Some people here are giving the Philippines a pretty bad rap. Of course there are some negatives to living there but as a house owner there I think the positives far outweigh the negatives.
I would like to give you a breakdown of my basic living costs there per month, I think you will find it hard to beat.
I don't live in a big city like Manila or Cebu, I don't want to live in a big city anywhere, anyway. Philippines has 7,107 islands to choose from so there are plenty of options.
I live on a small island, Panglao, which is next to a bigger island, Bohol. I get everything I need locally. Near our house are two wet markets where you can get all the meat, fish and vegetables you need. We also buy fresh fish from the local fishermen who pop by our house and sell us their fresh catch at a good price. Once a week we go to the city of Tagbilaran (12km) to buy some groceries we may not get on our small island but mostly that is not an issue. In Tagbilaran there are at least 4 big malls where you can get almost everything you need and if you really can't get something, one could head to Cebu, a huge city, by ferry (a pleasant 2 hour, air-conditioned journey). Actually I have never had to do that. I sometimes buy stuff online and delivery is quick.
There were some posters that said nothing works and no one does a proper job, absolute b/s. I recently renewed my Philippines drivers license and it took less than an hour from the medical to holding my new license in my hand. Building contractors, motorcycle mechanics, plumbers, electricians etc, do a first class job at a very reasonable rate. No complaints there. As far as medical, there are at least 4 hospitals nearby but medical care is somewhat expensive so it is best to have your own private medical insurance. Dentists are wonderful and dirt cheap, in fact many people come to the Philippines for dental work because it is cheap and excellent.
Renewing your visa, simple, done online now. With regards to visas, you can stay on a tourist visa indefinitely, just renew every time. You get 30 days on arrival, 30 days on first extension and thereafter you can get 60 days or 6 months, you can choose. The only requirement is that once every 36 months you must leave the Philippines and then return and the 36 month cycle starts again. Most people in that category just fly out of the Philippines in the morning to say Taipei or Bangkok and fly back the same day, easy peasy.
There are retirement visas which give you the same rights as a Filipino except of course the vote and passport. You can check online for that, there are various options. The most basic one is a deposit of $10,000 US and a monthly pension of $800 US. You can live comfortably on $800.
The locals are super friendly and the only people that have problems with locals are those entitled foreigners who think they are superior to the locals. I am friends with everyone and I am treated with great respect.
Panglao is a tourist mecca with an international airport 4 km from my house. If you like the tourist atmosphere you can go to Alona Beach where it all happens or if you like me you may want to opt to stay a distance from Alona and enjoy beautiful white beaches. There are MANY first class resorts, backpackers etc, in fact there is accommodation to suit everyone in abundance . Restaurants are everywhere, from local street food to upmarket European style restaurants.
Here is a list of my basic living expenses. I have my own house so no rent but you can rent a pretty nice place for about 360,00 won a month, sometimes you can luck out and get a place even cheaper.
All amounts are KRW.
Water - potable. - 10,000
Internet, fibre 200 Mb/s unlimited - 36,000
Electricity - 50,000
Property rates - 5,000
Total is roughly 101,000 a month.
I have excluded food as that depends largely on what you like to eat but it is affordable.
I have a scooter and not a car so my gas bill is really low.
It's just the wife and I so depending on your family size expenses can vary. Even when the kids arrive for a week or two, costs don't go up much.
My area is very safe. Of course there is crime, crime is in every place. We sometimes forget to lock our door when we go out and no problems. All my snorkeling equipment, helmets etc are left outside, we haven't had any problems.
Cons:
In Bohol area electricity supply can be spotty, many power cuts but they are slowly improving it. It isn't actually a huge deal, mostly for a few minutes but when they do maintenance it can be a few hours. I have a backup generator so it doesn't really bother me. Note this is not true of the whole of the Philippines, it is just my area that currently has problems.
Poverty: It breaks my heart to see the huge gap between the haves and the have nots. I try to help wherever I can.
Noise: At times noisy videoke especially when there is a fiesta but that is usually one day at a time.
Crowing roosters, sorry but that is just part of life here.
Stray dogs: They are a hazard on the roads.
Driving habits: Like Taiwan and Korea, traffic rules are suggestions rather than laws which are enforced, one just has to expect the
unexpected.
So, don't pay too much attention to those who run the place down. Is it perfect? No it isn't, but I enjoy the weather (always summer), the people, the food and the relaxed lifestyle. I live 5 minutes walk from the most beautiful tropical beaches, so that does it for me.
