Dumaguete Info Search


Is Philippines really that cheap?

Discussion in 'Expat Section' started by ThatNewGuy, Sep 29, 2019.

  1. Jack Peterson

    Jack Peterson DI Forum Luminary Highly Rated Poster SC Connoisseur Veteran Air Force

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    There are many market Areas about But The Early Bird, Springs to mind :thumbsup:
     
  2. Jens K

    Jens K DI Senior Member

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    Exactly - if you want to eat healthy in the Philippines that means sourcing and preparing most of your food yourself. Doing that for breakfast / lunch and eating out for dinner only works pretty well for me. Couple good places for steaks or seafood, and the occasional burger or pizza as well here in Dumaguete.
     
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  3. djfinn6230

    djfinn6230 DI Senior Member

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    I do not think it is like that. I think the exchange rate itself just a norming exercise. You consider 50p = 1 USD. Over time, the 1 USD will buy more or less pesos but rarely by more than +/- 15%. When the exchange rate goes much beyond 55, peso prices inflate to make up the difference and often do not deflate when it goes down to 45. My point is, things are not cheaper due to the peso dollar exchange rate. In fact, things like foreign made appliances, construction materials and gasoline and many other things cost more. Labor and “local food” agricultural products cost less and, all in all, I have read that it is perhaps 35-40% cheaper to live here than in the US but even that is variable; I think it would be about the same cost to live here as in Tupelo Mississippi or many other small towns in the country. Once you normalize pesos and dollars to 50:1, yes it is generally cheaper for most but not due to the exchange rate itself. Peso costs have and will always inflate to keep up with available dollars in the economy. I don’t consider PI to be the place to go for an extremely cheap retirement if you want to live to western standards as in a large city in the US; however, the PI can give you a reasonably good life when you can only afford to live by local standards. In Panama and Ecuador, they use the US dollar as their currency, a 1:1 exchange. Normalized prices are very similar in those places to the Philippines. In the US, people trying to make a life on a low retirement income in the urban areas may find themselves homeless.


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  4. wolvhund

    wolvhund DI Member

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    PPI on Panama is 1.93 and for Ecuador it is 2.00, Philippines is 2.62. Relatively close but Philippines edges them out. They both have GDP per capita about $10,000 PPP, about 50% greater than the PI.

    I live in a city in the US with the cost of living about the same as Tupelo, and the PI is much cheaper, but comparing apples to apples is difficult. Finding a house and appliances that I have here is really difficult there, probably more expensive. I like to look sites like this one to make comparisons.

    https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Dumaguete
     
  5. djfinn6230

    djfinn6230 DI Senior Member

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    I spend at least 10% of every year in Raleigh NC and 90% here and, regardless, I know it I could buy a 1200 sq ft house in rural NC for about the same price as a 250 sq meter house here (sq ft x 9 is approx conversion). Grocery bills would be similar to USA and electric about half the price in US (10 cents per kWh USA vs 10 pesos per KWh here). Years ago in the 80’s, living here was “dirt cheap” compared to a US urban areas). Now I would say it is ‘notably cheaper’ but certainly not the lowest in cost, compared to, say Cambodia. Moving from Raleigh to Negros does not save as much money as moving from LA Calif to Raleigh...for whatever that comparison is worth lol. Single people who like to party will find extremely cheap rum and very affordable flop houses here which may make it worth their while to make the move lol.


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  6. osodelnorte

    osodelnorte DI Forum Adept Restricted Account Showcase Reviewer

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    Simple. Depends on where and how you want to live. Same as anywhere else. You can live cheaper in Louisiana than you can in Manila. As you can live high on the hog in Louisiana. So pretty much that range is here as well.
     
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  7. Show Pony

    Show Pony DI Forum Patron Highly Rated Poster Showcase Reviewer

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    I've been to Louisiana and it's nice but I'd rather live where English is the main language. LoL
     
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  8. Dr. Shiva

    Dr. Shiva DI Senior Member

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    In every location it is possible to live cheap or expensive. In the Philippines you can save a lot of money just by using the local public transportation, getting your food from the public market and getting your clothes at the ukay-ukay store. Similar stuff is also true if living in any other country. But check the prices first. Even in Zurich (Switzerland) it is possible to have a decent but still cheap life. You just need to know the city well enough.
     
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