Whats it like for an American living in the Philippines? I am single

Hi MIchael,

I have lived in Cebu (Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan Island, also home to Cebu International Airport) since Aug 2013 and love it here. I am married to a Filipina with three beautiful daughters and love it here. On entry you can get a two month visa fro no fee, after that you can renew for two months at a time for a little more than $100. If you marry a Filipina the to of you can leave the Philippines for at least 24 hours and re-enter showing your marriage license and they will give you a free one year "balikbayan visa," which like the US "green card" is renewable annually. It is recommended that you wait a few months after you get married, we waited almost six, it shows stability. There are a lot of pitfalls I can help you avoid if you would like to email me we can get into some of the details. [email protected]

Be blessed, you will love it here.

Yes I would like your input on the pitfalls. can I have your email address. Thank you very much
Mike

Visit the Philippines first for a month or two. Dont rush into it. Make sure you have enough funds to live here and its not just you but a wife and her family. Plus you will likely have kids.

Too many retirees come here and run out of funds after some time. Plan carefully.

Thanks for the information. How much per month do you figure
it takes to live comfortably in US dollars

Mike

Michael Donth wrote:

Thanks for the information. How much per month do you figure
it takes to live comfortably in US dollars

Mike

That really depends on what kind of life you want to lead and whether you intend on getting a partner. If you have never visited the Philippines then you really should go there for a month or two, stay at a guesthouse by yourself, and acclimate yourself with the local cost-of-living. That will vary depending on the region. Consider what you would need as a single person first. If you do intend on getting into a relationship be prepared to have to support not only your significant other but in all likelihood his/her family as well.

Yes,

If you find a wife how much you need a month depends on how big a family she has for you to support and/or help. LOL Family helps family here, and not just your kids but parents, siblings, and sometimes cousins. And if you are American automatically you must be rich.  We help my wife's family as much as we can (bought new roof tin for her sister's house after the typhoon about $100, used engine for brother's trike (motorcycle taxi) about $125 and such things) but she reminds them often that we are not rich.

Without knowing your lifestyle, budget $1500 for the first few months til you figure out what you can live without. Some will say $500 is good, but that means local food, no a/c, cable, just basic necessities.

There are plenty of sites that will go into cost of living. But its not as cheap as you think. Especially when you figure in a girlfriend/wife. You will be the provider for all.

My personnel experience on cost of living in the Philippines after being here three different times and not counting my flight from Canada and back.

First trip was for one month and more like being on a holiday,lots of partying and travelling and meeting her 300 or so cousins,lol,approx. $3,000.00ca
Second trip was for three months alone,in Manila,(she was working abroad)approx. cost was $1,800.00 ca.per month
Third trip now ,both of us living together in Manila ,average normal lifestyle about the same that I would be living back in Canada ,living in a rented new furnished one bedroom condo ,and allowing 3 to 4 trip around the Philippines ,approx. $2,000.00 ca.

My two pesos,

mtcretired wrote:

Hi MIchael,

I have lived in Cebu (Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan Island, also home to Cebu International Airport) since Aug 2013 and love it here. I am married to a Filipina with three beautiful daughters and love it here. On entry you can get a two month visa fro no fee, after that you can renew for two months at a time for a little more than $100. If you marry a Filipina the to of you can leave the Philippines for at least 24 hours and re-enter showing your marriage license and they will give you a free one year "balikbayan visa," which like the US "green card" is renewable annually. It is recommended that you wait a few months after you get married, we waited almost six, it shows stability. There are a lot of pitfalls I can help you avoid if you would like to email me we can get into some of the details. [email protected]

Be blessed, you will love it here.

On entry you can get a two month visa fro no fee,   -when did they start giving  2month visa on entry for free?

I agree.. if you never been here, you should visit first to be sure you like it. its a big culture shock for most people. and if you do stay here don't get sucked into buying anything. travel around and find the best place. I lived in dumaguete and there a lot of expats there. for me, Cebu is like a mini-manila. too much traffic and pollution. Bohol is nice and baguio is great if you enjoy a cooler climate. im in Cagayan de oro now but im getting tired of sweating all the time. im thinking about going to tagaytay or back to baguio.

I live with my gf very comfortably on 850 dollars a month. but she cooks every day and I don't smoke or drink or go to clubs or pubs..

tommyboy  -try  bukidnon  ,much cooler there

Try Camiguin Island, a lot of foreigners stays there too. If you love the beach, nature, water falls and a not so busy place then I would suggest that one.

yes, I been to camiguin island.. the rents are much more due to the overload of expats there. I couldn't find anything to rent for less than 15k per month. but it is a beautiful island

tommieboy999 wrote:

I live with my gf very comfortably on 850 dollars a month. but she cooks every day and I don't smoke or drink or go to clubs or pubs..

Does $850.00 include your rent ?

yes.250 for rent.  250 for food. 150 for utilities (electric + cable+ internet)   and a few dollars more for transportation to the mall or coffee shops

Curious on what kind of lodging does $250 (p11k) get you? Is it a 1 or 2 br house, condo/apartment with a yard? Also, what do you do for hobbies? 

One of my friends is living on his Navy pension, but pretty much limited to staying at home watching tv all day and having a few beers once in a while. By the end of the month, eating rice and beans. His wife cooks but its a stretch and he would admit he gets worried on how they will survive as his health is starting to decline.

I tried to rent a condo a few times, but your quality of life depends on your nighbors, for instance when I was in manila I lived next door to a bunch of kids that were up partying all night til 5am.. and there really is no rules in most condos so my complaints fell on deaf ears. needless to say I moved out just to go to another condo which was pretty much the same problem. if you don't spend 25-30k per month to live in a 'foreigner friendly' condo with upscale residents, life there will suck most of the time as most Filipinos have little respect for their neighbors.. they don't do it on purpose, but this is the culture here.. they talk loudly no matter what time of the day or night
so this past few years I only rent single family homes.. my home now is 11k per month in a gated subdivision with 2 guard gates.. its fully furnished, however its simple Filipino type furniture and not very comfortable, but its peaceful and safe and close to sm mall. there are homes I have rented for 6k which were also safe but more in the country. as far as things to do, I like to drive my motorcycle around or just hang out at a coffee shop read the newspaper and chat with some expats. I don't drink so I don't spend much money when I go out

by the way... its a 2 bedroom home with a small yard

Thank you
Also are there areas you would recommend over others. I would kind of like to be were there
are some foreigners. Being 65 I am not as adventurists as I once was. Just looking for a simple
peaceful live

Mike

Thank you for your response. What areas do you recommend

Mike

Thank you
Any idea what the costs would be living there. Just a normal life not into
the Bar scene.

Mike

i would suggest dumaguete. I lived there for 8 months.. or Cebu if the traffic and congestion does not bother you. I spent  a year  near the ayala mall, then closer to the sm mall for another 6 months.
in dumaguete, I paid 16,500p for a single family home fully furnished.  in Cebu I paid 25k for a new condo across the street from ayala mall... and 15k for a single family home near sm mall. however, the farther away from the city you go, the rents are cheaper.. here in Cagayan de oro I pay 11k

I live in Naga City, can recommend the provinces for quitter life also listen to every thing other are saying
they are all true, don't ever leave yourself short of money, there are no free meals here.
we are raising my wife 3 kids in private school, eat well, have every available luxury and our budget is 65,000p
p/mth good luck
Pete

Michael Donth wrote:

I am coming to the Philippines in March for the first time. I would like to stay in either Davao, Cebu City or Dumaguete. I am single and retired. My dream is to live there forever. How long can I stay before I have to leave the country and if I was to marry would I still have to leave?
Thank you

Hi Micheal,
I am sure this topic has been covered many times so I will not give a very detailed response.  The first tourist visa is now 30 days.  Next you will need to get 59 day extensions and the ACR-I card, or if you are staying more than 6 months, then you can go to Manila (only) to the 6 month Long Stay Visitor Visa Extension (LSVVE). 

Tourist Visa - The total stay without BI special approval is 16 months.  Your ACR-I Card as a tourist will only be good for one year.   Stays from 16-36 months will require additional approval from BI Commissioner (Memoran–dum Order No. RADJR-2013-007.

Marriage Visa - 13a Permanent Visa is a two step process. Probationary status for approximately one year. Conversion, or amendment of the visa is the final step after a year.  Your ACR, Alien Certificate Registration Card,  will now be renewed every five years instead of annually.  You will not have to leave the country once a year and come back.  You will only need to make an annual report as a foreigner which costs less than P350.  Stays based on marriage or 13A visa are also based, in part, on your US Passport expiration date.

I have been living here in the PI since Aug 2013.  There are many fellow Expats here also and the ones that have travelled to Mindanao were counseled by the US Embassy.  One expat recently showed me the waiver he had to sign when he insisted he would go to Davao anyway.  This means all travel there still comes under the latest travel warning ( http://travel.state.gov/content/passpor … rning.html ), which in part, states:

"The Embassy has imposed a strict restriction on all but the most essential travel to Mindanao, and Embassy employees must receive special authorization from Embassy security officials to travel to any location in Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago, including urban centers."

Of course, there will be some that will tell you all is ok and it is very safe.  I have not been there so my personal opinion on it being safe does not matter.  I am just informing you of the US Govm't position and once you sign the waiver, you will be on your own if any issues were to happen (that includes local police matters as well).

I have been to both Cebu and the Negros (Dumeguette)
-  Cebu is ok and may be like a small Manila with heavy traffic and more scammers.
-  Dumeguette is less crowded, very hot and there may be less speaking English in public areas as you drive away from the city proper. 

After all of my travels here, I decided to settle in Tagaytay where it is much cooler, fresher air, less traffic and good access to Manila when I need to go.  YMMV… best to you

The first tourist visa is now 30 days.    there isnt tourist visa for 30 days   ,there have also been changes  to the length of time you can stay without having to leave

Hey mike I'm also from calif. Just decided one day to head to philippines and hear i am. Only been here a month. Realistic price is about 1500.00 usa low end. And up to 2000.00. Only thing you save on paying for is rent or labor. Most everything else is about the same price.   [email protected]. i don't plan to go back to USA.

Mike, as far as cost of living in the Philippines it depends on where you decide to settle, Cost varies greatly just like any place, big cities, plan on alot more, outside the cities much cheaper, sometimes 1/2 to 1/3 as far as housing, food about the same.

I live very comfortably on 900 usd per month.. the further away from the city, the cheaper it is. and less pollution and noise..

greenetravel wrote:

The first tourist visa is now 30 days.    there isnt tourist visa for 30 days   ,there have also been changes  to the length of time you can stay without having to leave

@ Greentravel - Not sure why you would say "there isn't a tourist visa for 30 days" ??  All one has to do is go to:  http://www.immigration.gov.ph/index.php … tor-s-visa    There you will see:

"There are two (2) classifications of Temporary Visitor's Visa by mode of admission:

Non-visa Required Nationals

Foreign nationals under E.O. 408, as amended, admissible for thirty (30) days initial stay
Temporary visitor's visa admissible for fifty nine (59) days
Visa Upon Arrival under Memorandum Circular No. MCL-08-003
Visa Upon Arrival VA thirty (30) days

Group Tour (Memorandum Order No. AFFJr. 05-012)
Pro-Investment Visa (Memorandum Circular No. MCL-07-004)"

I could be wrong but I think most single Expats come here and are issued a visa under the "Visa Upon Arrival VA thirty (30) days" and later continue with 59 extensions.   I am not aware of any Expat that arrived here and the BI did not place a visa stamp in their passport upon arrival…..

@ Greentravel - Not sure why you would say "there isn't a tourist visa for 30 days" ??    because as i said its not a visa   -its a visa waiver    ,a visa is something you have to pay for   .

R u there now or still at home? would like to talk, I'm in CT, but been going back and forth for 8 years, not sure how we could make contact without posting to eachother

How much is his navy pension?
He has not started to collect SS?

Hmmm 900 usd per month i dont see how that could be possible. But i have only been here about a month. Is iloilo area considered high coast?

Much lower cost than the big metropolitan areas. My wife is from Iloilo province, we go every year.
There are some high end gated communities in Iloilo city but as a whole the entire island of Panay
is inexpensive. Except Boracay of course which is only a 5 or 6 hour drive for a nice weekend.
Oton has fishing tournaments several times a year if you enjoy that.

my rent for a single family house in cdo is 240 dollars. my electric is 50 dollars.. my internet and cable tv and water is 60 dollars.. my food is 250 dollars a month.     going out a few times a week for my mcdonalds fix.. and coffee shop maybe another 100-150 dollars..  what else is there?

Michael Donth wrote:

Thank you
Also are there areas you would recommend over others. I would kind of like to be were there
are some foreigners. Being 65 I am not as adventurists as I once was. Just looking for a simple
peaceful live

Mike

Dont concern yourself about being near other foreigners. I see many foreigners in my local malls etc, 99% of them won't even make eye contact with me much less say hello.

I married a Filipino with 3 kids, I support them, the  rest of the tribe no better than to ask me for anything.

We bought a big house and nice piggery on 2 acres near San Jose, Batangas for 5,000,000 P cash. The weather here is amazing and we are surrounded by jungle and Mango trees. What else could you ask for lol. We survive comfortably on US 800 monthly. Sat TV, Wi max Broadband. We own an FB van and bought a new bike and sidecar for getting around. There is not much left at the end of the month but we have all the things we need. We are doing fattener pigs (35) but the numbers tell me there is not much profit to be made. You will soon find out that there is many people here that will help you spend ur money. Just tell them NO. they will get the message.
Like the others have said, try it here first. Don't rush into marriage. If you like the place and want to stay, I would highly recommend you just get the SSRV visa. You are free to come and go. I got the 13a marriage visa and it was a hassle from go to woe.