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Budget on PHP 20,000 / mth
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Is 20000 PHP enough to live comfortably in the Philippines?
villafania3888
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Is 20000 PHP enough to live comfortably in the Philippines?
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I'm an American and have lived in the Philippines for the past 19 years. Filipinos can live off P20,000 a month, but I never could…. certainly not comfortably. Filipinos eat thrifty, mostly rice with one side dish of a vegetable or small meat or fish, and extended family live together, sharing costs and chores. Of course, everything depends on your tastes and how particular you are. A meal at McDonalds and other fast food places costs about $3–4 or P150 – 200. Shakeys Pizza – you will spend about $5 to 10 (P250 – 500) per person. Or if you want to be thrifty and more healthy, you can eat Filipino style, at many various “canteens” on the street that cost less than P100 ($2) for rice and a side dish. If you want air-conditioning, it is expensive – the highest rate for electric bills in Asia. Depending on where you live would determine if air-con is a necessity. Some places are so hot with no air flow, so even with an electric fan, it’s still miserable, just moving the hot air around. I have done without air-con but I need to have a fan on me most days of the year. Rent in the big cities is high, and much less in the Province. The way to find a good place is by making friends with locals and tell them you need a good place that is a low price. They will probably offer to help you find a place (and hope for a tip from you. I would give them P500 if they really help, because finding a good place at a reasonable price is a big deal) At least you will see what is available, because so many things are done by word-of-mouth. I live in the Province among the people so they know me. (I dislike the huge crowded city with too much crime in any country). Foreigners are not common where I live so people know me, even if I don't know them, and they know I’m good and help Filipinos, so they don't try to cheat me or take advantage much, but are helpful and kind to me. If you want to live in Manila where there is more English and night life – it will cost much more. I would recommend Cebu area – it’s much nicer than Manila, and many speak English there too. The further away you get from these metropolitan areas, the less English there is. I don't want to cook all the time and I eat out quite a bit. I seldom go to resorts and I never go to bars. So I don't know what your lifestyle would be or your purpose for being here, but I say you need at least P50,000 a month to live a comfortable life. You can expect to be charged more for many things, if it is obvious that you are a foreigner, at least until you learn what are the reasonable prices that locals pay, and learn to negotiate with a smile, or just act shocked and say “Oh that is too high!” If you can keep it light-hearted and laugh, and not get angry, you will be much more effective in bringing the price way down. Foreigners are usually targeted for sudden price hikes, unless you are in a mall or restaurant with fixed prices. Unfortunately, foreigners are often targeted for crime too, so be careful, especially in Manila area. I had my bag grabbed once (lost everything), and another time my bag was unzipped by a professional pick-pocketer in a crowded situation and my wallet taken out (both times in Manila). I have one helper (unskilled, uneducated) who comes 3 times a week. She cleans, cooks, does laundry and sometimes yard work….I pay her P300 per day for 8 hours work.
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Depends on your lifestyle Hardly enough but not impossible. If you’re single, it can be enough if you know how to manage your finances well. But for a family of four and above? Impossible. You’d need at least 35000–50000php to live comfortably. Php 20,000 was actually my first salary when I entered the workforce for the first time. I was an entry-level developer for a start-up company. Personally, it was okay. It was just enough. Housing If you live with your parents or a relative that enables you to have free housing then you’re in luck especially if you are around Metro Manila. If not, then you would have to live in shared apartments, dormitories or if you can spare a few thousand, in a condominium. Living in dorms range about 1500php–4000php, depends on the quality of the dormitory. Apartments can be different, in Manila it is difficult to find a decent 1 bedroom apartment under 5000php. Condominums are expensive but they at least have better quality than apartments, the convenience of security and the location having convenient stores and laundry services are a plus. The price is usually around 8000php–25000php for a small 1 bedroom unit (mostly unfurnished but 20000 and above are mostly furnished units). Sharing with 2–3 people will mostly cost you 5000php–10000php. Let’s say the average price of renting is around 5000 and that’s 25% of your salary already. That’s not even including the water and electricity bill. Daily Expenses and Necessities Commuting If you happen to live around Makati or Ortigas where you only need to walk on your way to work then congratulations but if you are somewhere in Quezon City, Caloocan or even Bulacan and you need to travel in Makati or Ortigas. That would most likely cost you 100–200 pesos for your fare in commuting. In one month that’s already 2000–4000pesos. Food and Groceries Everybody needs to eat. Going out on restaurants can be quite expensive. A single meal is around 300–1000php (for one person), foods are around 100–300php and if you keep eating out, it’s gonna cost a lot. So you better learn how to cook your own meals to save some money. By saving money, I don’t mean to always eat instant noodles and canned tunas because that’s terrible for your health! It’s not that difficult to assemble something healthy and edible. A simple tortang talong (eggplant omelet/ fritata) and cup of rice is enough to fill your bellies and it won’t cost you 100pesos. 200 peso is even enough to cook adobo that may even last for 2–3days (even 5 if you dare). I would estimate 2000–3500 peso worth of grocery for one month would suffice but it can all depend on your lifestyle. So with the rent and daily expenses, let’s estimate that into 10000–18000 pesos. That’s around 50%-90% of your salary. Luxuries I know most people like to shop, like me. I like buying clothes at least once a month and refilling my skincare products (I think taking care of your skin is a must!). I take pride in how I dress and how I look, it is art for me. Plus all the journals, scrapbook materials, books, and Starbucks. I can only speak for myself but it usually costs me 3000–5000 every single month. I also save around 20% of my salary for traveling fund. Like most young people we indulge ourselves in wanderlust and would fly to different places to see the world. I make travelling my number 3 priority (with savings being number 1 and investments number 2) because traveling is necessary for me for self-growth, having new experiences and getting out of my comfort zone. For others, it may seem expensive and not necessary but this is completely optional. I do it because I can afford it. Only live within your means. Savings and Investments What I do is I take at least 20%-30% of my salary and it goes straight to my savings just in case of emergencies and other shit. If you happen to have a spare of 2000–3000 from your monthly income, it would be great to put them into good use. Either save them, use it to pay for insurances (I strongly recommend everyone to have this! You have no idea how useful this would be in case of worst-case scenarios!) or invest in it. Let’s face it, 20000php as a monthly income might probably suffice today but tomorrow, it won’t be. Better to invest in something whether it is on the stock market, real estate or your own business. Living a comfortable with 20000php is possible if you’re disciplined. And if you are smart and skillful, you would know how to earn more money by doing freelance works or finding part-time jobs or selling stuff. Having only one source of income is risky. What if the company falls apart? What if you are immediately terminated? It’s better to have a backup and find more ways to earn extra money especially if you spend a lot.