Living and retiring in the Philippines!?

Recently I asked the same question, but with the wrong amount, in which I forgot to add what I make in a month. I'm 12 years old and my father is 73, and we are thinking about moving to the Philippines this Summer, and together we make about $4600 a month on social security, insurance fees, etc. maybe a little more. Anyway, would it be possible to live like a king in the Philippines. For example, a five bedroom apartment with 3 bathrooms, and such. And where could we live the best with that money. Not to much in the rural areas, but not in the heart of the city either. I've been reading up on the Philippines, and I've heard that you can get a cook or maid for about $30 a month, plus the cost of food, and a room. Thanks, David PS: Where can I live, and how well, some details would be helpful.

Public Comments

1. I already answered your question a while ago. Just the same, you can buy a house and lot at Filinvest I, Quezon City which is a secured place for you to stay. Hope to meet you there for my Mom lives there. GOD BLESS YOUR TRIP!
2. thought it was $3600? eitherway, i'd stick to the same answers. Angeles City/Olonggapo City - exactly what you want, but there are already so many Americans living there. Cavite/Laguna - there are good international schools in the area and anywhere south of Metro Manila isn't really city-living. Cebu - talk about city-living in a rural area. life is simpler there.
3. for sure one of the reason why your dad wants to settle back(?) in the phils to help you out particularly with some domestic chores. having such monthly budget it's quite sufficient enough for middle class 2 person dwelling. but you need to know where particularly in the Phils you want the reason being the cost of living varies. here are the considerations; your dad being elderly you need to have good access to medical help. living in rural areas is not really a good option. surely at 73 your dad needs to see a doctor regularly particularly a specialist like a cardiologist for example. a good school for you if in case security: it can be risky if some people knows that you are from overseas & the almighty dollar can be a attraction from crooks. living conditions: you need to find apartments similar or suits your preference. obviously things are different from where you're from. meaning this can be costly. healthcare: this is very expensive in the Phils like everytime you do anything you have to pay for it and there's no government subsidy whatsoever. believe me there are hospitals that you need to buy your own cotton or bandages. how's that? medical procedures, practices can be unethical, unorthodox or simply weird. in other words you need to save money in the event of something goes wrong with your dad medically speaking. frankly speaking your monthly budget is not enough when he gets sick. trust me. now you want to k now if you can live like a king? yes, but perhaps that's temporary because when he get's sick your money is insufficient. that's also depending on how you live your life, how much you spend on things such as the utilities, food, clothing, entertainment, sports etc etc finally you need to have a huge adjustment in your lifestyle and everything that you do, say etc etc. personally, i would rather hire someone as carer from the Phils to help you out in overseas rather than moving to the Phils. for me this is the perfect idea. the way to do this sponsor someone for the carer visas or a carer visa tourist/working. the paperworks and the expenses to process is a lot cheap than moving to the Phils. the carer can be paid something like US$500 to $600 monthly which means you saves money and you don't need to move to the Phils. you don't need to lose your friends and your dad will have a better medical attention than in the Phils. you have better education as well. good luck
4. As far as I know a foreigner can't own a house or a property here. About Metro Manila rate for maid or helper, it can be another story for you guys because you're a foreigner, they might charge you higher, it could be up to $100/month. But then it's not bad at all, With the money you will receive monthly of course you and your father can live in prosperity. It equals to 150 thousand pesos/month and it's really a big amount. You can rent a decent condo for 20,000 a month fully furnished in Makati. With food budget and all, say 20,000 a month is really more than enough. So save the money for your education too. You can study here and don't worry about quality because there's bunch of school in Manila that offers quality education. If you would like to try a different place aside from Manila, you can try living here in Lucena City. Less cost for everything but food will be quite the same, oh well...bonus is fresh seafoods. ---------------------- Camaro: Yes I think it's more that 150,000 pesos, thanks for correcting.
5. Apply for a Retirement Status at Immigrations. You'll need a bond to stay in the bank for a certain time, that should give you free reigns to go about your business in the country. If you have business in mind, try to stay inside a city, Makati or Davao. My client is a British Retiree, he bought a lot in Dasmarinas Village, designed and built him a 4 bedroom house and retired there. I asked him why the Philippines, he said its cheaper, he does live like a king and now owns a few condo units as well.
6. Maids cost more. They feed their children with their pay. For $4600 a month you can live very nice indeed.
7. It's more like 195 thousand peso, not 150
8. Hi, If you want to know about all things to do with Living and Retiring in the Philippines, then check out the website dedicated to just that. There are many foreigners (expats) who can help & advise, who actually live there. For some info on cost of living & where to live get some ideas here; http://retirephilippines.wetpaint.com/page/EXPAT+LIFE+IN+THE+PHILIPPINES As for retirement info check out: http://retirephilippines.wetpaint.com/page/Special+Resident+Retiree%27s+Visa+(SRRV) And as for your question on a 5 bed apartment, a foreigner CAN own an apartment in a CONDO, so you would most likely be looking at Manila, Alabang, Cebu for these. Good luck.
9. Ur question is only abt money! W what U mentionned. YES, even in Baguio, the best place..for me..for foreigners. But what abt the mentality/ the obvious lack of values like honesty, sincerity, cleanliness, pride of well done job, etc..
10. You can live comfortably, but nowhere like a king. A 5 bedroom house in the enclave of the rich (Forbes Park, Dasmarinas Village) rents out for more than your full budget per month. Relative to this residential area, you will be classified very poor. So forget the notion of living like a king, because the rich who live in these areas do not even live like kings. Super-comfortably, yes. Now, if you bring that budget to places outside of Metro manila, you could possibly rent a 5-bedroom house, spend for maintenance, household staff, and food. But there will be little left, if at all. And kings do not have to worry that they will have to wait for next month's pension to pay hospital bills. Live in a modest but comfortable place. You will live a higher quality of life if you are confident you have enough funds for recreation as well as for emergencies.
11. Yea you can live like a King allright! But don't get a maid and pay her $30 a month. Treat people BETTER than the Philippines treats their help (paying them $4 a day). Give her $100 a month!