⌛ How much is the cost of living in Dumaguete?:)

Hello guys,

For Americans living in Dumaguete..How much is the cost of living there? I have an American husband whom I am trying to convince to retire in the Philippines, he wanted to stay here in the States but the more I work and live here, the more I wanted to go back in the Philippines and retire, life here is so fast. I would love to live in Dumaguete...So I am wondering is how much is the cost of living there...Thank you very much!

 

Housing/Rent and Labor costs are basically the only big differences in the cost of living between the US and the Philippines. Food/Utilities is basically the same price they are over there as they are here. Gas prices are higher over here than the US but you don't usually use as much gas here in Dumaguete as you do in an average city in the US because everything is located nearby.

 

WHY? does this question come so often? I am European married to a Pinoy. WE know that the cost of living is cheaper HERE than in our own Country, It is one of the main reasons we are here. You will never be able to Justify the move when you are working. What you mean I suspect is, Will the pension go further here or at home. The simple answer is YES! :p

jack P.

 

How long is a piece of string? Do you need an indoor pool? Or would a fishpond in the back of a Nipa hut suffice?

Yes, it is cheaper to live here for most, but nobody can tell you the cost of living here as your question was put forth, as everyone does not live the same lifestyle. It seems those that need the most western amenities will not save nearly as much as those who can adapt somewhat to the culture.

Your mileage may vary, depending on how many cylinders you are running on!



Larry

 

Cost of living

I know one guy who is happy on $500 a month, I know others who are
struggling on $3000 a month. How much is the cost of living in the U.S.?

 

Food is only more expensive if you buy a lot of import stuff. Ingredients for the more typical local meals are cheaper. My girlfriend cooks the same as she always has (I don't ask her to make Western style meals) and our household, which includes kids, eat significantly cheaper than we would if living in the U.S.

Eating out is also quite a bit cheaper. The better restaurants here are equal to the cost of fast food to cheap sit down restaurants in the U.S. and I'm referring to the cheaper areas of the country. There are a lot of restaurants here where you can eat for even cheaper.

Entertainment is cheaper. A beer is less than a dollar. A movie ticket at Robinson's is around $2.

Public transportation is also crazy cheap compared to the U.S. Even at crazy hours when nobody else is awake, I can get a pedi cab to my place a ways away from downtown for around $2 and it's only that much because I'm generous in such situations. Any other time I can get around for the equivalent of "couch change" in the U.S.

There is a large gap here between high and low. The poorest live on less than $1 / day. This is a relatively cheap place to live, but it can get expensive if you are careless and throw your money around.

Here are some of my expenses in Pesos...

Rent: 6000
Internet / Phone: 1000
Water: 300
Electricity: 1500

Here is a look at New York, 29th most expensive city to live in (saw it in Businessweek today.)

No. 29: New York City, U.S. (manhatten prices)
Rank in 2009: 18

FOOD: Lunch at a restaurant: $23
Can of beer from grocer: $1.31
One kg of rice: $4.79
One dozen eggs: $2.96

ENTERTAINMENT: Movie ticket: $13

$2800 for a two bedroom apartment.

 

The cost in Europe is definitely high but the US is much cheaper. Meat per kilo/pound is approximately the same price over there and vegetables and fruits are about the same price as well. Rent though is on average $1100 a month for a one bedroom over there while its really cheap here. Yes, entertainment is cheap here but then again you get what you pay for. If you were to go to Manila to watch an international artist perform, tickets are much more expensive here. Its a toss up really. Maybe if you were talking about big metropolitan areas in the US then the cost of living will be much higher than if you were living in a small City there. It is just fair to compare NY vs Manila instead of Dumaguete.

Oh yah, and if you eat out all the time and watch movies in theatres, no contest... It is much cheaper to live here than the US

 

What will you be giving up?

And this is the answer in a nutshell. If you are moving into a bahay kubo then your expenses will not be bad but if you must have aircon, hot and cold water, sealed windows, they start to climb. Where exactly are you planning to return to? Has your husband been eating Filipino food since you have been together or will he strictly want western food. Will you have to have a car or is public transportation going to be adequate for you. Is he healthy or not so. These are the types of things you need to research and consider because they will have an impact on your expenses.

 

Exactly, lifestyle is what matters most but to make the comparison fair... Your house in the US and what you have here should have similar amenities before you can compare the cost of living.... just like with food. If you eat lots of fried chicken for example then I guess it would be fair to compare the prices of chicken in your city in the US vs the prices of chicken here.

If by cost of living the OP meant that they were willing to slum it then there is no contest... The cost of living here is potentially much cheaper. You can't just buy cheap bulad and ginamus in the US and build a hut anywhere you like for minimal cost. Squatters are not tolerated over there like they are over here.

 

Right, most things coming in from outside the country is at least as much or more than it would cost you from where you are coming from.

Cost of living in Dumaguete vs New York City is probably not a good comparison, I agree.

Here is a link to the list I was looking at. Manila is cheap even by Asian standards.

Singapore is 9th most expensive location in Asia to live