How much the living coasts in the philipines realy cheaper then in thailand at the moment?

[marios]

Well I found the hotels were expensive, Thailand is a lot cheaper for places to stay. I did like it in the Philippines, nice country, nice people.. Cheap beer.. Food better in Thailand..

The only advantage in living in the Philippines is the fact that they can speak English. They are charming to be with and a fun loving people and that concludes the good qualities. The cost of living is not low for a tourist or expat. Same accomodation costs cheaper in Thailand as much as 50%. Maybe there are ten times less comparable dwelling places in Manila than in Bangkok. Much safer also in Bangkok. Depends on the standard of living you are interested in.

There is a site called 'numbeo' (google that) and it will give you comparisons of any pair of countries or cities. It is very useful.

For me Thailand stands above all Asian countries in terms of overall satisfaction. Excellent accomodation, excellent food, shopping, taxi availability at the speed of thought,health. Sanuk in the Philippines can be dangerous and the list goes on.

For me Thailand and only Thailand. In my opinion Singapore, for example, is a wonderful expensive sterile product, lacking however the vibrancy and magic of Bangkok, This is my opinion again.

[Kees5555]

I certainly agree Manila is a hole. Transport can be difficult, you get searched going into shopping centres & train stations. As a minimum corruption is equal to, but probably well exceeds Thailand.

The beers are nice & reasonably priced. Their local (coconut) hootch - Lambanog - is great & about $8US/bottle. It beats the daylights out of Thai whisky anyday. It is very pleasant to drink.

Foods... different story. I found it hard to get something edible in a lot of places. Food courts in shopping centres weren't too bad. Their main chains "Jolibee", which makes McD seem fantastic & "Max's", where if you can get served & actually get the food inside an hour you will still leave wanting something to eat, but with a much lighter wallet.

Accommodation - As with anywhere else it will depend on your expectations, how much you are prepared to pay & which area you are in. I've used hotels & private rentals, but think I would use the hotels over private. The private rentals have extra conditions & charges that can make them impractical when you go to leave.

BKK has a nice airport, Manila... let's just say it has a bunch of terminals staffed by scammers. OK, not all of them are, but a good % are. Keep a close eye on your bags.It will be interesting to see what the new airport to be funded by San Miguel will be like.

Language - Yes, most speak English, but so few seem to understand it. More scary is that a number of them are teaching their versions of English to other Asians.

So what's wrong if we teach English to other Asians?Are we all that bad?Your ignorance is unbelievable and as if Manila is the only place in Philippines.

Btw, there are many native English speakers who can't even spell right or use the grammar properly..now that is scarier(no offense to the decent ones).

I agree with Serendipity: It is easy to communicate with Philipino's: all Philipino's who finished high school speak English reasonably to quite well!

My experience in Philipines: hotels expensive compared to quality. Food sometimes is shocking: for example, once I ordered rice with pork... it wasn't real pork, just some tiny peaces of pork skin!

In Chowking I returned the food to the kitchen and told the cook to eat this disgusting stuff himself.

In general: no taste... I lose a few kilo's every time I visit the Philipines. Even in a top hotel in Makati (4000 pesos/night) the breakfast was lousy, tasteless.

(

[Asia2000]

also immigration - keeping your Visa up-to-date is a lot simpler in the Philippines.

Depending what type of Visa you are on, you don't need to leave the country for at least 2 years.

Those on a tourist Visa do have 2 extended every couple of months, but personal appearance is not required after the initial extension.

Anyhow, immigration offices are all over the provinces, no appointment needed, normally no queue , and everything can be done and dusted within 10 minutes of arriving at the office for a fee of approximately P1,800 .

Those on retirement visas have it even easier.

Some wrong info in the post above.

VISA Link with Visa fees 2 pages.

http://immigration.g...-beyond-59-days

Links seldom get updated, be aware and seek updated info at Immigration office.

Arrival - 30 days at arrival, no visa needed. You must have return ticket within 30 days, to show at arrival.

Buy a 1 year ticket where you can change return date after your arrival, if plan to stay longer.

30-59 days can apply at some airports at arrival, or at Immigration, see fee in link above.

59 days and more = Extension 2 months or 6 months extensions available.

Maximum length of stay is now 3 years, previous is was 16 months.

Typical extension can take 2-3 hours at Immigration in Cebu. Visa agents can do your extension for a fee of 20 - 30 USD in Manila and Cebu.

Before leaving Philippines: if you stayed 6 months or more you will need a ECC or Exit Clearance Certificate from Immigration office.

Many Links here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/794496-consider-moving-to-the-philippines-more-info-here/

[sabaii69]

You read something? I don't believe it.

[PattayaPhom]

Apart from beer and cigarettes, two important factors....banking and visa options anyone???

[Asia2000]

Apart from beer and cigarettes, two important factors....banking and visa options anyone???

Yes, HERE

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/794496-consider-moving-to-the-philippines-more-info-here/

Edited January 24, 2015 by Asia2000

[timtscott]

Never lived in either placed but have been visiting both for 15 years or so..will retire to one or both in next few years. In terms of costs, I haven't noticed a big difference between to two, both are affordable once you get out of the capitals. The Phils are easier for me to enjoy because everyone speaks English. However, I find Thailand more exotic and is easier to explore neighboring countries. My plan is to continue to enjoy both countries. I suppose at some point I will marry a Fillipina or Thai and then settle in one spot.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[smotherb]

Hello!

I plan to visit the philipine for a while, never there before, how high are the living coasts realy in the philipines comparing to Thailand ?

Can I buy for 1000 pesos same like for 1000 Bhat with a little bit better exchange rate , also of falling euro the peso seems not so strong then the baht at moment!

Met some filipina in a songtail in Pattaya , told me only manila is exoensive the rest is cheaper how about palawan ?

Can someone help me make a over view of daily living coasts?

In a travel book I read a massage coasts 5 time more then here?

It's not expensive at all.I visited my relatives there last August and the things are quite similar in costs here w some a lot cheaper.

I suggest you don't stick to Manila though...visit Palawan/Cavite/Batangas/Bulacan,you'll get a better view of the country too.

While I respect your opinion, there is certainly a difference in cost factors anywhere between being a local as opposed to being a foreigner. if you stayed with your relatives, you probably also ate with them; thus eliminating much of your cost; and you are a local there. I too have Filipino relatives, seven of whom live here in Thailand. Every one of them say food, housing, and clothing is cheaper and better quality in Thailand.

I actually stayed in a nice condotel for two weeks which was a good 700/night.I paid for my food and even took my relatives out.I guess it depends on how much budget one has and the kind of living they want.I grew up here in Thailand so I know it's easier to earn money here than in PI...the flow or cycle is faster.People are saying it's expensive in PI because the money flow is very slow.

Great, you did find decent accommodation for a good price. Where was that? The P700 rivals the B500 for many decent places here.

[smotherb]

also immigration - keeping your Visa up-to-date is a lot simpler in the Philippines.

Depending what type of Visa you are on, you don't need to leave the country for at least 2 years.

Those on a tourist Visa do have 2 extended every couple of months, but personal appearance is not required after the initial extension.

Anyhow, immigration offices are all over the provinces, no appointment needed, normally no queue , and everything can be done and dusted within 10 minutes of arriving at the office for a fee of approximately P1,800 .

Those on retirement visas have it even easier.

Yes, many of the visa issues are easier, or simply have a fee, in the PI; especially if you are married to Filipina. However, the bureaucracy is redundant, as it is here.

[smotherb]

Well I found the hotels were expensive, Thailand is a lot cheaper for places to stay. I did like it in the Philippines, nice country, nice people.. Cheap beer.. Food better in Thailand..

The only advantage in living in the Philippines is the fact that they can speak English. They are charming to be with and a fun loving people and that concludes the good qualities. The cost of living is not low for a tourist or expat. Same accomodation costs cheaper in Thailand as much as 50%. Maybe there are ten times less comparable dwelling places in Manila than in Bangkok. Much safer also in Bangkok. Depends on the standard of living you are interested in.

There is a site called 'numbeo' (google that) and it will give you comparisons of any pair of countries or cities. It is very useful.

For me Thailand stands above all Asian countries in terms of overall satisfaction. Excellent accomodation, excellent food, shopping, taxi availability at the speed of thought,health. Sanuk in the Philippines can be dangerous and the list goes on.

For me Thailand and only Thailand. In my opinion Singapore, for example, is a wonderful expensive sterile product, lacking however the vibrancy and magic of Bangkok, This is my opinion again.

While I agree with your statements--see my posts--I would be reluctant to use a site such as hombeo for any empirical evidence. If you enter a new city, right after their initial query of what city?, it says "Your city is not here? Tell us about cost of living in your city!" That means anyone could provide those "facts" for unknown cities and anyone could have provided them for known cities--follow it through, they ask you Purchasing Power Parity questions, and if you agree to be a contributor . . . . A similar disadvantageous situation exists with online encyclopedias.

Quite frankly, even substantiated empirical evidence changes over time and circumstance; I prefer current information. I would rather hear from someone I know who has, like you, recently lived there; than I would a stranger who just visited there. A known quantity serves a better purpose; you know their life style and their reliability.

[pgs]

I certainly agree Manila is a hole. Transport can be difficult, you get searched going into shopping centres & train stations. As a minimum corruption is equal to, but probably well exceeds Thailand.

The beers are nice & reasonably priced. Their local (coconut) hootch - Lambanog - is great & about $8US/bottle. It beats the daylights out of Thai whisky anyday. It is very pleasant to drink.

Foods... different story. I found it hard to get something edible in a lot of places. Food courts in shopping centres weren't too bad. Their main chains "Jolibee", which makes McD seem fantastic & "Max's", where if you can get served & actually get the food inside an hour you will still leave wanting something to eat, but with a much lighter wallet.

Accommodation - As with anywhere else it will depend on your expectations, how much you are prepared to pay & which area you are in. I've used hotels & private rentals, but think I would use the hotels over private. The private rentals have extra conditions & charges that can make them impractical when you go to leave.

BKK has a nice airport, Manila... let's just say it has a bunch of terminals staffed by scammers. OK, not all of them are, but a good % are. Keep a close eye on your bags.It will be interesting to see what the new airport to be funded by San Miguel will be like.

Language - Yes, most speak English, but so few seem to understand it. More scary is that a number of them are teaching their versions of English to other Asians.

So what's wrong if we teach English to other Asians?Are we all that bad?Your ignorance is unbelievable and as if Manila is the only place in Philippines.

Btw, there are many native English speakers who can't even spell right or use the grammar properly..now that is scarier(no offense to the decent ones).

Actually, I am aware there is more to the Phils than just Manila. Some parts are quite nice, but a lot of tourist don't get far from the main cities unless they have a reason to do so.

As for the ones teaching English to other Asians, I'm fine with it - providing they can use it properly themselves; which in these cases they can't.

I had a Thai teacher here (Sydney) with a degree in English from Bangkok Uni. As far as he was concerned, his English was fantastic. In reality, he'd barely pass high school here.

Don't take offence... a gate is much lighter.

[mike2011]

Visa: Be aware that a 2 month Tourist visa will cost you around 50 USD less than a 30 days visa waiver plus 29 days extension.

Hotels: Fully concur with what was said, you pay more for less.

Food: Restaurants - excellent places to poison a worthy candidate without being held responsible.

However, once you live in the country and do your own cooking things look very different. The selection of fresh vegetables and excellent fish in the wet markets is far superior to Thailand. Do not buy that stuff in overpriced supermarkets where the produce is often old. Supermarkets are advisable for meat and poultry purchases unless you prefer native chicken.

Imported products slightly cheaper at same quality. A lot will depend on where you live. I find life in the provincial centers way more comfortable and cheaper. Less crime as well. Cebu and Manila are not really representative for the country in terms of crime and cost.

Cable TV including sort of internet also considerably cheaper than Thailand, in the provinces where other providers compete with Skycable.

I reckon that you can live in the Phils about 30% cheaper than Thailand if you cook yourself.

You do not see xenophobia in the Phils. Once you have been in the country for a few months and go to Thailand the attitudes become unbearable. Of course, this holds not true for everyone and for every situation But the Thai smile fades once you have been in the Phils.

My advice would be to look for a medium size city of around 500K people on the coast, but also smaller places like Dipolog or Davao which is considerably larger, the country's 2nd city. These places have malls with cinemas, an airport with connections to Manila and Cebu for international flight. Usually a decent wet market, lots of clubs with live music, colleges full of friendly students, and also a few expats.

Stay away from Southern Mindanao unless you are tried of life. Head choppers and kidnapping gangs are around and assisted by local administration.

[lopburi3]

Several observations should be made to the above - firstly many, if not most, of us will unfortunately have to have access to either Manila or Cebu as they are the center for medical facilities - getting there from another island could be life ending for some. Keep in mind when considering pros and cons.

As for TV and internet - Thailand cable TV has been high priced as tightly controlled. Most people use the free sat access of more than 250 channels available everywhere and supplement with downloads. Internet is not that expensive in Thailand and there is no limits to downloads. 10M (and you can download at near full speed) are only about 700 baht per month. And if you have to rely on cellphones prices are much lower for service in Thailand (where actual calls are made - rather than sms to save money).

As for doing your own cooking - that is more due to requirements than cost savings in my experience - just not a 35 baht tasty meal on every street corner. But I do not believe most that cook save 30% over Thai prices in any case.

But agree we will never agree - and none of us will ever be complexly right (even if it were not often based on opinion rather than a black/white.

[Sandman77]

Thx for all great info , I enjoy it to read it!

When I want fly from manila to palawan only philipine airline operate or any other?

What does it mean with the after 6 month exit certificate ?

Also needed when I make a visa run ?

[smotherb]

Apart from beer and cigarettes, two important factors....banking and visa options anyone???

Finance may be better if you know your way around. The black market, I guess I should say grey market, thrives.You can change USD at local money changers and do better than the rate you will get through banks, ATMs and hotel exchanges. Just be careful of the count--slight of hand is prevalent.

[smotherb]

I certainly agree Manila is a hole. Transport can be difficult, you get searched going into shopping centres & train stations. As a minimum corruption is equal to, but probably well exceeds Thailand.

The beers are nice & reasonably priced. Their local (coconut) hootch - Lambanog - is great & about $8US/bottle. It beats the daylights out of Thai whisky anyday. It is very pleasant to drink.

Foods... different story. I found it hard to get something edible in a lot of places. Food courts in shopping centres weren't too bad. Their main chains "Jolibee", which makes McD seem fantastic & "Max's", where if you can get served & actually get the food inside an hour you will still leave wanting something to eat, but with a much lighter wallet.

Accommodation - As with anywhere else it will depend on your expectations, how much you are prepared to pay & which area you are in. I've used hotels & private rentals, but think I would use the hotels over private. The private rentals have extra conditions & charges that can make them impractical when you go to leave.

BKK has a nice airport, Manila... let's just say it has a bunch of terminals staffed by scammers. OK, not all of them are, but a good % are. Keep a close eye on your bags.It will be interesting to see what the new airport to be funded by San Miguel will be like.

Language - Yes, most speak English, but so few seem to understand it. More scary is that a number of them are teaching their versions of English to other Asians.

So what's wrong if we teach English to other Asians?Are we all that bad?Your ignorance is unbelievable and as if Manila is the only place in Philippines.

Btw, there are many native English speakers who can't even spell right or use the grammar properly..now that is scarier(no offense to the decent ones).

Actually, I am aware there is more to the Phils than just Manila. Some parts are quite nice, but a lot of tourist don't get far from the main cities unless they have a reason to do so.

As for the ones teaching English to other Asians, I'm fine with it - providing they can use it properly themselves; which in these cases they can't.

I had a Thai teacher here (Sydney) with a degree in English from Bangkok Uni. As far as he was concerned, his English was fantastic. In reality, he'd barely pass high school here.

Don't take offence... a gate is much lighter.

I don't agree with the damnation of Filipino English teachers. Many of them are degreed English teachers, unlike most of the farang NES teachers. For the most part they approach it as a career; whereas, the NES teachers approach it as a way to exist while staying in Thailand. To be sure there are exceptions, but let's face it, monetarily you get two degreed English teachers for one NES who simply speaks it because he was born into it. Just look at the English language competency of the TV posters to get an idea of what the average NES know; horrendous at best.

[balo]

I think we can agree that even with all the visa problems in Thailand , this country will still be the number 1 choice for expats and tourists for many years to come. PI does not stand a chance against Thailand when it comes to food, infrastructure and living expenses. And add to that natural disasters. Sure it is a nice country to visit for a few days or weeks, but not to live there.

Edited January 25, 2015 by balo

[Asia2000]

Thx for all great info , I enjoy it to read it!

When I want fly from manila to palawan only philipine airline operate or any other?

What does it mean with the after 6 month exit certificate ?

Also needed when I make a visa run ?

Alternative airline https://www.cebupacificair.com/

Manila (MNL) to Puerto Princesa (PPS)

ECC = if you stay in the Philippines for 6 months or more, you need to go to Immigration office and get a Exit Clearance Certificate, before you go to the airport. Do this 7-1 day before leaving Philippines, and bring your airline ticket.

6 months is counted from your last arrival date to the Philippines.

Visa run ? You do not need to do a Visa run unless you stayed here for 3 years.

Edited January 25, 2015 by Asia2000

[mike2011]

Lopburi is right about the lack of cheap food at the street corner. When I refer to cooking myself I speak about Blue Marlins, Barracudas, Tuna, Halibut, Beef Tenderloin, Asparagus (not the small one), etc. This stuff is not available at 35 baht at the corner. It is also hardly available, let alone at low prices.

Medical facilities are indeed a disaster in the Phils. Hospital infections are a high risk. For anything involving surgery I would leave the country. In other words, just use these places for standard checkups.

Calls are more expensive if you do not purchase one of the countless packages from the providers.

[lopburi3]

Not just that cheap food is not available - taste. So that alone would force most to do the cooking. As for hot water fish it has never been my choice (North Atlantic being from New England) but admit a Vietnamese wife in Conakry, Guinea was able to turn our local barracuda catch into tasty dinners. But my memory of Philippines always come back as:

[smotherb]

Do you think that if it was cheaper all the low so cheap charlies living in Thailand would be here ?

Actually, most of the real Cheap Charlies I know eat little more than the cheapest street food and swill alcohol. Even with the higher price and lower quality of street food in the PI, the alcohol is far cheaper there and more than compensates for the extra food cost. So, only the price of a ticket may be their reason for staying here.

[mike2011]

Lol. Lopburi you hit the nail. That vinegar is like cow pi...

Still, the Lapulapus, Mayamayas, the fish I already mentioned, the shrimps from sea (also crabs) and not from a chemical site in Ayuthaya beat Thailand anytime.

They do have Balsamico in the supermarket. A bottle more than 4 USD (183 peso) though.

Heavy drinker will also have to cut back on their milk intake. 70-80 peso. USD 1.7 to 1.8.

What settles the case in favor of the Philippines is, however, less the money or this item or another. In the Phils you can go native and be the only foreigner in a club with live music and have a great time. Try that in Thailand. You can sit on the beach and have a conversation with the people and the pool of interested and educated ladies is much larger. I had my times in BKK in the past but I got ever more difficult to stomach the attitudes and mental blackouts of the ladies. These were all fluent in English and had degrees from places like ABAC plus had reasonably good jobs. I know that this is in part bad luck or even bad guy (speak: me) but then in other countries I never encountered this in a similar manner.

The OP will do good to compare prices between supermarkets. SM is usually the most expensive. About 5-8% more for precisely the same product than other places. He needs to compare banks as to their fees, interest paid or not, and minimum balances to be maintained.

I lived this year 1 month in Khon Kaen (in the city) and compared it to a monthly expenditure in a Philippines provincial capital. Expenses were lower in the Phils, but the Phils apartment was not as nice. However, the quality of food I had in the Phils markets was better in terms of variety, freshness, and price. In KK they had only GMO tomatoes, urrrg. BigC had no beef. The pork tenderloin was a joke in terms of price, fat and freshness. Chicken is shit anywhere now, unless you get local breeds. No probs in the Phils, Thailand not as easy. Fish? Tilapia and those pond snappers. I would not feed the cat with that let alone consider it fit for human consumption.

I wont get Thai dishes outside a mall restaurant and then that's not what we get at the corner anywhere in Thailand. Right. But then again, I tasted a lot of stuff in my food which I did not like. When you cook yourself you escape MSG, cheap oil, the shitty rice, and a few other not so great items.

What I am saying here pertains to larger provincial cities that have some expats but are not centers like e.g. Angeles. In those places prices are much higher and the overall shopping situation is different. Like Pattaya can't be compared to Khon Kaen.

As for the inevitable cheap charly discussion. I do not think that paying less for exactly the same product makes someone a cheap charly. Taking pride in overpaying shows, however, that the person is an idiot.

[lopburi3]

KK is about as far from everything as you can be in Thailand however. And in the poorest area so not much being imported. Beef is not a big seller outside cities/tourist areas but find pork good everywhere and no problems with chickens either - but cooking in that area is very different than in many other sections so some will like and others not so much.

Am not afraid of MSG (it really is not proven to be any more harmful that our table salt AFAIK but understand many avoid). Also have no problem with better tomatoes. GMO is actually what we do naturally (over a longer period of time) - perhaps have to use caution but not inherently bad.

Actually Pattaya is quite cheap to live if that is your lifestyle. But plenty of diversions to tempt.

Really believe, as you kind of mentioned, the decision for most will be interpersonal relationships. Have that and most other factors can be reduced to minor irritations. But if this is the quality local breed chicken you are talking about will pass.

[mike2011]

Lopuburi: first Datu Puti and now balud. You really treated yourself to the highlights of Pinoy cuisine. Lol. I think we do not need to add some snake adobo as these poor creatures are cooked in Thailand as well. So not much difference there (for the snake that is).

KK is not too bad. Actually nice people and a good nightmarket with tasty southern Thai fried chicken and Yam Plaa Dofu (spelling ???). Also not the poorest area by far.

I was talking of the nice native chicken, a bit tougher than the so-called broilers, which are roasted perfectly. Balud I leave to drunks outside the club at nite.

[dogpatch55]

A guy I knew in the Philippines about five years ago lived very well then on £500 a month.. Nice house, which he owned, nice car, nice wife and two kids.. And two girls who took care of the kids etc and lived in.. The house he bought about ten years ago for just £7500! A good deal I think!

[CPH]

A bottle of Tanduay Rum is 75 peso and a beer is 18 peso (13.5 baht).

[ilovethais]

Thai's have more beautiful smiles and sunrises in their faces. I get scared when in the Phillipines they think they are smiling at me but it looks like they're growling and want to eat me. Lay off the pig meat People/monsters. If You are what you eat the Philippines is a land of pigs. Should rename it to philipiggies.. Learning English or being familiar with grammer doesn't give you a soul.

[genobkk]

I spent 3 weeks in Cebu and Bohol and found most things much cheaper then Bangkok, western food, drinking,apartments in Cebu maybe a bit more costly then BKK but even on my short stay I found several for 7K to 10K with aircon, even a few in newer buildings, but average was around 15 K for small room if u want it near IT park. .Lappa lappa or whatever it was called near.the airport is much cheaper.

Bohol you could even get a small house for 7K to 10K it all depends on where you look and the type of place you want to stay. Security is always a concern so a gated community with houses or town houses are the best way to go if you do not want a condo or apartment

I have lived in Thailand since 2001 Thailand and the Phillippines are different, some bad things and good but I am saying this having never been in Manila.