I live on way less than $1000 USD a month and its NOT difficult. Many make the mistake by going to a town/city loaded with foreighners and trying to continue living as they did in west. Adjust, modify and be wise. I am adding a video on my current apartment later tonight.
I'm planning way ahead will build my house and business there while working in the United States still. But yes once there things are cheap mostly I've been once going again in October.
Sir, have watched several of your videos and just now decided to subscribe. Retired military here; I enjoyed visiting A/C while working as a contractor during the desert wars. Took a break and lived in Dau for 8 months with my GF and her family. Things went sideways and I always stay at the Pacific Breeze not only for location, but the customer service is top notch. I have lived in 21+ countries in my life. Be happy. Will I have a Bezos, Musk or Trump lifestyle; no. I will strive to be happy. Keep doing what you do and be safe
Talking about budgets, when I first moved to Manila (2013), I lived on $600US a month for about three years and it was very comfortable. Of course, now that my Filipina wife contributes about 50K php a month and I'm about 150K php, we live very well in Mandaluyong. Personally, I cannot see living anywhere else on this planet with the comfort and ease I have today.
I live on $550 a Month here in the States.. I Own Everything, so No Rent... $550 includes Bills and Food of In/Out Combination. I have NO Social Life.. That Helps.. and the Second Place he showed with the Ex Military Guy Owning, As Long as they Accept Pets, I could Live there and get the Long Term Deal of All Bills Paid because I would be there 10yrs at a time...
My first place in Pampang (barangay of AC) was 6k for a newly constructed place. With utilities and wifi, it ran 8500 php (about $150.00 USD). Second place was a two bedroom, one bath town home in Malabanias for 10k...Currently paying 15k for 1/1 townhome with pool and gated access....I think 1000 usd is totally and easily done if you let go of the western style life and frippery. There are other parts of the world that have similar....(Spain, Greece, Columbia, Panama, Thailand etc) but there maybe bigger reasons why persons choose PI vs those....
@@Regular_Guyph So, the first place, while new, was in a broke-ass part of Pampang.......kids playing with sticks and dirt and I didnt have a paved road close. I spent a couple of years in the second place....it's in Malabanias near the Silk Inn. I had some interesting neighbors at diff times (Including an American who came back to find his wife had procreated without his genetic material on one side and a Pilipino couple with a young child who's head of household like to sneak prostitutes in when his wife was at work on the otherside!) I don't like dealing with other's drama.
I’m 10 mins in and already convinced, this is your best vlog ever. The obligatory UA-cam Expat budget vlog…. But with the Scooty spin… You really are the Man. I get the puttering, love the routine, perch time and life observations are important. Brother just living his life…Giver not a Taker…. Just doing his thing…. Low impact and living… It does help and thanks Scotty. I prefer Scoot. But we’ll done Sir. Well done.
Your the best reviewer I've seen, I'm retired American in Makati and I suggest every HEALTHY American to follow your path. The elderly and those needing medicine and have health issues, I suggest keep buying and taking your over counter medicine,, eat well, lose weight, exercise, easy on the booze, and get at least x2 check ups throughout the year at a clinic called Hi Precision Diagnostics in Angeles. They have a chain of them in the Philippines. It's air conditioned, and professional. They have labs, doctors, x-rays vaccines, etc. From maintaining cholesterol to STDs, they can write a prescription for you. Keep up the good work!
the mistake other vloggers make with budget vids is they say you can live this well on a grand, better on 1.5 and great on 2.5.... instead of just giving a template that people can use to make it easier to customize their own budget.
@@Regular_Guyph yes, they are not figuring in your $2,000 back up money to leave asap when you have to leave the country, or your broke and need to go home. Or having credit card(s) totalling over $25,000 just in case you're in a Philippine ICU because of a vehicle, trike, motorcycle, or other tragic accident. It gets lonely. Lots of guys want to share their lives with a good woman here. And a gf will cost money even if she never asks for a penny. She may have a child and/ or aging parents needing monthly bp meds. Perhaps the child never had a Christmas tree, or a real birthday present.. or your gf has not been to a doctor for a long time and needs meds, or dental work $$$ Crazy stuff.
@@Regular_Guyph My partner and I are thinking about starting about finances here. Our basic bills for a family of 3, including a comfy 3 bedroom home in a gated community a little outside of central Cebu, food, internet, electric with AC, my thyroid meds, immigration, modest extended family aid, school fees for our daughter, and some left over for 'allowance,' is about 1K or less (based on an exchange rate of 54 pesos; i.e., 53-54K pesos/month). This is what included for that. There are times I spend more for upgrades and/or additions to our home, and occasional travel. The rest of my income goes to savings.
@@watersbey25 Exactly, I have 2 foreigner friends here whom I think are crazy for supporting 4 of their partner's kids without her paying ANYTHING! In one instance there are 3 grown boys in their 20's, along with her separated parents! Recently a vehicle accident had pushed them to come to us for a loan. No savings whatsoever. If you really want kids, consider having your own.
$600 US total for everything you listed as expenses to live comfortably in a pretty nice studio here in a decent area. Including excellent easy 12 to 14 pesos transportation on newer small buses and occasional Jeepney as well. Don’t drink so that helps. Nice weather for long walks to keep me in shape physically as well as mentally. The people are of course wonderful. I travel monthly as well to other places, including other islands like Palawan, Bohol/Siquijor/Negros and more. Or just 135 pesos for comfortable bus ride down to San Juan surf and play beaches. PLENTY of cheap accommodations in all these areas that are as comfortable as my apartment. That adds $200-$500 US on average more monthly of course. Adding a good amount into savings monthly as I spend far less than I receive monthly. Very healthy with no meds so I’m lucky. If I develop health issues that could change my thought process. Until then I am living in paradise. The diverse beauty here continually amazes me :).
Food is a HUGE variable here. I’ve spent anywhere from p400 to p1500 a day. It’s very easy to live here on $1,400 a month in Manila and that’s not a boring month. The only change I’ve made is on a more expensive place. I was paying $365 a month all inclusive at a resort style condo in Manila but I’ve increased that by $200 a month for an even nicer place that is similar to what I had in the US. So now my budget is $1600 a month.
@@ChrisSauer-oe5ve It's not necessary to have a good, basic life here. I notice some foreigner wives compare and pit them against one another. They say XYZ bought this or that for ABC, why can't you do that for me?? Here's an idea: earn some income for yourself, and quit acting like an entitled princess. Also, don't let other foreigners put you down by saying you need what they need, or subtly shaming you for living a lesser life style than them (they can leave that kind of attitude--keeping up with the Jones attitude--back in the states). I tell them, "Maybe you can benefit from better money management skills," and quit wasting your dough. Not everyone enjoys traveling and eating out all the time, some prefer a simple and peaceful home life.
My rent is 5,000 a month for 2 bedroom house in Davao Del Norte. Coffee is 7 pesos per sachet. Pan de coco snack is 5 pesos per piece, I can eat 3 or once in a great while 4.
This is proof that it can be done and I was impressed by the quality of the apartment, I could live there. However remember if you are going to live this life style, it is an ABSOLUTE!!! necessity that you have a big emergency fund in case of illness or a need to leave the country.
I myself have No Bills and can live just fine in America on $1500.00 USD a month. I would have no problem living in the Philippines ,Thailand, Vietnam! Best places to live in the world! (imho)🙏🏻👍
Yes you can live and have fun on a small budget. If you have a Filipino scout out an Apartment for you then you can save more $. My wife found an Apartment in San Fernando, La Union. 2bd 1 bath with more space for $175 month. Cool. Then we also have our 3bd 1 bath house in a Gated Community near Tarlac (rhymes with Tapas) for $240 month. Bought a couple of hectares in Bamban Tarlac on the mountain last year. Lucky I have a great wife who can sniff out a deal and knows people in Gov. Change your life a little, buy fresh veggies and meat from the Palengke (market) and learn to cook. UA-cam is your best friend! Don't blast your A/C all day, use fans when you can. Be smart and enjoy having good people around you. Do a random favor for your neighbors and the returns will never stop.
That is close to our location. We found a 3brm 2 bath that we're buying for about $300/month. Since we have a daughter together, the property will eventually go to her. Also, you are right, eating in is much cheaper, and you can eat much more healthy. My hobby is computers and home theater, so we get our entertainment for virtually nothing. Recently, I installed a hot water heater myself for 1500 pesos, which we purchased at Lazada. At the Wilco hardware store in Cebu an equivalent unit was 6-12K! I have a Magicjack line that gives me unlimited phone service to the US. My foreigner friend often asks to use it. It's actually fun so see if you can make it here, spending less. My next project will be prepping for a disaster, like a typhoon and such (Odette was a killer), and will be shopping for a propane powered generator, integrated into our main power grid.
Good video 👍 You need to kick in for 50 and older folks, medical insurance. Also doctor and dental visits. That can be between 200 and 250 a month average. Did you see Reekays video about his medical emergency? $8000 USD...
It was a good deal for the Filipinos to join the US Navy. They would then get citizenship. I served with a number of Philippine nationals and I found them to be terrific people.
@@KennyInSubic Same here. U.S. Navy retired. I you were in good with them you were gold if not.... We called them the "Filipino Mafia" because they controlled everything!
Absolutely you can live comfortable on a $1000 a month. I’m someone who has more than that to live on but honestly we usually never spend more than a $1000 dollars a month. I live in Tagaytay City a destination resort town and still manage well on that amount.
I love my morning coffee too, but I make it in my room. I buy the locally grown Aribica beans from SM, and I have my own coffee press. My apartelle room, 5 minutes walk from Fields and 10 to SM, is about the same rate (aircon, internet, water & power) and I have a balcony to sit and watch the world go by on Teodoro Street. My biggest expense is food & beer... My friend goes to Phillies and buys a bucket of 5 beers each evening watching the sport on the big screen. I often eat at the food hall in SM which is a budget stretcher. If you are living in Angeles the girls will find you and you will have a full menu after 6 weeks...
Sounds wonderful. I visited AC many times, while I lived in Korea. I know Fields and the SM mall, stayed in Pacific Breeze many times. Now am in the U.S. I can't get used to the woke America and want to go back and live in AC. You've inspired me. I'll go in January and look for places to live. Whatever you do, don't go back to the U.S. Life here is not life.
Absolutely. You don't have to live like a monk to do it either. Though I'd recommend more if you can manage it so you're less likely to get wiped out by a large unexpected expense.
I bought a 2 bedroom condo in taytay rizel and my mortgage/monthly payments are $500 (28,000 PHP) Fully furnished. Does not include utilities though or the dues for the condo development. Depending on how much electricity you use, it would cost another $50-200, plus $80 for condo dues (includes water, trash, and condo development cleaning and 6-10 guards on duty 24/7). Internet and hd TV for 2 TV's is 1750 PHP. That's around $35 a month.
Wow, a brand new place in Tarlock for 3,000 pesos, that's really hard to beat!!! I could easiity live on 1,000 dollars a month but fortunately I can afford more, but I also can't believe people who they could never do that. In most cases I translate that too "I'm very impulsive with my spending and I have a lot of bad financial habits that I'm unwilling to change"!
2:40 Scotty, I love it!… ❤️ If you were to furnish a place in Tarlac, that’s charging you ₱ 6,000 Php/ month rent. Then you can probably rent that on average out at ₱ 18,000 Php to maybe ₱ 20,000 Php for it, like in Manila; using Airbnb? Do that about 5 to 6 times over, you will have the $1,000 USD/ month. Then you can sit back and enjoy some “company”. From an average American’s perspective taking Airbnb, to whom is only familiar with Manila, how would you convince me to goto Tarlac instead? I’d say throw in a motorbike rental to start. A good quality A/C? Maybe stronger Wi-Fi? How does Starlink work there? Solar panel electric may be an option. But how would you convince the landlord to allow it? Maybe pay the entire month agreement upfront? Or even see if you can negotiate 2-3 years if paid upfront at a discount. Total investment: $7,772.40 USD for one year. And you can do that math for 2-3 years.
I live quite comfortably in provincial North Luzon (for the past 5 years) on half your quoted budget, and only a bus ride to Angeles, should I feel like doing a bar hop with friends. Of course home-cooking and living in my own no-rent shack does help. :)
Great video ! I found that in the Philippines 🇵🇭 in the more rural areas (southern Cebu) I could easily live a wonderful life for $800-$1000 per month. So if I budget 15k per year I can factor in travel and many extras ! Many guys can’t handle eating at carandarias but I personally love it because you meet the real Filipino people ! You don’t have to live like a sultan in the Philippines 🇵🇭 to have fun ! Angeles City would probably be too much for me ! Lol 😂 I would probably drink too much and blow too much money on women ! Lol 😂 Also I like Tuba (coconut wine ) it cost about 120 -150 pesos per gallon ! Lol
interesting i've never had coconut wine but i'm a big fan of rice wine but its very hard to find in most areas. I assume coconut wine is available everywhere?
@@anguslaing6611 I’m not sure about the alcohol content but it’s great ! I was with my girl in the mountains where she’s from and her father introduced me to it . The old heads were telling me how healthy it is and it helps you sleep well ! They are correct I did research and it actually helps prevent heart attacks and has other health benefits! I sleep like a baby when I drink it and no hangover. So I’m a big fan now plus it’s so inexpensive ! You can find it in the province areas . Going along with Scotty’s Vid .. if you find Filipino people to be friends with they will help you with everything making it much cheaper to live and be happy in the Philippines 🇵🇭 !
@@Regular_Guyph Filipinos love it so maybe ask a Filipino where you can find “Tuba “ (coconut wine ). And they will steer you in the right direction. A lot of open air markets will have it also . It last about 3 -4 days before the taste changes. (Eventually it turns to vinegar and Filipinos will use it for cooking. And don’t put it in a refrigerator or it will smell bad.
@@Regular_Guyphyes it's pretty much available everywhere but most popular in the province areas. The first days after extracting the juice it's actually quite sweet. After about 3 days it has fermented into alcohol. After about 1 week it will turn into vinegar.
My daughter and her mom lives in an decent apartment with one bedroom in Angeles for P5,500. It has CCTV and it's gated for added security. It is unfurnished and has its own electric meter, free water with tenants' washing machine downstairs and has a gated parking lot.
@UkrainianInPhilippinesVideos My daughter and her mom moved there last January 2023 to be closer to her school in OLFU. So it's not an old rent rate. The market is saturated with apartment vacancies. It was actually P6,000 but my daughter negotiated it down to P5,500.
I'm counting the days Scotty....all I need is a cheap place near a decent beach...a bottle of rum a week,one book a week, two meals a day, and a decent internet connection to listen to my music....I'll see you in 2-3 years.
I'm glad I love the Nescafe 3 in 1 instant coffee. It's about 11 pesos each. I also try and stay near a outdoor market and having even a hot plate to cook on in my apartment lets me cook many delicious things for cheap. I like San Miguel Ice beer from the sari-sari which is cheap. I like province town life. Food from the street vendors at night is always entertaining and yummy.
I can so relate to your living style. I drink only Nescafe instant coffee! It tastes great! My family and friends think I'm strange. They spend $120 per month on their Starbucks! I spend $8 per month. At the "end of the day" it's only coffee!
@@watersbey25 Not pinoy. With a nice Honda ADV scooter, or Suzuki multicab you can always take a road trip to the city, or mini vacations to other places. By living cheap in the province, I have a lot more pesos to take trips to other interesting places.
Scottie after my wife and I got engaged we looked for a place everything seemed expensive and 3 months up from. I was training with some guys in Jiu-jitsu at Doce Pares Headquarters in Santo Nino' village. This was in Cebu. When the instructors learned we was looking for a place they found us a apartment a block away. It was about p8000 $160us it was perfect for us. Wife started training with Doce Pares and her 18 year old sister stayed with us to keep the house cleaned and cook and sometimes gi to the market, go pay some bills, she slept on the couch in the living room. One time my wife's 11 year old sister was staying with us for a weekend. I couldn't belive it they put these kids on a bus 2 hours later they was in the city. Then the kids would get their own trike or jeepney. Well ok I told my wife I was going to get a beer SM the big ones. The store was right accross the street. Wife told me to send her 11 year old sister. I didn't think that would work but sure enough she returned with the beer.
That is awesome the kid getting the beer kids in the Philippines are way more worldly and mature than their counterparts in the United States that just hide behind a video game and don't go outside
@@MrBeachDoctor yes I was smoking when I was 12 when my family lived in WVa I was in the News And Novalty store when the TV had a news bulletin that John Lennon Died. I had a pack of light cigarettes in my hand. Glad we moved to a place I couldn't do that.
This is simply a comment concerning my own situation. I retired to the Philippines 5 years ago. My Filipina wife and I had already bought a property worth USD 100, 000 3 years prior to relocating. We sold up in Hong Kong and then bought more residential and commercial property from which we earn a good living. We live in the boondocks. All I can say is that property is worth investing in, providing you have trust and love.
@UkrainianInPhilippinesVideos You seem to be missing the point. The first property I bought, prior to relocating, was USD 100,000. The second property I bought was around the same. We have since bought more residential and commercial properties, which are now valued at over 1m USD. In addition, we have a regular income that exceeds our expenses by far. Maybe read the whole post before making a comment - "We sold up in Hong Kong and then bought more residential and commercial property from which we earn a good living".
Good video I found Dumaguete affordable and welcoming. My hotel room was about $500 a month but a house could be rented for $400 a month. Meals were cheap Nice coffee shops I think it’s quite affordable
WHen I was in '89-95 we had many philipino chiefs, usually in charge of the kitchen. They couldn't get the security clearances due to background check difficulties. I can say there is nothing like a philipino chief walking and screaming 'WHAT IS THIS GODDAMN SKATING RINK'?
I can see why so many of my 🇺🇸 brothers are retiring OUTSIDE OF THE USA. Many good men have been destroyed by the ridiculous marriage laws & child support. Current crime rates r ridiculous. I encourage more men to live abroad
In the U.S., you can't get a one bedroom apartment for $1,000 per month. Costs at least $2500 per month to live here, minimum. And everyone looks down on you. In the Philippines you live like a king for less than half the money. Although same can be said for most countries, including all of Latin America, and most of Asia, and even Europe.
I'm keeping my daughter in a run down cheap azz, single room hotel for $1600 a month in the Detroit burbs. Apartments start about 1200 with a lease if you can find one. You have to pay a fee to be considered.
I spend a month every spring there with my fiance and each time it costs me about $600 to $700 a month for rent including all utilities and then about $1500 for spending money. I admit though that I do buy my favorite vitamilk everytime we take a walk because you get thirsty FAST in the heat when walking and we eat jollibees or mcdonalds a few times a week.
Right on Scott, this is a helpful video to get the ole brain juices stirring for sure. Thailand, Vietnam, and the Phils have similar geo arbitrage potential, I think Visa's are a main concern for home basing for me in SEA. With the Phils having the best visa situation for someone in their mid 40s, although, Vietnam looks to be returning to 90 day tourist visa's, so we will see. Da Nang has always been top of mind for a budget friendly sea side place, that or Hua Hin, but as we know, Thai visa situation is not foreigner friendly unless married (yuck) or retired past 50.
@phillywillyVideos I loved the term Chadlite haha :-) 6 months in Korea? Wow that’s awesome I will look into that more as I love Korea Vietnam for 90 days will be low cost living but I would have to be outside of the city as the air quality was tough in my eyes Thailand 3 months, Bali one month Philippines 3 months then Thailand again … head to the US for holidays and repeat Thoughts ?
yeah we gotta follow our hearts... nothing wrong with saving some money... there are plenty of people who get their paycheck and blow it all before the next pay check and ask loans from guys likes us.
Talking about the 18k PHP apartment: to be honest, I pay $70 more here in Spain for a 1000 sq ft apartment made of: lounge, kitchen, 2 rooms, bathroom, balcony and rooftop. The more videos I see about Philippines, the more I get convinced that Philippines are not cheap AT ALL compared to western "first world" Europe.
You must have not seen Jasper in PH, you see a very select handful of scenarios in the few videos you see, besides, Spain would have to be alot more cheap for me to consider going there at all.
It used to be a lot cheaper,but the presence of more tourists, US veterans, and balikbayans I think are driving the costs up in services , products and rents sky high , sky high to me as a local since our salaries haven’t really changed much since the 90’s.
Man, that hi-speed video almost triggered a seizure - had to sign off by 6:16 - During my Tour of Duty in Vietnam - early 70's - did part of my R & R in the Philippines. 'nuf said, ALOHA 4 now...🙂🙃
Really appreciate these kind of videos. I also watch chubs, phillyinthephilippines, far east papi. Overstayroad. Focus on asia and others. More power and god bless.
Philip at Bigg world cinema lives on $600 dollars a month in Cebu city and his condo looks decent with a pool and gym......just saying $1000 dollars is not rock bottom.
@shorelinesofandhra7941 He was paying $273 a month on a yearly contract but he's moved to Manila now and I think they were increasing prices. You can see the Condo on one of his videos.
Not trying to diss Phils (I'm headed there myself next week), consider that your USD will be about equal in value in Colombia as compared to in Phils. Although the dollar has recently dropped, it's still roughly the same value as you'd get in Phils, and you can enjoy a more modern lifestyle in a temperate (mountain) climate comparable to Baguio or colder, while paying 1/3 or so less in air fares.
Not nearly as safe as the Phils. Phils doesn’t have people trying to spike your food or drink with scopolamine, or the express kidnapping threat (outside of Manila) that is prevalent in Colombia. Can in general travel in rural areas or smaller towns without massive risk in Phils, unlike Colombia. Also, age gap is more accepted in Phils.
@@gangstagummybear3432 Not BGC, but rest is, even drink public water and lights never go out, Solid infrasture, as look up Metro in Medellin. There are other issues however, and I know both well, but weather, proximity, cost of living it cannot be beat!! But goes down hill after that.
Pretty interesting. Latin America is another option from what I gather. I'm actually originally from Central America, so I could live half the time there and the other half here in the US. By the time I retire, I'll have my home paid off here in the US and I'll have a pension through my job. Plus retirement savings. I'm from Nicaragua to be more specific. I see foreigners there all the time.
Good ol Scotty boy really knows how to have fun and live life on his own terms. Never let anyone try to tell you what should be fun to you. Some of the toughest men I know take lemon in their beer, but at for me I don't even like beer and I usually eat on main meal a day, so my fun isn't ever gonna revolve around food and drinks and I never pay for the puss because I believe that's a slippery slope that I don't want to let myself go down.
Bohol is not cheap. I can't compare cuz haven't traveled much but those that have tell me. After the earthquake of 2013, we moved into town for a few years. 4 bedroom split level house was P4000 a month. Good neighbors and never a problem. Before SS kicked in so family of 4 living on USD 780 a month.
Thank you for this! There are plenty of us living perfectly well on 1K/month. Most of the other vlogs say you need at least 2K or even 3K, month. Makes me wonder if they are providing support for either an entitled princess or lazy extended family.
hehe i get over 3 k and i struggle a bit, and yes i support to many people, a down fll for people like me , to giving, you need to be tougher than me about helping people i think, but if things work out, those that i help will soon be generating a small bit of income for me as well as themselves
@@dennisseeker36 Thanks for admitting that. I'd always scratch my head on budget videos, wondering why some say it costs them more to live in the Philippines than in the West, since our budget for the 'basics,' including rent is about $850 for a family of 3, with a total allowance of about $1100. Good food (cooking mostly at home), AC, hot showers are all included for that, as well as misc items, like my thyroid meds and immigration costs. If you are handing your lady $2K every month and it's not enough, then she's most likely spending it on something else.
Listen: in Spain you can live for less than 1000/month and the food is cheaper and superior quality. Beer and wine is cheaper than water so if you like alcohol...not a good idea....🤣 so the only reason expats go to Asia is for baberony🤣🤣🤣
I wasnt impressed with food in spain except the Pizza on the US military base in Rota Spain, and the food wasnt no cheaper either, so its the food the women, the weather, everything, and more english than Spain.
Great video. Have been planning on retiring in Hua Hin or Jomtien in Thailand, but appreciate your candor & commentary! Will definitely need to consider the Philippines now.
Oh Man! The rapid flickering fast forwarding made me glad that I am not prone to epilepsy ! And made it impossible to see anything there was that might have been interesting. Pity. I dunno if I want to go back and there's still about five minutes left. I think I'll come back to it in a few hours time. What a shame. Anyway good luck with the next video.
for a 1,000USD budget you can get rent: 3bedroom apt/house for 6-8000php electric: (depends on your equipments) 2,500php internet: 1,500php water: 800php for a family of 6 food is cheap if you convert your dollar to pesos
6000 P or about $120 a month for a new place. That's insane. There is no doubt that if I was going to retire and was on a meager fixed income, I would be doing everything in my power to move to the Philippines.
Regular guy you travel other countries like cambodia 🇰🇭 vietnam 🇻🇳 China 🇨🇳 South Korea 🇰🇷 Japan Thailand 🇹🇭 Malaysia 🇲🇾 Indonesia 🇮🇩 Singapore 🇸🇬 Mongolia 🇲🇳
You're amazing! Keep killing it. If you can hire someone in the PH who does video editing on the cheap n you can make daily vids n double or triple your $
Plenty of Filipinos in the American Navy including my classmates and relatives. Filipino-Americans continue to join and settle down near American bases.
I have a service doggo. I don't see anybody with dogs. My left leg is pretty mashed so he's my balance sometimes. Thanks for the video. Honest/upfront without the arrogance. My Pension is 3 kCa so not difficult. I will be watching. Thanks!!!
your videos are intoxicating , I have watched many expat videos , yours are the most interesting and informative. Your pacing is perfect. One thing I've yet to see, but would be very important, is health care in PI. A video on this would be very helpful
If I was living on $1000 I would live out on some isolated beach in nowheresville. If I'm moving to the Phils however I would budget $5,000 a month for expenses, buy a cheap beach house with cash and ship a car to the islands. I would live on the street before I slept in some of those hotels Scotty. Great show, enjoy yourself - . I haven't been to PI in 30 years, time to visit I think, it's developed so much it's amazing. When i was your age, a case of St. Mig was $2, almost free - Marco's brother had the concession.
Scotty you spend 300 US dollars a month on coffee, ice cream and beer. Bruh WTF? You could knock that down to 50 dollars a month if you had it at home and twice a week go for a beer one day, a DQ the next, and a starbucks the other two days.
@@stevierayripple its 30 percent of his monthly budget…not only that but if he cut out the multiple daily beers, caffeine and DQ’s his heart will thank him in about 10 years.
I saw that you talked to Adrian the Filipino guy who sells some shirts from that so called "Hot Spot"(DollHouse/Carousel) he's a good lad and always appears in chubs Dubc vids, PhillyinthePhilippines, Focus in Asia, CJ Abroad and Philo in the Philippines that's why he's a bit famous in the area 👌
I usually cook my own dinner and it's save me a lot, eating out or ready to eat food is something i rarely do cause it sometimes can be expensive. Especially if you live alone you'll save up a lot, for example a whole chicken only cost 160 pesos and pork is 180-200 per kilo, and i usually go for a meat diet cause it keeps me full for a while..
Interesting to see your daily routine here Scotty. I’m visiting Dumagette but doing the tourist thing so it doesn’t compare to living here. I think your break down is reasonable but id add medical and dental cover and a budget for clothes and toiletries as well. Possibly running a bike. Otherwise its more like an extended visit budget than a residents budget.
I lived for 4 years on around 25-30K Peso's per month and my rent was 10K a month. We lived in Lucban which is a Province. We had cable, internet and ate out a couple of times a week. I am a home body and so was my Wife so I was never traveling and spending money. My Wife shopped at the wet markets and cooked most of our meals. It was pretty comfortable actually so you can do it easily if you live more like the locals rather than a tourist or Expat. I chose Lucban because it was much cooler than most other places so I never needed to run the AC 24/7 and we only used it to sleep or when it was a super hot day. It was also 7 hours from the family which saved lots of money! hehe (Not that they were like that) but you will always be spending something if they are close by.
Ok , scotty I will try to find you before you leave town .. I will try your daily spots around the times you posted ,,,I live off my $3,000 us social sec, check never touching my savings sp far and living in Kandi towers ;;; I spend about a avg. of 1500p a day getting girls around 1500P 2 to 3 times a week
This budget stuff is very subjective. Some guys already have a wife, who cooks, family, and friends, who are just looking to kick back and relax, and celebrate life. Some are looking to sit in bars all day and chase women, eat out for every meal. One is going to cost you a lot more than the other for sure. I could definitely live under 1k a month in the Phils if I wanted to or needed too. Heck, I could live under 1k a month in the states because my home is paid off, and my bills aren't much at all.
@@Regular_Guyph Very true. Your budget is spot on for your current situation, and dudes who are planning on doing a solo trip to the Phils, just to check it out (which I highly recommend, to anyone, before doing any major move) or have an LDR that ends up not working out. As of late, I keep running into dudes who are interested in the Phils, most of these guys already have an LDR, which is fine, we know the risks, and I kindly explain to them to be careful with those. I really don't get into it unless they ask me. I do point them in the right direction and let them know about your channel. I know that you covered the LDR stuff, a good bit, but it seems like a lot of these dudes that I meet today are in one and I hope it works out for them.
may be that places like these are full of western food and westerners You always get a little sick if you live far away from your own culture, I almost went crazy living out on the farm in Thailand for a year(covidtime)
@@gmm5550 The guy is obviously there for the girls. You can live outside Angeles in any number of places way cheaper and just zip over to Angeles on your motorcycle whenever you want western food or a freelancer. Bamban, Florida Blanca - you can rent a small house for less than what he's paying for a very small apartment.
I have been living in Imus, Cavite for 1 year with my fiancé, and her 8yr old son... Our 2 bedroom house is 7000pesos a month plus electricity (2500), water (250), propane gas (300), pdlt internet (2100), groceries (20,000) immigration extensions (3000)... so for less than 35k pesos, approximately $625usd, I can support my fiancé, her 8yr old son, and myself for less than $1000usd monthly in a major city. Now if we decide to live in Cebu, for an example amongst many expats and wanted to live the western lifestyle, eating, and splurging as if living in NYC, Los Angeles, Boston, or Las Vegas, etc. it would be a lot more expensive. Yes it is possible to live off of $1000.00usd a month in the Philippines.
That's ok if we're talking about light beers, like Corona, which I can hardly call beers anyway. But it would a serious offense to put lime on any of the best beers in the world (aka Trappist beers) or any Belgian abbey beer.
@@icarusgeo It is very common in Mexico to squeeze a lime (usually cut in quarters) into your beer. I like doing that when limes are available. It adds some flavor and does NOT detract from the flavor of the beer. I always order a premium brand. I would recommend Bohemia or Modela Negra - these are excellent!!!! .... but a little lime enhances that flavor, too.
Lived in the Phil's for 12 years now and always in Angeles. The Philippines is a "cut your throat at your own speed" place. By that I mean it is possible to live in a Nipa Hut for free and have a roof over your head but that's not for me. I like plumbing and dislike cockroaches. It is also possible to rent a villa with a pool for $1,500 a month but that's not for me either. I decided to rent a freestanding house, 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, kitchen, living room and fully furnished for 25,000 p a month which now is about $450 U.S. Keep in mind the rooms are small. It's in a secured gated community and I've never had a problem. I rarely do the bars, which is what drains many a foreigner's bank account. So if you plan on doing some major whoring your money will disappear quickly. My big issue is food. I've never learned to eat like the Filipinos. While I enjoy many of their local dishes I also insist on imported U.S. beef steaks, pork chops instead of canned sardines and smoked salmon instead of dried fish. I've recently married so I support myself, my wife and her 10 year old son. My budget runs about $2,000 U.S. a month and that incudes a private school for our boy. Best of luck.
Most people I think would struggle to live on same meal everyday and only sometimes getting dinner. Also being stuck in one place without budget for travel. And I think most guys end up finding girl which raises all costs. I personally spend way more than that. Especially with tequila being so expensive there 😂 So I agree it’s possible, but unlikely most can live that cheaply even in Philippines
I have been here for 5 months and am keeping it slightly under 900 per mth. and that includes health insurance. If I would quit paying for girls, that would bring down my budget a bit more. but you only live once.
that worked up until a year or two ago. The price of food, electric and transportation has more than doubled since then. A family of 5, living in a nice small town, costs $3K / mo now
Nice video, thanks for sharing your budget. I have just been in the Philippines to visit my kids and GF. Just got home 1 month ago. I was in Southern Leyte and in Cebu. Take care and enjoy life
You can do it bro. If you can save and invest in order to earn 2k a month then do it. 2k is much easier when you account for all sorts of things like immigration, electronics, medical, eating out, dating, ect. It gives you a nice cushion, especially if you want to travel around.
@@expatlifestyle2000 In the beginning i will settle with just staying in the same place and establishing a normal routine, living like a tourist is not the first order of buisness but maybe i can if i get a western paying job down there.
I live on way less than $1000 USD a month and its NOT difficult. Many make the mistake by going to a town/city loaded with foreighners and trying to continue living as they did in west. Adjust, modify and be wise. I am adding a video on my current apartment later tonight.
My lowest month was $280, lol.
Omg putting the blame on ex..
I'm planning way ahead will build my house and business there while working in the United States still. But yes once there things are cheap mostly I've been once going again in October.
True!
@@TaoDeChing-ls5gzdid you sleep on the street?🤣🤣🤣🤣
Sir, have watched several of your videos and just now decided to subscribe. Retired military here; I enjoyed visiting A/C while working as a contractor during the desert wars. Took a break and lived in Dau for 8 months with my GF and her family. Things went sideways and I always stay at the Pacific Breeze not only for location, but the customer service is top notch. I have lived in 21+ countries in my life. Be happy. Will I have a Bezos, Musk or Trump lifestyle; no. I will strive to be happy. Keep doing what you do and be safe
grouping trump in with Bezos and Musk is a real stretch
Good comment
True, it’s not about the bezos life haha
It’s about a happy comfortable life that’s affordable
I was a contractor in Afghanistan , Kuwait and Saudi as well
@@seanmac5093 It is much more feasible than grouping the current guy in there, lol 😆
stupdest lifestyle ever. dont reply.
Talking about budgets, when I first moved to Manila (2013), I lived on $600US a month for about three years and it was very comfortable. Of course, now that my Filipina wife contributes about 50K php a month and I'm about 150K php, we live very well in Mandaluyong. Personally, I cannot see living anywhere else on this planet with the comfort and ease I have today.
where at acqua ??
@@andrekhoury6252 I don't understand what you are asking.
It's called, "legal marriage" and "investments paying off".@@tomspecht4733
Ur liar it’s not true
I live on $550 a Month here in the States.. I Own Everything, so No Rent... $550 includes Bills and Food of In/Out Combination. I have NO Social Life.. That Helps.. and the Second Place he showed with the Ex Military Guy Owning, As Long as they Accept Pets, I could Live there and get the Long Term Deal of All Bills Paid because I would be there 10yrs at a time...
My first place in Pampang (barangay of AC) was 6k for a newly constructed place. With utilities and wifi, it ran 8500 php (about $150.00 USD). Second place was a two bedroom, one bath town home in Malabanias for 10k...Currently paying 15k for 1/1 townhome with pool and gated access....I think 1000 usd is totally and easily done if you let go of the western style life and frippery. There are other parts of the world that have similar....(Spain, Greece, Columbia, Panama, Thailand etc) but there maybe bigger reasons why persons choose PI vs those....
why did you move out of the first place it sounds great
Everybody’s wondering why 😀👫
Spain and Greece sound awesome
@@Regular_Guyph So, the first place, while new, was in a broke-ass part of Pampang.......kids playing with sticks and dirt and I didnt have a paved road close. I spent a couple of years in the second place....it's in Malabanias near the Silk Inn. I had some interesting neighbors at diff times (Including an American who came back to find his wife had procreated without his genetic material on one side and a Pilipino couple with a young child who's head of household like to sneak prostitutes in when his wife was at work on the otherside!) I don't like dealing with other's drama.
Great reply sir !! Thx I learned from it !!
I’m 10 mins in and already convinced, this is your best vlog ever. The obligatory UA-cam Expat budget vlog…. But with the Scooty spin… You really are the Man. I get the puttering, love the routine, perch time and life observations are important. Brother just living his life…Giver not a Taker…. Just doing his thing…. Low impact and living… It does help and thanks Scotty. I prefer Scoot. But we’ll done Sir. Well done.
scoot haha i'll never live it down... thanks for the kind words
Great video, Philippines is for sure affordable
Entertainment is based on each persons lifestyle
Housing and food is cheap though
Jeeves, asking him out on a date.
Haha Slim, not my kinda ladyboy… not uh lady, too much boy. LOL
Your the best reviewer I've seen, I'm retired American in Makati and I suggest every HEALTHY American to follow your path.
The elderly and those needing medicine and have health issues, I suggest keep buying and taking your over counter medicine,, eat well, lose weight, exercise, easy on the booze, and get at least x2 check ups throughout the year at a clinic called Hi Precision Diagnostics in Angeles. They have a chain of them in the Philippines. It's air conditioned, and professional. They have labs, doctors, x-rays vaccines, etc. From maintaining cholesterol to STDs, they can write a prescription for you.
Keep up the good work!
the mistake other vloggers make with budget vids is they say you can live this well on a grand, better on 1.5 and great on 2.5.... instead of just giving a template that people can use to make it easier to customize their own budget.
@@Regular_Guyph yes, they are not figuring in your $2,000 back up money to leave asap when you have to leave the country, or your broke and need to go home.
Or having credit card(s) totalling over $25,000 just in case you're in a Philippine ICU because of a vehicle, trike, motorcycle, or other tragic accident.
It gets lonely. Lots of guys want to share their lives with a good woman here. And a gf will cost money even if she never asks for a penny. She may have a child and/ or aging parents needing monthly bp meds. Perhaps the child never had a Christmas tree, or a real birthday present.. or your gf has not been to a doctor for a long time and needs meds, or dental work $$$ Crazy stuff.
@@Regular_Guyph My partner and I are thinking about starting about finances here. Our basic bills for a family of 3, including a comfy 3 bedroom home in a gated community a little outside of central Cebu, food, internet, electric with AC, my thyroid meds, immigration, modest extended family aid, school fees for our daughter, and some left over for 'allowance,' is about 1K or less (based on an exchange rate of 54 pesos; i.e., 53-54K pesos/month). This is what included for that. There are times I spend more for upgrades and/or additions to our home, and occasional travel. The rest of my income goes to savings.
@@watersbey25 Exactly, I have 2 foreigner friends here whom I think are crazy for supporting 4 of their partner's kids without her paying ANYTHING! In one instance there are 3 grown boys in their 20's, along with her separated parents! Recently a vehicle accident had pushed them to come to us for a loan. No savings whatsoever. If you really want kids, consider having your own.
Real life . . . NORMAL life is what you describe. . . And it is pretty good at that !@@watersbey25
$600 US total for everything you listed as expenses to live comfortably in a pretty nice studio here in a decent area. Including excellent easy 12 to 14 pesos transportation on newer small buses and occasional Jeepney as well. Don’t drink so that helps. Nice weather for long walks to keep me in shape physically as well as mentally. The people are of course wonderful. I travel monthly as well to other places, including other islands like Palawan, Bohol/Siquijor/Negros and more. Or just 135 pesos for comfortable bus ride down to San Juan surf and play beaches. PLENTY of cheap accommodations in all these areas that are as comfortable as my apartment. That adds $200-$500 US on average more monthly of course. Adding a good amount into savings monthly as I spend far less than I receive monthly. Very healthy with no meds so I’m lucky. If I develop health issues that could change my thought process. Until then I am living in paradise. The diverse beauty here continually amazes me :).
Just a note. When you add your girlfriend, you usually end up buying for the family as well.
that's only if you are weak and don't control the situation. I don't do that. Not my job
That's a lie you pay for what you want I have never spent one penny on my wife's family
Food is a HUGE variable here. I’ve spent anywhere from p400 to p1500 a day. It’s very easy to live here on $1,400 a month in Manila and that’s not a boring month. The only change I’ve made is on a more expensive place. I was paying $365 a month all inclusive at a resort style condo in Manila but I’ve increased that by $200 a month for an even nicer place that is similar to what I had in the US. So now my budget is $1600 a month.
is that a safe area ur new place? how many bedrooms? thx
Yes, your budget will be $1800 a month and $2000 after that.. Great!..
Spending $1,600 to $2,000 in Philippines is absolutely ridiculously high money!
No reason! Shop around
@@ChrisSauer-oe5ve It's not necessary to have a good, basic life here. I notice some foreigner wives compare and pit them against one another. They say XYZ bought this or that for ABC, why can't you do that for me?? Here's an idea: earn some income for yourself, and quit acting like an entitled princess. Also, don't let other foreigners put you down by saying you need what they need, or subtly shaming you for living a lesser life style than them (they can leave that kind of attitude--keeping up with the Jones attitude--back in the states). I tell them, "Maybe you can benefit from better money management skills," and quit wasting your dough. Not everyone enjoys traveling and eating out all the time, some prefer a simple and peaceful home life.
Inclusive as far as food included?
My rent is 5,000 a month for 2 bedroom house in Davao Del Norte. Coffee is 7 pesos per sachet. Pan de coco snack is 5 pesos per piece, I can eat 3 or once in a great while 4.
@@jimmy-iq8lh I just checked the ingredient list on my coffee. 2 ingredients, coffee and ginseng.
@@jimmy-iq8lh and I took myself off of the snacks months ago. Now no sugar, low carbs.
5k for 2 bedroom house??? Wow. Unbelievably cheap. I hope this won't change.
@@JS-fd5ohstill about 5k in this area. Carmen, Davao Del Norte. Mindinao.
I moved out of the states 20+ years ago to East Asia.
Best decision ever.Firts it's difficult built a business & got married.
This is proof that it can be done and I was impressed by the quality of the apartment, I could live there. However remember if you are going to live this life style, it is an ABSOLUTE!!! necessity that you have a big emergency fund in case of illness or a need to leave the country.
How much would you consider a Big emergency fund?
At least 7,500 USD
Min 5k. Will get you from the middle of a province to the LA Cal in 48 hours. A short notice one way flight from cebu to la is 1k usd.
I myself have No Bills and can live just fine in America on $1500.00 USD a month. I would have no problem living in the Philippines ,Thailand, Vietnam! Best places to live in the world! (imho)🙏🏻👍
Yes you can live and have fun on a small budget. If you have a Filipino scout out an Apartment for you then you can save more $. My wife found an Apartment in San Fernando, La Union. 2bd 1 bath with more space for $175 month. Cool. Then we also have our 3bd 1 bath house in a Gated Community near Tarlac (rhymes with Tapas) for $240 month. Bought a couple of hectares in Bamban Tarlac on the mountain last year. Lucky I have a great wife who can sniff out a deal and knows people in Gov. Change your life a little, buy fresh veggies and meat from the Palengke (market) and learn to cook. UA-cam is your best friend! Don't blast your A/C all day, use fans when you can. Be smart and enjoy having good people around you. Do a random favor for your neighbors and the returns will never stop.
Hey man I enjoyed the read and lucky you
That is close to our location. We found a 3brm 2 bath that we're buying for about $300/month. Since we have a daughter together, the property will eventually go to her. Also, you are right, eating in is much cheaper, and you can eat much more healthy. My hobby is computers and home theater, so we get our entertainment for virtually nothing. Recently, I installed a hot water heater myself for 1500 pesos, which we purchased at Lazada. At the Wilco hardware store in Cebu an equivalent unit was 6-12K! I have a Magicjack line that gives me unlimited phone service to the US. My foreigner friend often asks to use it. It's actually fun so see if you can make it here, spending less. My next project will be prepping for a disaster, like a typhoon and such (Odette was a killer), and will be shopping for a propane powered generator, integrated into our main power grid.
Good video 👍
You need to kick in for 50 and older folks, medical insurance. Also doctor and dental visits. That can be between 200 and 250 a month average.
Did you see Reekays video about his medical emergency? $8000 USD...
It was a good deal for the Filipinos to join the US Navy. They would then get citizenship. I served with a number of Philippine nationals and I found them to be terrific people.
Yes Sir
@@KennyInSubic Same here. U.S. Navy retired. I you were in good with them you were gold if not.... We called them the "Filipino Mafia" because they controlled everything!
Flips they were called.
They rule the supply divisions.
Absolutely you can live comfortable on a $1000 a month. I’m someone who has more than that to live on but honestly we usually never spend more than a $1000 dollars a month. I live in Tagaytay City a destination resort town and still manage well on that amount.
I bet the weather is more manageable in Tagaytay
How much do you pay for rent in Tagaytay. I found it to be quite expensive there.
I love my morning coffee too, but I make it in my room. I buy the locally grown Aribica beans from SM, and I have my own coffee press. My apartelle room, 5 minutes walk from Fields and 10 to SM, is about the same rate (aircon, internet, water & power) and I have a balcony to sit and watch the world go by on Teodoro Street. My biggest expense is food & beer... My friend goes to Phillies and buys a bucket of 5 beers each evening watching the sport on the big screen. I often eat at the food hall in SM which is a budget stretcher. If you are living in Angeles the girls will find you and you will have a full menu after 6 weeks...
How much you pay for room including electricity, water and internet?
Sounds wonderful. I visited AC many times, while I lived in Korea. I know Fields and the SM mall, stayed in Pacific Breeze many times. Now am in the U.S. I can't get used to the woke America and want to go back and live in AC. You've inspired me. I'll go in January and look for places to live. Whatever you do, don't go back to the U.S. Life here is not life.
Absolutely. You don't have to live like a monk to do it either. Though I'd recommend more if you can manage it so you're less likely to get wiped out by a large unexpected expense.
I bought a 2 bedroom condo in taytay rizel and my mortgage/monthly payments are $500 (28,000 PHP) Fully furnished. Does not include utilities though or the dues for the condo development. Depending on how much electricity you use, it would cost another $50-200, plus $80 for condo dues (includes water, trash, and condo development cleaning and 6-10 guards on duty 24/7). Internet and hd TV for 2 TV's is 1750 PHP. That's around $35 a month.
Smart man & great investment!
I have house close and paid cash.
Utilities are cheap.
Just enjoy life 🛵💨
Wow, a brand new place in Tarlock for 3,000 pesos, that's really hard to beat!!!
I could easiity live on 1,000 dollars a month but fortunately I can afford more, but I also can't believe people who they could never do that. In most cases I translate that too "I'm very impulsive with my spending and I have a lot of bad financial habits that I'm unwilling to change"!
2:40
Scotty, I love it!… ❤️
If you were to furnish a place in Tarlac, that’s charging you ₱ 6,000 Php/ month rent. Then you can probably rent that on average out at ₱ 18,000 Php to maybe ₱ 20,000 Php for it, like in Manila; using Airbnb?
Do that about 5 to 6 times over, you will have the $1,000 USD/ month. Then you can sit back and enjoy some “company”.
From an average American’s perspective taking Airbnb, to whom is only familiar with Manila, how would you convince me to goto Tarlac instead?
I’d say throw in a motorbike rental to start.
A good quality A/C?
Maybe stronger Wi-Fi? How does Starlink work there?
Solar panel electric may be an option. But how would you convince the landlord to allow it? Maybe pay the entire month agreement upfront?
Or even see if you can negotiate 2-3 years if paid upfront at a discount.
Total investment: $7,772.40 USD for one year. And you can do that math for 2-3 years.
I live quite comfortably in provincial North Luzon (for the past 5 years) on half your quoted budget, and only a bus ride to Angeles, should I feel like doing a bar hop with friends. Of course home-cooking and living in my own no-rent shack does help. :)
Where in Northern Luzon do you stay? Can you kindly tell me? I am trying to find the best place to live that’s not too far from Angeles.
Explain more about this no rent shack. Im interested. Do you have water, elec, internet?
Great video ! I found that in the Philippines 🇵🇭 in the more rural areas (southern Cebu) I could easily live a wonderful life for $800-$1000 per month. So if I budget 15k per year I can factor in travel and many extras !
Many guys can’t handle eating at carandarias but I personally love it because you meet the real Filipino people ! You don’t have to live like a sultan in the Philippines 🇵🇭 to have fun !
Angeles City would probably be too much for me ! Lol 😂 I would probably drink too much and blow too much money on women ! Lol 😂 Also I like Tuba (coconut wine ) it cost about 120 -150 pesos per gallon ! Lol
Any rough idea of the alcohol % in coconut wine? Sounds good
interesting i've never had coconut wine but i'm a big fan of rice wine but its very hard to find in most areas. I assume coconut wine is available everywhere?
@@anguslaing6611 I’m not sure about the alcohol content but it’s great ! I was with my girl in the mountains where she’s from and her father introduced me to it . The old heads were telling me how healthy it is and it helps you sleep well ! They are correct I did research and it actually helps prevent heart attacks and has other health benefits!
I sleep like a baby when I drink it and no hangover. So I’m a big fan now plus it’s so inexpensive ! You can find it in the province areas . Going along with Scotty’s Vid .. if you find Filipino people to be friends with they will help you with everything making it much cheaper to live and be happy in the Philippines 🇵🇭 !
@@Regular_Guyph Filipinos love it so maybe ask a Filipino where you can find
“Tuba “ (coconut wine ). And they will steer you in the right direction. A lot of open air markets will have it also . It last about 3 -4 days before the taste changes. (Eventually it turns to vinegar and Filipinos will use it for cooking. And don’t put it in a refrigerator or it will smell bad.
@@Regular_Guyphyes it's pretty much available everywhere but most popular in the province areas. The first days after extracting the juice it's actually quite sweet. After about 3 days it has fermented into alcohol. After about 1 week it will turn into vinegar.
My daughter and her mom lives in an decent apartment with one bedroom in Angeles for P5,500. It has CCTV and it's gated for added security. It is unfurnished and has its own electric meter, free water with tenants' washing machine downstairs and has a gated parking lot.
That's great. I was walking around and there are some real gems of places to live in, just like the one you mention here.
@UkrainianInPhilippinesVideos My daughter and her mom moved there last January 2023 to be closer to her school in OLFU. So it's not an old rent rate. The market is saturated with apartment vacancies. It was actually P6,000 but my daughter negotiated it down to P5,500.
I'm counting the days Scotty....all I need is a cheap place near a decent beach...a bottle of rum a week,one book a week, two meals a day, and a decent internet connection to listen to my music....I'll see you in 2-3 years.
People like you are the best! Real down to earth! I'm wishing you the best my friend
@@djfitz13 sounds great!
My tip to, if you wanna save more money cook food at home. Aside from saving money you also have control of the process.
good share, nice to know the life in the philippines
I'm glad I love the Nescafe 3 in 1 instant coffee. It's about 11 pesos each. I also try and stay near a outdoor market and having even a hot plate to cook on in my apartment lets me cook many delicious things for cheap. I like San Miguel Ice beer from the sari-sari which is cheap. I like province town life. Food from the street vendors at night is always entertaining and yummy.
I can so relate to your living style. I drink only Nescafe instant coffee! It tastes great! My family and friends think I'm strange. They spend $120 per month on their Starbucks!
I spend $8 per month. At the "end of the day" it's only coffee!
Are you Pinoy by chance? Foreigners genually shy away from long term provence life due to boredom. Most last 3 months.
@@watersbey25 Not pinoy. With a nice Honda ADV scooter, or Suzuki multicab you can always take a road trip to the city, or mini vacations to other places. By living cheap in the province, I have a lot more pesos to take trips to other interesting places.
Scottie after my wife and I got engaged we looked for a place everything seemed expensive and 3 months up from. I was training with some guys in Jiu-jitsu at Doce Pares Headquarters in Santo Nino' village. This was in Cebu. When the instructors learned we was looking for a place they found us a apartment a block away. It was about p8000 $160us it was perfect for us. Wife started training with Doce Pares and her 18 year old sister stayed with us to keep the house cleaned and cook and sometimes gi to the market, go pay some bills, she slept on the couch in the living room. One time my wife's 11 year old sister was staying with us for a weekend. I couldn't belive it they put these kids on a bus 2 hours later they was in the city. Then the kids would get their own trike or jeepney. Well ok I told my wife I was going to get a beer SM the big ones. The store was right accross the street. Wife told me to send her 11 year old sister. I didn't think that would work but sure enough she returned with the beer.
That is awesome the kid getting the beer kids in the Philippines are way more worldly and mature than their counterparts in the United States that just hide behind a video game and don't go outside
lol, reminded me of the 80's. My uncle sent me into the liquor store for a pack of cigarettes I was 11 and couldn't believe they sold it to me.
@@MrBeachDoctor yes I was smoking when I was 12 when my family lived in WVa I was in the News And Novalty store when the TV had a news bulletin that John Lennon Died. I had a pack of light cigarettes in my hand. Glad we moved to a place I couldn't do that.
This is simply a comment concerning my own situation. I retired to the Philippines 5 years ago. My Filipina wife and I had already bought a property worth USD 100, 000 3 years prior to relocating. We sold up in Hong Kong and then bought more residential and commercial property from which we earn a good living. We live in the boondocks. All I can say is that property is worth investing in, providing you have trust and love.
@UkrainianInPhilippinesVideos You seem to be missing the point. The first property I bought, prior to relocating, was USD 100,000. The second property I bought was around the same. We have since bought more residential and commercial properties, which are now valued at over 1m USD. In addition, we have a regular income that exceeds our expenses by far. Maybe read the whole post before making a comment - "We sold up in Hong Kong and then bought more residential and commercial property from which we earn a good living".
@UkrainianInPhilippinesVideos Clearly you cannot read, 'you goof'.
My wife has an estate for sale close to Laguindingan Airport, Misamis Oriental.
Good video
I found Dumaguete affordable and welcoming.
My hotel room was about $500 a month but a house could be rented for $400 a month.
Meals were cheap
Nice coffee shops
I think it’s quite affordable
Great video Scotty. Great to see a budget that a single guy can live on. Thanks.
WHen I was in '89-95 we had many philipino chiefs, usually in charge of the kitchen. They couldn't get the security clearances due to background check difficulties. I can say there is nothing like a philipino chief walking and screaming 'WHAT IS THIS GODDAMN SKATING RINK'?
I can see why so many of my 🇺🇸 brothers are retiring OUTSIDE OF THE USA. Many good men have been destroyed by the ridiculous marriage laws & child support. Current crime rates r ridiculous. I encourage more men to live abroad
In the U.S., you can't get a one bedroom apartment for $1,000 per month. Costs at least $2500 per month to live here, minimum. And everyone looks down on you. In the Philippines you live like a king for less than half the money. Although same can be said for most countries, including all of Latin America, and most of Asia, and even Europe.
I'm keeping my daughter in a run down cheap azz, single room hotel for $1600 a month in the Detroit burbs. Apartments start about 1200 with a lease if you can find one. You have to pay a fee to be considered.
Congratulations on 20k subscribers mate!!! You deserve it
I spend a month every spring there with my fiance and each time it costs me about $600 to $700 a month for rent including all utilities and then about $1500 for spending money. I admit though that I do buy my favorite vitamilk everytime we take a walk because you get thirsty FAST in the heat when walking and we eat jollibees or mcdonalds a few times a week.
NIce, thats whatsup
I have lived asia 2xs.. on the very high scale.. asia sucks on 1k a month. Medical pay as you go. I saved for nice ....
Right on Scott, this is a helpful video to get the ole brain juices stirring for sure. Thailand, Vietnam, and the Phils have similar geo arbitrage potential, I think Visa's are a main concern for home basing for me in SEA. With the Phils having the best visa situation for someone in their mid 40s, although, Vietnam looks to be returning to 90 day tourist visa's, so we will see. Da Nang has always been top of mind for a budget friendly sea side place, that or Hua Hin, but as we know, Thai visa situation is not foreigner friendly unless married (yuck) or retired past 50.
I need to explore Hua Hin more
I do hear good things about it
@phillywillyVideos I loved the term Chadlite haha :-)
6 months in Korea? Wow that’s awesome
I will look into that more as I love Korea
Vietnam for 90 days will be low cost living but I would have to be outside of the city as the air quality was tough in my eyes
Thailand 3 months, Bali one month Philippines 3 months then Thailand again … head to the US for holidays and repeat
Thoughts ?
But it’s so cheap to fly around Asia, just do visa runs.
@@RetireandGo Been doing something similar for 25 years It works
Remember any one over 60 years old gets a 20+12 % =32% discount in the Philippines.
“I’m cheap “
Got to love your honesty
Ditto I’m also amused easily
yeah we gotta follow our hearts... nothing wrong with saving some money... there are plenty of people who get their paycheck and blow it all before the next pay check and ask loans from guys likes us.
Talking about the 18k PHP apartment: to be honest, I pay $70 more here in Spain for a 1000 sq ft apartment made of: lounge, kitchen, 2 rooms, bathroom, balcony and rooftop.
The more videos I see about Philippines, the more I get convinced that Philippines are not cheap AT ALL compared to western "first world" Europe.
Only one reason to go to the Phils. The women.
You must have not seen Jasper in PH, you see a very select handful of scenarios in the few videos you see, besides, Spain would have to be alot more cheap for me to consider going there at all.
It used to be a lot cheaper,but the presence of more tourists, US veterans, and balikbayans I think are driving the costs up in services , products and rents sky high , sky high to me as a local since our salaries haven’t really changed much since the 90’s.
Are you in a major city?
lmao this guy is flexing living in a 3rd world country in a tiny apartment...
Man, that hi-speed video almost triggered a seizure - had to sign off by 6:16 - During my Tour of Duty in Vietnam - early 70's - did part of my R & R in the Philippines. 'nuf said, ALOHA 4 now...🙂🙃
Yea I won't do that again
Really appreciate these kind of videos. I also watch chubs, phillyinthephilippines, far east papi. Overstayroad. Focus on asia and others. More power and god bless.
Scotty, lemon in beer is hardly sacrilege. Mexico makes that case for you AND kidney stone prevention does the same.
Philip at Bigg world cinema lives on $600 dollars a month in Cebu city and his condo looks decent with a pool and gym......just saying $1000 dollars is not rock bottom.
@shorelinesofandhra7941 He was paying $273 a month on a yearly contract but he's moved to Manila now and I think they were increasing prices. You can see the Condo on one of his videos.
Not trying to diss Phils (I'm headed there myself next week), consider that your USD will be about equal in value in Colombia as compared to in Phils. Although the dollar has recently dropped, it's still roughly the same value as you'd get in Phils, and you can enjoy a more modern lifestyle in a temperate (mountain) climate comparable to Baguio or colder, while paying 1/3 or so less in air fares.
good if u speak spanish
yes i've heard spanish is necessary in those parts
Not nearly as safe as the Phils. Phils doesn’t have people trying to spike your food or drink with scopolamine, or the express kidnapping threat (outside of Manila) that is prevalent in Colombia. Can in general travel in rural areas or smaller towns without massive risk in Phils, unlike Colombia. Also, age gap is more accepted in Phils.
Columbia is more modern than PH? You have to show me that place
@@gangstagummybear3432 Not BGC, but rest is, even drink public water and lights never go out, Solid infrasture, as look up Metro in Medellin. There are other issues however, and I know both well, but weather, proximity, cost of living it cannot be beat!! But goes down hill after that.
Great vid. !Scotty always delivers! One of my fav vids!!!
Pretty interesting. Latin America is another option from what I gather. I'm actually originally from Central America, so I could live half the time there and the other half here in the US. By the time I retire, I'll have my home paid off here in the US and I'll have a pension through my job. Plus retirement savings. I'm from Nicaragua to be more specific. I see foreigners there all the time.
Congrats on 20K man! Good work!
Good ol Scotty boy really knows how to have fun and live life on his own terms. Never let anyone try to tell you what should be fun to you. Some of the toughest men I know take lemon in their beer, but at for me I don't even like beer and I usually eat on main meal a day, so my fun isn't ever gonna revolve around food and drinks and I never pay for the puss because I believe that's a slippery slope that I don't want to let myself go down.
I like a frosty, mug of “ Boulevard “ ( Kansas City beer ) garnished with lemon or lime ! I just talked myself into one.
@@jimshepard8822 At least you know what you like so you're already halfway there!!!
Limes are okay, lemon does seem a bit swishy
Bohol is not cheap. I can't compare cuz haven't traveled much but those that have tell me. After the earthquake of 2013, we moved into town for a few years. 4 bedroom split level house was P4000 a month. Good neighbors and never a problem. Before SS kicked in so family of 4 living on USD 780 a month.
Thank you for this! There are plenty of us living perfectly well on 1K/month. Most of the other vlogs say you need at least 2K or even 3K, month. Makes me wonder if they are providing support for either an entitled princess or lazy extended family.
hehe i get over 3 k and i struggle a bit, and yes i support to many people, a down fll for people like me , to giving, you need to be tougher than me about helping people i think, but if things work out, those that i help will soon be generating a small bit of income for me as well as themselves
@@dennisseeker36 Thanks for admitting that. I'd always scratch my head on budget videos, wondering why some say it costs them more to live in the Philippines than in the West, since our budget for the 'basics,' including rent is about $850 for a family of 3, with a total allowance of about $1100. Good food (cooking mostly at home), AC, hot showers are all included for that, as well as misc items, like my thyroid meds and immigration costs. If you are handing your lady $2K every month and it's not enough, then she's most likely spending it on something else.
Thank you Scotty Boy. Very informative and well done. Really appreciate this and the delivery was fantastic as always.
Listen: in Spain you can live for less than 1000/month and the food is cheaper and superior quality. Beer and wine is cheaper than water so if you like alcohol...not a good idea....🤣 so the only reason expats go to Asia is for baberony🤣🤣🤣
That and the sun in the winter time..
I wasnt impressed with food in spain except the Pizza on the US military base in Rota Spain, and the food wasnt no cheaper either, so its the food the women, the weather, everything, and more english than Spain.
Great video. Have been planning on retiring in Hua Hin or Jomtien in Thailand, but appreciate your candor & commentary! Will definitely need to consider the Philippines now.
Hua Hin ......... the most boring place in Thailand. Lived there for 1.5yrs. Never again
Oh Man!
The rapid flickering fast forwarding made me glad that I am not prone to epilepsy ! And made it impossible to see anything there was that might have been interesting. Pity.
I dunno if I want to go back and there's still about five minutes left.
I think I'll come back to it in a few hours time. What a shame.
Anyway good luck with the next video.
for a 1,000USD budget you can get
rent: 3bedroom apt/house for 6-8000php
electric: (depends on your equipments) 2,500php
internet: 1,500php
water: 800php for a family of 6
food is cheap if you convert your dollar to pesos
6000 P or about $120 a month for a new place. That's insane. There is no doubt that if I was going to retire and was on a meager fixed income, I would be doing everything in my power to move to the Philippines.
Regular guy you travel other countries like cambodia 🇰🇭 vietnam 🇻🇳 China 🇨🇳 South Korea 🇰🇷 Japan Thailand 🇹🇭 Malaysia 🇲🇾 Indonesia 🇮🇩 Singapore 🇸🇬 Mongolia 🇲🇳
You're amazing! Keep killing it. If you can hire someone in the PH who does video editing on the cheap n you can make daily vids n double or triple your $
Plenty of Filipinos in the American Navy including my classmates and relatives. Filipino-Americans continue to join and settle down near American bases.
I have a service doggo. I don't see anybody with dogs. My left leg is pretty mashed so he's my balance sometimes. Thanks for the video. Honest/upfront without the arrogance. My Pension is 3 kCa so not difficult. I will be watching. Thanks!!!
You definitely have wiggle room
your videos are intoxicating , I have watched many expat videos , yours are the most interesting and informative. Your pacing is perfect. One thing I've yet to see, but would be very important, is health care in PI. A video on this would be very helpful
Can't you cook? I live on a boat in the middle of town (UK) and eat onboard almost every day. It's not hard.
3:35 awesome pics of the old days. It must have been sweet back then… Romey was a smart young man, had some foresight.
If I was living on $1000 I would live out on some isolated beach in nowheresville. If I'm moving to the Phils however I would budget $5,000 a month for expenses, buy a cheap beach house with cash and ship a car to the islands. I would live on the street before I slept in some of those hotels Scotty. Great show, enjoy yourself - . I haven't been to PI in 30 years, time to visit I think, it's developed so much it's amazing. When i was your age, a case of St. Mig was $2, almost free - Marco's brother had the concession.
@UkrainianInPhilippinesVideos What countries are those?
I learned in this video that San Mig Light and Cinnabon is the fast track to look like a Roman God like Scotty
Hell i live on 1100 a month in the states, thats a reason i am moving to the Phills lol
Good info Scotty, personally i do $1,600 to $ 2,000 a month in Manila with extended family my rent being 16,000 P mo
Scotty you spend 300 US dollars a month on coffee, ice cream and beer. Bruh WTF? You could knock that down to 50 dollars a month if you had it at home and twice a week go for a beer one day, a DQ the next, and a starbucks the other two days.
Why deprive oneself, if you can afford the "good life"??????
@@stevierayripple its 30 percent of his monthly budget…not only that but if he cut out the multiple daily beers, caffeine and DQ’s his heart will thank him in about 10 years.
@@viking8889 True, but then would the "good life" would suffer and then not be worth living....
This is a great video thank you for sharing your information I am headed to the phills in november thanks again
I saw that you talked to Adrian the Filipino guy who sells some shirts from that so called "Hot Spot"(DollHouse/Carousel) he's a good lad and always appears in chubs Dubc vids, PhillyinthePhilippines, Focus in Asia, CJ Abroad and Philo in the Philippines that's why he's a bit famous in the area 👌
Yea I knew of him bcuz of youtube
Why live in Angeles if you aren't going to mess with the bar girls? A lot nicer and cheaper places to live in the Phillipines.
oh yeah i can't wait to leave this place....
I usually cook my own dinner and it's save me a lot, eating out or ready to eat food is something i rarely do cause it sometimes can be expensive.
Especially if you live alone you'll save up a lot, for example a whole chicken only cost 160 pesos and pork is 180-200 per kilo, and i usually go for a meat diet cause it keeps me full for a while..
Interesting to see your daily routine here Scotty. I’m visiting Dumagette but doing the tourist thing so it doesn’t compare to living here. I think your break down is reasonable but id add medical and dental cover and a budget for clothes and toiletries as well. Possibly running a bike. Otherwise its more like an extended visit budget than a residents budget.
That’s exactly right. He left out medical expenses and dental. That adds up over a year. I could never live on $1000 a month here.
Dental is cheaper in the Philippines 🇵🇭
I lived for 4 years on around 25-30K Peso's per month and my rent was 10K a month. We lived in Lucban which is a Province. We had cable, internet and ate out a couple of times a week. I am a home body and so was my Wife so I was never traveling and spending money. My Wife shopped at the wet markets and cooked most of our meals. It was pretty comfortable actually so you can do it easily if you live more like the locals rather than a tourist or Expat. I chose Lucban because it was much cooler than most other places so I never needed to run the AC 24/7 and we only used it to sleep or when it was a super hot day. It was also 7 hours from the family which saved lots of money! hehe (Not that they were like that) but you will always be spending something if they are close by.
Wow I can see mark has a lot of respect for you and your time!! 😂😂😂
That is pretty impressive you can live on 1K per month, Good for you. I am just too spoiled to try that.
1k month I living the dream in the pi, mark Thornton does it, Gio, Reekay, Philly all on sub 1k
Philly has a fat government pension He used to be a prison guard.
@@billj9838 Philly worked in prison 11 years no pension just yt and small savings
Great video $$$making sense of the costs. Big thanks!
Ok , scotty I will try to find you before you leave town .. I will try your daily spots around the times you posted ,,,I live off my $3,000 us social sec, check never touching my savings sp far and living in Kandi towers ;;; I spend about a avg. of 1500p a day getting girls around 1500P 2 to 3 times a week
Excellent! Usable! Concise!
Grateful! Bill
Part of the US base agreement was a yearly quota of Filipino recruits.
In the old days
My understanding was thousands applied for the few available slots, so they were able to pick the best of the best applicants.
This budget stuff is very subjective. Some guys already have a wife, who cooks, family, and friends, who are just looking to kick back and relax, and celebrate life. Some are looking to sit in bars all day and chase women, eat out for every meal. One is going to cost you a lot more than the other for sure. I could definitely live under 1k a month in the Phils if I wanted to or needed too. Heck, I could live under 1k a month in the states because my home is paid off, and my bills aren't much at all.
Yes but people can use another guys budget as a starting point to plan their own
@@Regular_Guyph Very true. Your budget is spot on for your current situation, and dudes who are planning on doing a solo trip to the Phils, just to check it out (which I highly recommend, to anyone, before doing any major move) or have an LDR that ends up not working out. As of late, I keep running into dudes who are interested in the Phils, most of these guys already have an LDR, which is fine, we know the risks, and I kindly explain to them to be careful with those. I really don't get into it unless they ask me. I do point them in the right direction and let them know about your channel. I know that you covered the LDR stuff, a good bit, but it seems like a lot of these dudes that I meet today are in one and I hope it works out for them.
Unless you're into bar girls I don't see the attraction of Angeles.
may be that places like these are full of western food and westerners
You always get a little sick if you live far away from your own culture, I almost went crazy living out on the farm in Thailand for a year(covidtime)
@@gmm5550 The guy is obviously there for the girls.
You can live outside Angeles in any number of places way cheaper and just zip over to Angeles on your motorcycle whenever you want western food or a freelancer. Bamban, Florida Blanca - you can rent a small house for less than what he's paying for a very small apartment.
I have been living in Imus, Cavite for 1 year with my fiancé, and her 8yr old son...
Our 2 bedroom house is 7000pesos a month plus electricity (2500), water (250), propane gas (300), pdlt internet (2100), groceries (20,000) immigration extensions (3000)... so for less than 35k pesos, approximately $625usd, I can support my fiancé, her 8yr old son, and myself for less than $1000usd monthly in a major city.
Now if we decide to live in Cebu, for an example amongst many expats and wanted to live the western lifestyle, eating, and splurging as if living in NYC, Los Angeles, Boston, or Las Vegas, etc. it would be a lot more expensive.
Yes it is possible to live off of $1000.00usd a month in the Philippines.
It is very common to squeeze lime into your beer in Mexico. Lots of people prefer the lime in the beer and I prefer to have the lime, too.
That's ok if we're talking about light beers, like Corona, which I can hardly call beers anyway. But it would a serious offense to put lime on any of the best beers in the world (aka Trappist beers) or any Belgian abbey beer.
@@icarusgeo It is very common in Mexico to squeeze a lime (usually cut in quarters) into your beer. I like doing that when limes are available. It adds some flavor and does NOT detract from the flavor of the beer. I always order a premium brand. I would recommend Bohemia or Modela Negra - these are excellent!!!! .... but a little lime enhances that flavor, too.
Lived in the Phil's for 12 years now and always in Angeles. The Philippines is a "cut your throat at your own speed" place. By that I mean it is possible to live in a Nipa Hut for free and have a roof over your head but that's not for me. I like plumbing and dislike cockroaches. It is also possible to rent a villa with a pool for $1,500 a month but that's not for me either. I decided to rent a freestanding house, 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, kitchen, living room and fully furnished for 25,000 p a month which now is about $450 U.S. Keep in mind the rooms are small. It's in a secured gated community and I've never had a problem. I rarely do the bars, which is what drains many a foreigner's bank account. So if you plan on doing some major whoring your money will disappear quickly. My big issue is food. I've never learned to eat like the Filipinos. While I enjoy many of their local dishes I also insist on imported U.S. beef steaks, pork chops instead of canned sardines and smoked salmon instead of dried fish. I've recently married so I support myself, my wife and her 10 year old son. My budget runs about $2,000 U.S. a month and that incudes a private school for our boy. Best of luck.
That first apartment building with the retired navy guy reminded me of an old prison you see on like in the movies Shawshank or The Rock
Exactly what I was thinking.
Shawshank was filmed at the old state prison in Mansfield Ohio. Air Force 1 and Tango & Cash were also filmed there for prison scenes.
Thank you. Truly respect this insight. 💚
Most people I think would struggle to live on same meal everyday and only sometimes getting dinner. Also being stuck in one place without budget for travel. And I think most guys end up finding girl which raises all costs. I personally spend way more than that. Especially with tequila being so expensive there 😂
So I agree it’s possible, but unlikely most can live that cheaply even in Philippines
If your budget is thrown off by tequila you need to get your money up buddy
Appreciate your candor. This was awesome. 😊
The Navy guy seem like a good deal and a straight shooter probably
yeah he's a man with good intentions
I have been here for 5 months and am keeping it slightly under 900 per mth. and that includes health insurance. If I would quit paying for girls, that would bring down my budget a bit more. but you only live once.
Which area
Scotty your diet is horrible man
that worked up until a year or two ago. The price of food, electric and transportation has more than doubled since then. A family of 5, living in a nice small town, costs $3K / mo now
Nice video, thanks for sharing your budget. I have just been in the Philippines to visit my kids and GF. Just got home 1 month ago. I was in Southern Leyte and in Cebu. Take care and enjoy life
Im 35 and have 1k to live on if i where to go, this was very inspiring.
You can do it bro. If you can save and invest in order to earn 2k a month then do it. 2k is much easier when you account for all sorts of things like immigration, electronics, medical, eating out, dating, ect. It gives you a nice cushion, especially if you want to travel around.
@@expatlifestyle2000 In the beginning i will settle with just staying in the same place and establishing a normal routine, living like a tourist is not the first order of buisness but maybe i can if i get a western paying job down there.