⌛ Living Budget in $USD per Month

I just got my retirement computation. It is for the meager amount of
$USD 2,000 per month. Is that enough to rent a comfortable place and pay all other expenses?

 

You can live quite comfortably in Dumaguete on that. Of course, if you plan to travel back home or other places much that will be extra. But for regularly living expenses, $2k per month is more than sufficient.

 

Even with $2K you may want to wait and see what this dollar is going to do on the exchange rate before committing yourself.

Theres some big changes coming down the Pike...

 

$2000 a month can be plenty. $1000 a month can be plenty. Not so long ago, $500 was enough, but wouldn't want to be stuck on that small of a budget now.

 

You can live a nice moderate lifestyle on 2k per month, The conversation rate may be a concern along with the inflation rate as mentioned earlier on this thread, but it's like a sailor that wastes his whole life waiting for the perfect weather and never leaves port.

My suggestion is, if the move is something you want, go for it before something else happens.:D
Ron

 

you gonna give a bit more info what comfortable is for you. Even I don't know your standard at home and what is comfortable for you (aircons, car, bike, big flatscreen, "highspeed internet" dogs, diving, etc) I try to look at it from different points

For many people here it is comfortable to sit at home, doing nothing, once or twice a week out to meet the same faces at the same spot, talking about the same things and eating the same dish at the same local joint day after day ... 2 k is easily enough.

If you need to pay your TV, appliances, bike/car and all expenses from that it is tight.

If you bring/find a friend additional into that is very tight.

If you wanna see a bit more from this 7107 Islands in a comfortable way regularly, it is not enough.

 

living in Duma

you will live quite well ,as long as you are a reasonable person,if you party every night you will have money problems no mater what your income is Ragnar

 

Budget

I live quite happily on $1250 a month, i have nice rented house, can afford to eat out three times a week, drinking beer when i like, in moderation. I've been here 18 months and seen, the whole of Leyte, Samar, Bohol, Cebu, Negros and Panay on that budget. When my gf and i go touring we use a Motorbike ans stay at the cheapily priced hotels. I explore somewhere new, every week, within Negros. Then farther afield, once a month, besides there no point rushing i am here for the foreseeable future or until die after all I am only 41 and already retired. I didn't want to wait until i was 51 and have three times the budget I just wanted out from the rat race and living with the rats.

I never associate with the same faces here, if i wanted to associate with fellow countrymen, Americans or other Europeans, i would of stayed in Europe, or gone to the USA, I rarely drink with expats, but have lots of filipino friends, after all i am in the Philippines.

I often have friends stay over from Cebu and Mindanao, paying their fares and touring them to all the local tourists spots. Once a month the fiancee and I go to Cebu for a blow out, go malling and buy the things we cant get here in Dumaguete.

Its all about how you budget, and whether you want to live like an american in the Philippines, bringing the USA with you, or if you are prepared to take a little drop in lifestyle eat local foods and drink local beers. I certainly don't eat the crap, overprice, aweful, pizza's in Shakeys, i don't do Dunkin Donuts, or eat in the other over priced expat bars along the Boulevard.

Enjoy your stay 'Have a nice day now'

 

Devildog, only you can be the judge and answer your question. Perhaps if you come here for a couple of weeks with a game plan and check out the the big cost items, house, transportation, TV-Internet, food and beverage of your choice, air-ferry costs, diving, etc, you can figure it out. That is what I would do. I moved here from a much higher cost of living in Makati and still took 5 trips and initially found a small house with a fence for 9,000 pesos a month. Bought a barbecue to eat at home 5 times a week. I brought my old SUV so didn't have to buy a car. We didn't travel much as we were saving for a wedding. So you have to match your standards to this area and see if it will work for you at your budget. Good luck, semper fi.

 

Hey, I like your style!