enough to add it to the mix with enough detail. Where do you fancy most?
@@DanegerAndStacey Thanks for the reply guys. I really enjoy watching your videos. I like both Penang and Kuala Lumpur. Penang has the old British Colonial side and also the new and modern (Gurney) side. Kuala Lumpur is the nicest large city I've been to in Southeast Asia. Clean, modern, great transportation. I freaked out when the people getting on the MRT stood in lines. No shoving or edging everyone at the doors to the trains.
No worries. We’ve spent a bit of time in KL and have a few weeks planned there soon. Might track our spend and do a KL cost of living then!
Melaka is really nice and not far from KL or Singapore.
Thailand💕Indonesia
Thanks SEÑOR
8:32 Tricycles!
Yup!! Or in Boracay, those sweet e-trikes is probably what I was searching for haha
Great video! ♥️ do you use any app to control how much you spend? I tried once but it wasn’t the nicest one. Do you have any recommendations? Thanks 🙌
We’ve tried loads as well. Check out buddy easy budgeting or something
Hello everyone, some of the best time of my day. Thanks for the great video.
Yay - glad we can make your day a little better 👍
Thanks for an informative video. I really appreciate your beautifully shot and edited contents. Especially more now because after my trip to Bangkok and Chiang Mai last month I've been trying to edit and all of my short travel clips shot crappily by cellphone and oh boy, how time-consuming it is. I'm just doing it for fun, but still, it's a lot of work! I'm trying to learn from your videos. Great job and thanks again for putting 15 hours of hard work to create this great content!
Really digging this comment, thanks so much :) It just takes practice, and we've had 250 videos or so to practice haha. HAve fun with it though, we all started some where ✌🏼
excellant breakdown and very handy to know with me moving to thailand on march 31st,quit my job in australia and cant wait for a new challenge,100%agree on the internet speeds in thailand,insane speeds and probably 4-5 x quicker than my own place in adelaide,will purchase your book in the next week also
It's pretty crazy isn't it - we've got slow ass internet in NZ in some places as well, so painful moving around places just to try and upload vlogs!! Excited for your Thailand trip and for book readings, you're gonna love both 🤙🏼🤙🏼
My apologies if you've answered this, but how likely are you to get hacked abroad without a VPN? I never considered it.
We didn't really dig too much into it, so no worries 🤙🏼 Honestly you'd be pretty unlucky for it to happen, but as technology improves and peoples bad intentions leverage that, it does become more of a risk every day. Same goes for ATM skimming or accidents happening as you travel, travel insurance and VPNs are almost the same - smart to have, rarely needed, but could be bad if you don't have em.
@@DanegerAndStacey Thank you for the honest and thoughtful reply!
All a VPN basically does is encrypt your connection which adds a layer of security (helps to prevent eavesdropping). Even if you run the most secure system with the most secure connection you can still be "hacked". IT security is about reducing the risk. A VPN will help reduce the risk and is recommend, especially on unknown / public/ hotel wifi networks etc.
You guys are amazing! Have watched everything that you put out! Go the kiwis!!
Stoked with that, thanks for the love
Great vid 🎥 with tons of info!! 😁 🙌 Can def see the effort and I’m sure this is going to help a lot of people 🙏
Cheers guys 🙏 Looks like you've been to most of these spots!
Daneger and Stacey 😁👌 Southeast Asia always our fav place to travel ✈️ and it’s a pleasure to watch you guys 👍 Brings back the vibes 🙏 😊
Boracay in Philippines is expensive. Its a small resort island compared to Bali or Chang Mai. I've been to Thailand several times and I agree phone plans there are good but Philippine 4g speeds are improving.