Can you live off of $100 USD a month in the Philippines?

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filipino_yard_gnome

Yes you can I currently live in Cebu and I am 26 years old and married to a Filipina and we live off of $100 USD a month, this covers out rent in our house or apartment, food and restaurants.
I can even stay in a hotel or motel in Cebu, Mandaue, Mactan or metro Cebu Province for as low as $6 USD a night.

tom1941

You would be better off staying in the U.S.A. and going on welfare. There are people in the Philippines living on $100 (4900 pesos) and less and they are called the poor. Philippine natives will find it far easier to live on less than expatriates because they have extended family/friends to rely on. A boarding house where you share a room with others is going to cost you at least 1000 pesos per month, a decent room with a toilet will cost at least 3000 pesos per month. I have seen places where you can get a meal for 50 pesos, Three meals a day for 30 days would be 3000 pesos. What about a 25 peso haircut a month most places cost at least 40 pesos, soap to wash yourself and clothes, toothpaste, toilet paper, in the Philippines public toilets do not have toilet paper and transportation. You also need to know that expatriates have no access to free medical care. The U.S. Embassy will not provide you any financial assistance or medical assistance abroad. You will have to renew your Visa about every sixty days that is going to be around 2500 to 3500 pesos. You also will be require to leave the country for 24 hours once a year. You may get away with not obeying Immitration Laws until you leave the country, but they will get you.

Living in the Philippines on $100 a month would be like living in hell for an American.

One person suggested you live in Mindanao. I live in Mindanao and live well with 3 bedroom house, use air condition in one bedroom, housekeeper, DSL, telephone, cable, food, entertainment, meals out, for $1000 per month. But, I was rushed to the hospital during the middle of the night in December 2005 and before Sunrise had emergency heart surgery. If I had not had a local doctor friend who signed to guarantee my hospital bill even though I had proof I had the $30,000 in a local bank to pay the bill I would not have been treated and most likely would have died. In the Philippines the law states a hospital can hold you (prisoner) in the hospital until your bill is paid. The American Embassy even warns Americans of this fact. They do enforce that law.

There is a lot to know before striking out to live in another country. Do not rely on sites like this for that information. I can guarantee you living on welfare in the U.S.A. would be better than living in the Philippines on $100 especially if a medical emergency should arise.

lapua51

$100 bucks?.. I spend that in less than two hours in the pub on a friday night..

MikeInRI

Not at the current interest rates.

good luck!!!

[[_acidteardrop_]]

i dont. but, some people can live with that. sad to say but true.

ragdefender

No, but there are those who do.

Ramon L

That would be around Php4,900 as of Dec 22, 2006.

For Manila my answer is no. You can get by on $250 (around Php 12,250) but don't include luxuries on a budget at that level.

Ryan

Based on the current forex (foreign exchange) rates:

12/22/06 -

$1 - Php 49.39

NO.... $100 = Php 4,939.20

middle-class Filipinos in the average earn 15,000 pesos a month...

Keepingmycool

Yes! If you're living with your parents or relatives :-) and commute ....

NONAME

no, you cannot live off 100 usd a month in philippines there too many things like cost of living,rent,groceries.but, if you know someone there stay with them and save.good luck and god bless.

GreenBeansRevenge

maybe if you can go native. be tight even then. it's nice to have a touch of luxury when in a less developed place. 300 no problem, 700 you're stylin.

ANT0Nii

yes if u dont buy really expensive things and u live in the province. its really cheap there. once i went to jollibees there with 6 other ppl and we each had a meal, soda, and a dessert and we only paid 400 pesos, about 8 dollars

warrior is a child

yes you can if you prefer to stay in one of the provinces but not in manila.everything has become so expensive that a P100 or $2 wouldn't be enough for a meal. but others could thrive on that amount or even lesser. i'm not sure with you.check on your lifestyle if you think it's ok to eat twice a day or you can live without using a tissue and can live in a really small cramped place with other people sharing the toilet with you then go on..

morning breath

Yes you can live in style for $100/month in the Philippines!!! If only you can bring back the time in the 1930's.

allanbabes

It is below the minimum wage but if you are on your own and you live in the province where the cost of living is low then maybe it will be sufficient only if you are really good in budgetting. But expect no luxuries

oneiloilojeepney

Hell no !!!! Are you nuts or just not serious ????????

trykindness

not really, it depends I guess of the situation, but no you cant.

Sanmigsean

I'm sure there are places you could scrape by on, but I don't think you would want to. The plane ticket to the remote places where this may be possible would cost USD 60 already.

Dave Star

$100??? Hotel alone will cost you around that much in a day!

joseph lawrence

yes you can live off with $100 a month here in the philippines. just stick to your budget or go to a less developed areas of the country like the provinces especially in mindanao (you should just choose the areas here because if you're a foreigner you might be in trouble) or visayas area where the cost of living is significantly lower than the capital (manila).

sansa

It really depends on where in the philippines. $100 can either get you groceries or pay off your maid.... then again, $100 can also get you rent in some places.

That's A Lot of Nonsense

office workers in that country make about P400 a day. that's about $8/day. So monthly, they make $160. and they're still middle class. so for $100/month, you will be living in the se habla espanol side of town. hehehe...

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