#1 2011-06-12 00:55:27
- mogo51
- Member

- From: pattaya
- Registered: 2009-01-27
- Posts: 10
living in phils
I am wishing to move from Australia to retire in Phils, have had several areas recommended out of Cebu, Dumaguette, Palawan, Subic Bay, can anyone give me an update on rough costs. I am currently single but not wanting to stay that way, and wish to live reasonably but modestly. I like being near the water but also cooler climates are appealing as it gets very hot there. I have only been to Phils once and enjoyed Cebu. Manila area does not interest me. thank you, ron
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#2 2011-06-22 09:41:41
- wuwu
- New member
- From: Al Ain
- Registered: 2011-05-09
- Posts: 6
Re: living in phils
hi i just read ur message in expat blog,glad to know if ur stayin in the philippines now?im jean currently in UAE dubai,but im from davao,,,philippines I recommend you that the safe place to live is davao city,,its very nice,,,glad to know u more,,,,,
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#3 2011-06-22 22:09:00
- female_expat
- Contributor

- From: Makati
- Registered: 2011-02-09
- Posts: 198
Re: living in phils
Davao and Palawan are the best places to stay in Philippines. Davao though has more flights (Domestic and direct to Singapore), the convenience of a bigger city and if you wanna get away from the chaos, you can go to nearby islands for a 20 minute boat ride, not to mention, its closest to the highest peak in the Philippines.
I agree, stay away from Manila.
mogo51 wrote:
I am wishing to move from Australia to retire in Phils, have had several areas recommended out of Cebu, Dumaguette, Palawan, Subic Bay, can anyone give me an update on rough costs. I am currently single but not wanting to stay that way, and wish to live reasonably but modestly. I like being near the water but also cooler climates are appealing as it gets very hot there. I have only been to Phils once and enjoyed Cebu. Manila area does not interest me. thank you, ron
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#4 2011-06-23 20:19:06
- gerardh
- New member

- From: Brest
- Registered: 2011-06-06
- Posts: 2
Re: living in phils
I would also recommend Davao City: a big city but less polluted, less busy, less noisy, less expensive than Manila (or even Cebu), and not so exposed to typhoons and landslides.
All the best with your projects!
Gerard
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#5 2011-06-26 15:49:09
- pinaymentor
- Contributor

- From: Alabang, Philippines
- Registered: 2010-01-07
- Posts: 147
Re: living in phils
Cebu might be a good place for you to consider. There is a place there by the top of the hill that is cooler in climate, not very many people yet. The beach is just nearby like maybe an hour away. The city is about 30 minutes away. It has an international airport so it's a great hub to go to different places.
pinaymentor
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#6 2011-07-13 06:19:16
- vin30
- Active member

- From: Mandaluyong
- Registered: 2010-09-11
- Posts: 42
Re: living in phils
+1 to Davao. It may also be the safest city in the Philippines.
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#7 2011-12-12 04:45:04
- maria ella
- New member
- From: singapore
- Registered: 2011-11-24
- Posts: 2
Re: living in phils
gerardh wrote:
I would also recommend Davao City: a big city but less polluted, less busy, less noisy, less expensive than Manila (or even Cebu), and not so exposed to typhoons and landslides.
All the best with your projects!
Gerard
i agree davao city is best..i went to manila once before i went to singapore but i dont like it it is so dusty and chaos..davao is much better than manial and cebu to my opinion.im proud to say Davao is best
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#8 2011-12-12 05:33:45
- blueoakey
- Contributor

- From: Naga City
- Registered: 2011-10-21
- Posts: 110
Re: living in phils
Ron
fellow Aussie here, living in Naga city, Bicol. I lived in Manila
I hated it hence moving to Naga, I must put in a plug for this area 1.fair bit cooler that Manila, 2. very little pollution, 3.no traffic kaos like in Manila, 4.30min on plane to Manila ($40AU) 5.food is very cheap espessially locally grown vegies
6. all major stores SM Mall,Roberinson,Pruegold 7. new housing subdivisions so house and lot cheap (2 bedroom units $37500AU)
Also a lot of Pommies, germans and other Foriegner here so much so they meet monthly for piss up
Pete
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#9 2012-02-03 04:03:00
- jayxee
- Member

- From: bkk
- Registered: 2012-02-01
- Posts: 13
Re: living in phils
I woul like to recommend Davao City.. The best place , the best City and the best location that you are looking for! I've been to some other big Cities such as what you've mentioned above but for me Davao is still the nicest to stay.
goodluck.
jayxee
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#10 2012-02-19 22:34:43
- Gazza51
- New member
- From: Nambour
- Registered: 2012-02-14
- Posts: 1
Re: living in phils
Hello Ron,
Another aussie that will be retiring to Phils. I have a place with my partner in Bacong just out of Dumagete, great spot near the water. Shopping 10 mins by car to Robinson Mall, great golf an hour away, plenty of access to other islands, airport in Dumagete with both major domestic carriers. It is safe and not to many people around and all good to me, so can't ask for more. Did I mention it is CHEAP! Go and have a look.
Cheers.
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#11 2012-06-11 07:39:14
- Skiffle
- Active member

- From: Manila
- Registered: 2012-01-17
- Posts: 55
Re: living in phils
would be davao for sure... Nice beach, Mountains, at the same time, it is not a backward city. It has its own malls, a lot of activities to do at the same time.. davao retains its ambiance of being fresh , unpolluted heaven.
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#12 2012-08-06 11:27:06
- Serge2
- New member

- Registered: 2012-06-18
- Posts: 7
Re: living in phils
Davao is good choice, some filipino say safer than Cebu or Manila, country like town, huge, close to the sea, nature
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#13 2012-08-06 11:37:33
- Skiffle
- Active member

- From: Manila
- Registered: 2012-01-17
- Posts: 55
Re: living in phils
Are u in Davao? That's cool!
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#14 2012-08-07 11:56:51
- Allanna
- Member

- From: Christchurch
- Registered: 2012-04-04
- Posts: 17
Re: living in phils
Why is everyone suggesting Davao, when the majority of Mindanao is considered unsafe for foreignors. There are so many better places to live than there.
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#15 2012-08-07 15:26:33
- Skiffle
- Active member

- From: Manila
- Registered: 2012-01-17
- Posts: 55
Re: living in phils
well.. i will say Manila/ makati and cebu is nice too, bohol, palawan, and some other place. Davao city itself is probably the safest city. Its being run by a iron fist mayor. the unsafe zone is probably 8-10 hours away from the city itself. 
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#16 2012-08-17 16:09:14
- layzl
- New member

- From: Bohol Cebu
- Registered: 2012-02-11
- Posts: 3
Re: living in phils
You can also try Bohol, its a small Province in Visayas near Cebu.
http://bohol.gov.ph/??=home
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#17 2012-09-03 01:01:29
- steph21
- Active member
- From: nice
- Registered: 2012-06-06
- Posts: 32
Re: living in phils
Skiffle wrote:
would be davao for sure... Nice beach, Mountains, at the same time, it is not a backward city. It has its own malls, a lot of activities to do at the same time.. davao retains its ambiance of being fresh , unpolluted heaven.
I see everyone say Davao is nice but i thought Mindanao is dangerouse for foreigner i read its lot of kidnaping there?
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#18 2012-09-07 23:22:18
- rina_p
- New member

- From: Mandaluyong City
- Registered: 2012-09-07
- Posts: 1
Re: living in phils
You can also consider Batangas, since there are nice beaches there. Also, since you mentioned that cooler climates are appealing, Batangas is just next to Tagaytay which is elevated and one of the coolest cities in the country.
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#19 2012-09-12 08:36:37
- jayann1991
- New member

- From: Calinan, Davao City
- Registered: 2011-11-09
- Posts: 3
Re: living in phils
you guys never know what Davao is...my friend an Iranian was afraid at first but since I was born in this place, I never experience any war and trouble here... even kidnapping of foreigners... hope you experience Davao yourself
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#20 2012-09-12 21:49:56
- Allanna
- Member

- From: Christchurch
- Registered: 2012-04-04
- Posts: 17
Re: living in phils
jayann1991 wrote:
you guys never know what Davao is...my friend an Iranian was afraid at first but since I was born in this place, I never experience any war and trouble here... even kidnapping of foreigners... hope you experience Davao yourself
Just let me say. Your friend was probably muslim. So of course would be safer. As for you not experiencing problems. You wouldnt, because you are a local. You always hear of the Philippines army having gun battles with muslim extremists in Mindanao. Please take a look at the website dedicated to travel safety and then decide.
http://www.safetravel.govt.nz/destinati … ines.shtml
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#21 2012-09-13 01:39:24
- blueoakey
- Contributor

- From: Naga City
- Registered: 2011-10-21
- Posts: 110
Re: living in phils
yee, Australia have advise similar to NZ and while I think they may be jusified in some parts, we don't see crime at all in Naga City, granted we live in gated subd but we are doing business in Metro Naga on a daily basic albeit in day light hours.
I would like to say that in reading my local papers on the web
the crime in Tamworth(NSW)is very bad and breakins,assaults happen on a daily basic. this is a regional City comparable to Naga.
Pete
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#22 2012-10-25 17:35:18
- dave_gen
- New member
- From: davao
- Registered: 2012-10-25
- Posts: 2
Re: living in phils
hi ron its me dave, you have to move to davao. Its a safe place and its a very forward looking city with very good council and mayor and trying to improve life for everybody there and also they are very strict on their rules in the city. The cost of foods here is very cheap and affordable, im from the UK and my wife is filipina but i felt very safe here. email me angelgen421[at]yahoo.com
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#23 2012-12-28 07:40:58
- Okieboy
- Active member

- From: Calinan Davao City
- Registered: 2011-10-21
- Posts: 81
Re: living in phils
yes Davao for sure, no problem well protected, lot of housing cheap food and rent , i live in the province about 25K from Davao i built a house nice and quite place
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#24 2012-12-28 14:52:58
- mugtech
- Serial expat
- From: Bethlehem
- Registered: 2012-09-08
- Posts: 244
Re: living in phils
Okieboy,
Glad to know you are enjoying life in Mindanao. Have you visited other provinces/islands? If you ever come to Luzon and head to Ilocos I would drop the Okie handle, not very good title for a male in Ilocano.
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#25 2012-12-29 05:50:37
- Okieboy
- Active member

- From: Calinan Davao City
- Registered: 2011-10-21
- Posts: 81
Re: living in phils
yes i have been all over he Philippines, i have been coming here for years Okieboy is a handle for this site i am from Oklahoma
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#26 2012-12-30 03:22:18
- Okieboy
- Active member

- From: Calinan Davao City
- Registered: 2011-10-21
- Posts: 81
Re: living in phils
and luzon is the last place i would live in the Philippines, besides the weather the cost is high compaired to Davao
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#27 2012-12-30 03:27:22
- Okieboy
- Active member

- From: Calinan Davao City
- Registered: 2011-10-21
- Posts: 81
Re: living in phils
Allanna wrote:
jayann1991 wrote:
you guys never know what Davao is...my friend an Iranian was afraid at first but since I was born in this place, I never experience any war and trouble here... even kidnapping of foreigners... hope you experience Davao yourself
Just let me say. Your friend was probably muslim. So of course would be safer. As for you not experiencing problems. You wouldnt, because you are a local. You always hear of the Philippines army having gun battles with muslim extremists in Mindanao. Please take a look at the website dedicated to travel safety and then decide.
http://www.safetravel.govt.nz/destinati … ines.shtml
if you believe the information they put out you would not leave your house any were in the world, i hear this crap all the time, i have been here off and on for 40years i see more crime in the western world,i can't remember the last time a gunman went into a school and shot the kids
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#28 2012-12-30 04:25:55
- Allanna
- Member

- From: Christchurch
- Registered: 2012-04-04
- Posts: 17
Re: living in phils
Okieboy wrote:
Allanna wrote:
jayann1991 wrote:
you guys never know what Davao is...my friend an Iranian was afraid at first but since I was born in this place, I never experience any war and trouble here... even kidnapping of foreigners... hope you experience Davao yourself
Just let me say. Your friend was probably muslim. So of course would be safer. As for you not experiencing problems. You wouldnt, because you are a local. You always hear of the Philippines army having gun battles with muslim extremists in Mindanao. Please take a look at the website dedicated to travel safety and then decide.
http://www.safetravel.govt.nz/destinati … ines.shtmlif you believe the information they put out you would not leave your house any were in the world, i hear this crap all the time, i have been here off and on for 40years i see more crime in the western world,i can't remember the last time a gunman went into a school and shot the kids
Its good to get that kind of information from the horses mouth. (Please excuse the expression) NZ is a well know nannie state and too busy telling everyone what they should be doing. Pisses me off to be honest. Would love to head down that way sometime. Is that where they have the Great Philippine Eagles? I'd give an arm to see one of them.
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#29 2013-03-10 07:29:44
- gonzrule
- Contributor

- From: Khobar
- Registered: 2012-08-12
- Posts: 151
Re: living in phils
I've never been to Palawan, but that is the farthest from typhoons and storms to reach. The other ones you mentioned often get the worst. You might find Palawan very interesting. Cebu is ok, but Manila is never on my list to even build a house when I go back the Phil. Traffic there is ridiculous.
When it comes to the cost of living, I think you would be well off considering your income probably being at a "higher tier" as compared to the Phil's general average monthly income.
You can live a modest life with 50k pesos.
Last edited by gonzrule (2013-03-10 07:30:40)
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