⌛ Greetings from a new member

Jayhawk60, in terms of cost, I will offer some ranges. As you mentioned, there are too many variables to be specific. Others will weigh in who have lived here longer than me, I have only been here one year. Using pesos:
Housing - you can rent from 8000 to 35000 depending on size and location.
Food - you can eat out from 100 to 500 per person depending where you go what you order, alcohol not included.
Movie - I think it is 100p per person.
Utilities: Electric - 2000-5000, water - 100-500.
Groceries: depends what you eat. Pork and fish are affordable.
Car or motorbike: depends what you buy, new small car maybe 600000-950000, new motor scooter 40000-78000
A few beers out: not sure maybe 50 per beer.
I hear a lot of foreigners here are able to get by on their retirement or SS, so if you had $2000 monthly coming in.
Note: If I were you I would come and stay in a hotel for a month and check things out before moving. There are lots of threads posted here to give you a heads up what to watch out for. Go to McDonald's in the morning and talk with some of the Americans who have lived here for a while or go to the boulevard and talk with foreigners.
Good luck and again, read through many of the posts on this forum.

 

But PatO failed to mention that how much money you have is dependant on how much you "give away" to everyone that asks for some.
As someone here said when I first came here "remember, the words "loan" and "give" mean the same here".
Nomatter how much or how little you have, we are all "rich foreigners" to the locals.

 

QUOTE=PatO;61204] there are too many variables to be specific[/QUOTE]
Let's try,
A rental house will cost you minimum 5,000 pesos a month.
If you want to stay in a cheap place while looking for a rentalhouse, look for Vintage Inn north of the Market in Dumaguete. 350 pesos/night fanroom.
Electricity: 7 pesos /kw.
Water in Bacong 35 pesos for the first 10 m2 and 3,5 pesos/m2 extra.
Minimum Insurance (obligatory) for multicab 860 pesos/year
Multicab yearly tax:3,042 pesos
Yearly smoke test 350 pesos.
Easyride,busride around 1,5 pesos/km -minimum 10 pesos.
Cable Philproducts 3,456 p/year.
Wireless internet 999 pesos/month (minimum 1 year)
Domestic helper 2,000 pesos/month or more
1 case SMB bodegaprice 392 pesos - softdrinks 12 oz: 205 p/case
Rice 45 p/ kg - chickenfillet 190 p - fishfillet 260 p - meat 230 p.
Ground pork 95 p/kg - ground beef 115 p/kg Cornoil:150 p/liter.
Potatoes 75 p/kg tomatoes 70 p/kg carrots 120 p/kg
Fresh milk 25 p/250 ml -Orangejuice 64 p /liter.
Gasul (cooking gas)750 p/13 kg - Car gas 51,5 p/liter.
A decent meal on the boulevard Why Not or Coco Amigo's 200 pesos,beer 35 pesos

While basic life is quite cheap, some things are
expensive:docters,hospitals,medicine,lawyers and education for children.


Expect to spend more than your highest estimate.

 

Welcome to aboard Tom,

Whenever you come to philippine or land to dumaguete, let me know, I could always arrange someone to assist you.