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QUICK TIPS- PHILIPPINES
Show a mandatory departure ticket. You cannot enter the Philippines on a one-way ticket if you only have a tourist visa or visa on arrival. You will need a flight ticket with a date leaving the country before your visa expires. Save money by showing immigration you have a cheap onward travel ticket for just $14.
Get help with your visa. The Philippines visa process can get complicated. The rules and regulations change frequently. Avoid the hassle of dealing with the immigration bureaucracy by speaking with a Philippines Visa Specialist.
Learn some basic Tagalog phrases. While nearly everyone speaks some English, learning some basic Tagalog is always appreciated by Filipinos. Get a FREE Language Lesson using the same learning technique used by the US State Department, FBI, and overseas military.
Save On Moving Costs. Save up to 40% on your international moving costs. Nomadic FIRE has partnered with 10,000+ pre-screened global moving companies to save you time and money. Fill out our 60-second form and get 5 free quotes from accredited moving companies competing for your business.
Get Free Expat Health Insurance Quotes. Your home insurance will not cover you while abroad. However, you can find affordable international health insurance for less than what you would pay in the United States.
Other Guides On Expat Life In The Philippines
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- Cost of Living: High
- Quick Facts
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For those in love with concrete jungles and city living, few cities in the world contain the nightlife, food, and luxury living available when you retire in Manila.
As a dual US Citizen born in the Philippines, I have day dreamed for years of what life would be like retiring in Manila. While as a returning Filipino, my reasons to retire in Manila differ slightly from the typical Westerner who fantasizes of retiring on a sunny beach in the Philippines. The reality of the differences are small. Some appeals are universal: warm sunny islands, tropical beaches, low cost of living, and a luxury lifestyle unaffordable to most Americans and Europeans.
Who doesn’t want to spend retirement in year-round warmth with the backdrop of lush green rain forests or white sand beaches? Not only is the cost of living in Manila ~60% LESS than the US, the Philippine government actively encourages and helps retirees and expats get legal retirement visas. This encouragement to retire in Manila is a stark difference from the recent actions Thailand is taking on Westerners visitors (see links in the bottom of the article).
The Philippines, in comparison, offers several straight-forward visa options, including:
- A special retirement visa
- An extendable tourist visa
- Even a marriage visa for expats finding that special someone on the islands.
There are some pitfalls you need to understand if you choose the Philippines capital as your retirement homebase. This article provides an in-depth guide to what it’s like to retire in Manila. We’ll cover topics like what kind of lifestyle you can afford if you Retire Early? What accommodation and housing are like? How does the food taste? What kind of access to healthcare is available? How safe is it living in the chaotic capital?
While I enjoyed living in Manila, I have to give a balanced view of the pluses and minuses of life here.
1) Trying to live a US lifestyle here will be much more expensive than you expect.
Manila is not super cheap. I can list off several reasons why people want to retire in Manila. There is a thriving multicultural food scene here, including some affordable Michelin star restaurants. The nightlife here is some of the best in SE Asia, and if shopping is your past-time, I honestly have never been in a city with more of a mall culture than Manila. Local life revolves around some of the world’s biggest shopping malls.
Manila is also the economic engine of our country. This city is where you find the country’s cultural hub, intelligent go-getters, and the movers of the business and start-up scene. As such, it is the most expensive place to live in the Philippines. I was shocked that the rents in desirable upper-class neighborhoods were more than I was renting my condo out for in a Medium Cost of Living City (MCOL) in the US. If you don’t already have enough passive income or a decent Safe Withdrawal Rate (SWR) coming in, you are better off in other parts of the Philippines to help increase your retirement savings by keeping your expenses low.
Manila is not an economy version of Honolulu, and I don’t want to suggest it is. But if you already have passive income, pension, social security, or a SWR of at least $1,500 or more, you can live a very comfortable lifestyle here. Comfortable is also only a small step away from a luxury lifestyle here. If you have a monthly budget of $3,000, this guide will show you a Manila retirement lifestyle reserved for only the super-duper wealthy in the US.
If you review the Cost of Living examples above, you can see even on a budget retirement in Manila, you have access to luxuries such as maids service, personal drivers, and massages unavailable to you in the US. Once you understand the challenges of living in here, Manila- in all its chaos- offers a compelling and affordable luxury lifestyle for Early Retirees and FIRE Nomads.
2) Manila's size creates major challenges in day-to-day living.
Manila is a massive city, even by SE Asian standards. 13 million people call Manila Metro area home, which ranks the metro as 13th largest in Asia by population. But if you look at the city exclusively, Manila ranks #1 in population density. This density in the heart of the city is what drives many of my biggest complaints about living here: Chaos, pollution and probably some of the worst traffic you’ll experience in your life.
Let me speak frankly about the negatives of living in Manila. While traveling Europe and chatting with people about life in the Philippines, the most common question is usually a concern about safety. If a Westerner knows anything about the Philippines outside of the beaches, it's that the President has sanctioned some crazy policies around drug use and drug users. But if you ask any of the expats or even locals living here the most common gripe isn’t about safety, our biggest concerns are the atrocious traffic and that local food sucks.
3) Manila transportation infrastructure is awful.
Technically, Manila checks off the boxes for transportation options of capital city: light metro, rapid transit, bus, and taxi. The reality is decades of corruption, and lack of investment has left Manila inadequate to accommodate the public transportation needs of a growing capital. Because of the insufficient public transportation, cars and motorbikes flood the streets and highways. Metro Manila exists in a state of perpetual heavy traffic congestion. When I first moved to Manila, I asked a long-time expat when rush hour was, his straight response was 6 AM – 8 PM. The plus side of this terrible mess is that most expats and upper-class locals don’t drive themselves. It’s widespread practice for families to have 1 or 2 drivers on staff. For roughly $400 per month, you have a car and driver all day to handle the chaotic traffic, while you lounge in the air-conditioned comfort of the backseat. For those without a driver, the cost of Grab (the Uber of Asia) is roughly $5 for most anywhere you need to go in the city.
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4) The food situation in Manila is strange and widely criticized.
As someone who is an unabashed foodie, even as a Filipino, I have to criticize the food scene here. If you’re used to eating three heaping portions of tender meats and tasty vegetables for $5 in Chiang Mai, the cost of eating equally well in Manila will be a shock. If you eat like you are in the US (Western restaurants or shopping mostly for imported ingredients), you will spend more in Manila than in the US. Splurging for imported ribeye steaks or eating at Western chain restaurants will be surprisingly costly. Eating can be inexpensive here, but it involves some lifestyle changes. Local chicken and pork are the inexpensive meats here. Eating locally grown and widely used Japanese eggplants and Asian green beans will be cheaper than finding kale, broccoli, or spinach. The food section of this guide will show you some hole-in-wall gold mines, where you can have some delicious Michelin star eats, for less than $8.
5) Addressing the Concerns about Safety, the War on Drugs and Terrorism
As mentioned above, there is no way to talk about living in the Philippines and avoid the discussion of President Duterte’s “War on Drugs.” This president and his policies are as polarizing to Filipinos as Trump is to people in the US. For those unaware or only slightly informed, since President Rodrigo Duterte came to office on June 30, 2016, there have been several reports of police killing alleged drug users and drug dealers, without proper due process. The President encouraging these “tough on drugs” policies have resulted in deaths of locals without a proper trial. The Philippine Senate wanted to investigate the deaths and the police carrying out the orders, but President Duterte told legislators not to interfere, warning that they could be arrested or killed for trying to hamper his efforts to “improve” the country.
In addition, the US State Department has recommended that US Citizens "exercise increased caution in the Philippines due to crime, terrorism, and civil unrest." They have also warned against travel to the southernmost island, Mindanao due to terrorist activity.
The truth is for 99% of the people reading this article, these issues will never affect you. Many Filipinos would argue that the “War on Drugs” is really the “War on the Poor.” Expats, travelers, and tourist hot spots rarely see any issues. I haven’t met many expats who have been affected. The reality is most of us will be in trendy expat housing, with walls around the complex and guards in the lobby. Still, you will need to exercise caution in certain neighborhoods, as petty theft and pickpockets are heavy in certain areas, but I would give the same advice for Paris and Rome. Unlike many countries in South America (I’m looking at you Brazil and Colombia), I have never feared for my physical safety even walking in the poor neighborhoods of the Philippines. As a benchmark, Gallup did a Law and Order study asking 148,000 residents in 142 countries a series of questions on whether they have been attacked or if they feel unsafe walking alone at night. The Philippines scored 82 out of 100. The US scored 84. For these reasons, safety or lack of safety in the Philippines is overblown and a non-issue, in my honest opinion.
Country | Safety Score out of 100 Higher is better |
---|---|
Philippines | 86 |
Singapore (Woohoo! Highest Score!) | 97 |
Norway, Iceland, Finland (Too Cold to Commit Crime)c | 92 |
Vietnam (Too hot) | 92 |
Canada (Too polite) | 83 |
United Kingdom (Too much to drink) | 83 |
United States (Too many guns) | 83 |
Australia (Not enough guns) | 83 |
Bulgaria | 80 |
Thailand | 78 |
Argentina | 70 |
Mexico | 66 |
Colombia | 64 |
Brazil | 63 |
While those are significant issues, Manila has several bright spots. Yes it’s a little crazy, and can be overwhelming but it’s an enjoyable and exciting place.
1) You can live well for $1500 a month or live LUXURIOUSLY for about $3000
Let me clear up the major misconception again, just in case. The Philippines is super cheap. Manila is less so. There are some beautiful places we will be profiling (Cebu, Subic, Baguio, Bohol, and more) that will allow an AMAZING lifestyle complete with drivers, personal cooks, and live-in maids for close to $1000 per month, but Manila is not one of these places.
Overall, my lifestyle in Manila is about 50% less than an equivalent lifestyle in a MCOL city in the US (think Portland, Denver, Austin in the US). That is cheap, but not the same as the savings I see living in Sofia, Bucharest, Medellin, or Chang Mai.
You *can* live cheap in Manila. The minimum wage in Manila is ~$160 per month. But to meet the expectations of a US lifestyle, the cost of living is more like $1,500. The folks who tend to rave about how amazingly cheap life is in Manila are usually older retired white men, who have a Filipina girlfriend, partner, wife.
The not so secret thing about Manila is if you are white, male, have a US or EU passport, and make over $1000 a month, your dating prospects and life, in general, will be 100-fold better in Manila than home.
If the trade-off of lifestyle for a girlfriend is why Manila appeals to you, I am not one to judge. You do you. But that isn’t the focus on this specific article (Maybe a future article if there is enough interest. Let me know in the comments below). For anyone who prefers more Western convenience and polish, expect to spend closer to $1,500.
It was a shock when I moved to Manila how freaking expensive somethings were. I expected to come back to Manila with my US retirement savings and live like a king. Using current exchange rates (1 USD = ~50 PHP), the median salary in Manila is roughly $1160 per month.
This salary represents an middle-class lifestyle for a local. As a benchmark, local Finance managers and mid-level Front End Developers get paid roughly this amount. A Medical Doctor would get about three times (~$3500) that amount. My conservative Safe Withdrawal Rate (SWR) suggested that I should be able to live extravagantly. However, the high costs of several things in Manila surprised me:
- Housing- After paying $250 to $500 for beautiful villas in other places in SE Asia, seeing 1-bedroom apartment prices in the $1000 range was an eye-opener.
- Crossfit Gym Membership: $140 per month, more than I spend on gyms in the US.
- Gas: nearly double the price of the US. Folks in Europe will think this is normal.
- Utilities: the Philippines has the highest power rates of any county in the world- Power needed to run our air conditioning in the year-round tropical heat.
However, as mentioned above, you can retire comfortably here spending less than $1,500 a month (the “Low End” of our budget). The jump to “High End” living gets more expensive at around $3,000 per month. But the jump gains you a more active social life and a more extravagant Western lifestyle complete with your own driver and car, weekly massages, and maid service.
The average retired US Social Security benefit is $1,404 per month. For some people, what you get from Social Security will be enough to cover your costs of living. If you assume a 4% SWR, a $450,000 retirement savings would be enough to cover a middle-class retirement in the Philippines, with a lifestyle that would cost 100% more in the US. As an added perk: Household labor is very affordable, so you can hire a full-time driver and someone to help with the cooking and cleaning of your apartment.
INSIDER TIP : Buying Property- Some expats also keep their monthly expenses low by buying property in the Philippines. Foreigners can even use the SRR Visa deposit to purchase a condo. However, while condominium ownership is allowed, foreigners can only own land in the Philippines under exceptionally limited circumstances.
These estimates assume living in the best neighborhoods in the city. Homes here are newer construction with posh US-style interiors. Amenities in these apartments include movie rooms, party lounge areas, gyms, pools, security guards, and easy access to restaurants, bars, and active social life. These estimates also include several hundred dollars a month on luxuries that are very nice to have, but not necessary. A maid, a driver, and weekly massages can be cut to make a retirement work with a smaller budget.
2) The Philippines makes it easy to visit and to stay.
As someone who lives the frustrating experience of border runs, visa extensions, and bribing immigration and border guards, the fact the Philippines welcomes expats and even has a government agency dedicated to attracting foreign retirees, is not trivial. Contrast Thailand cracking down on extended tourists and people making multiple border runs, with the Philippine Government giving expats incentives to move to the Philippines.. As a resident, your retiree visa does not expire, you can leave and return without reapplying for residency, and you are allowed the tax-free import of your household items when you move (custom free for up to $7000, including electronics and computers).
Aside from a straight forward Residency and Visa process with minimal requirements, the Philippines retirement program even offers financial benefits. Retirees over 60 years old get a 20% discount and a Value-Added-Tax exemption (VAT is another name for Sales Tax for those of us from the US). My mother cheerfully pulls out her “Senior Card,” every time we eat out at a restaurant. She gets the discount, even when I am paying, so Win-Win.
3) Manila has Escape Plans to Hit the Beaches
Batangas- About 2 hours outside of Manila, Batangas offers one of the longest coasts in Luzon. The long shoreline makes this province a top destination for Manila urbanites looking to escape the city and chill on the beach, enjoy some snorkeling and diving, or dabble in some adventure sports. The beaches here are not the powdery white sugar you dream of when you think of the Philippines. Some of the beaches have decent sand; others are more pebbles and rocks. All have their charm. If you are looking to have someone bring you beers, while to lounge under an umbrella, while getting a massage, there is a place for you. If you want to escape to somewhere secluded, there are aqua blue waters and beaches you can find here with no one but you and the coconuts.
La Union- about a $10 bus ride away from Manila, La Union is perfect for an extended weekend trip. As someone who has lived in California multiple times in their life, visiting La Union was a trip back in time. Evoking a SE Asian bohemian surf vibe, I thoroughly enjoyed the chill surfer atmosphere and laidback attitude. Whether I spent the day enjoying a cold San Miguel beer on the beach, enjoying the sounds of waves on a hammock, or lazily lounging at a bar at night grooving to live music, things in La Union had a welcome “un-rushed” calm.
Palawan- now we are talking paradise. About $25 and less than 1.5 hours of flight time gets you to Palawan. Consistently voted the “Best Island in The World” by several travel magazines, this island most recently was voted the 2nd best in 2019 by Travel and Leisure (GTFO! Sri Lanka?). While you can enjoy some world-class diving, including dozens of WW II wrecks or navigate a UNESCO World Heritage site on the longest underground river, the jewels of Palawan are the beautiful islands you can hop to turquoise lagoon by turquoise lagoon.
4) The people are Amazing.
Am I bias in saying that Filipinos are the most welcoming locals in all of SE Asia? Probably not, because as a Filipino, I get nowhere near the love and adoration white Westerners get. I’m not jealous. It’s just a fact of life here. For FIRE Nomads, Expats, and people looking for Early Retirement, locals here are usually 1 of the top 3 reasons to live here. Visitors dub Thailand the Land of Smiles, but the Philippines slogan is “It’s More Fun in the Philippines.” Locals here treat expats with next-level respect and friendliness. Customer service in shops, restaurants, and resorts are at levels exceeding US standards.
People retiring to foreign countries find it significantly smoother adjusting to the Philippines than other Early Retirement destinations. Part of the smooth adjustment is because we were a European colony for almost 400 years, then a US territory for another 50-ish years. But also because building a social circle of friends helps in adapting and settling into expat life when you retire and that is easier to do in the Philippines.
Especially when comparing the Philippines to Thailand, Cambodia, or other SE Asian countries, our high level of English makes everything in life easier. Making friends is easier. Dating is easier. Hell, even ordering food is easier. As someone who has lived in several countries where they don’t use the same alphabet, I know the struggle to read a menu is real. It’s soooooo much simpler to communicate here than in places like Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, or even EU countries like Bulgaria.
Can you help me apply for a Philippines visa?
Yes. I've partnered with a Philippines relocation specialist, who has been relocating and moving embassy personnel and corporate expats since 2011. If you don't want to deal with the hassle and complexity of the visa process, they can help.
My partners are visa specialists certified by the Bureau of Immigration, Department of Tourism, and the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) to handle your visa application, document submission, local appointments, and much more. They will simply your immigration process and make getting your visa easier.
FAQs: Retiring In Manila, Philippines
Yes, you can retire very well in the Philippines on that income. Using the July 2020 exchange rate, $5,500 USD is roughly 276,000 Philippine Pesos. The income of the TOP 0.003% of the wealth in the country is only over $4,500 per month. At that salary level, I know an expat couple living in a luxury four-bedroom house with a driver, maid, cook, and gardener.
What We Have Learned So Far About Manila
Excited yet? Which is more interesting to you city living or access to beaches? Do you need more information to make a decision? What would make you book a flight right now? Give us your feedback in the comments below.
But wait, there’s more. Check out PART 2 of our guide to Retiring Early In Manila and get answers to questions like:
- Where is the best place to live?
- Do I need a car if I move to Manila?
- I hear housing in Manila is expensive. Can I find something for $400 per month?
- What about luxury apartments? What do I get if I spend more than $1000 per month?
*INSIDER TIP* Thailand has become very strict on long term travelers without proper visa or documentation. Ensure you are meeting the proper requirements to enter and stay in Thailand.
- https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1700888/thailand-immigration-controls-getting-tough-with-guests
- http://www.samuitimes.com/thai-immigration-launches-new-crackdown-on-visa-runners/
- https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/992844-some-tourist-visa-holders-being-asked-to-show-20000-baht-in-cash-when-entering-thailand/
I plan to retire in about 5 years. At that time my combined retirement pension and social security will be approx $5560 per month. I suspect my wife and I could live pretty well on that, yes? What areas of Philippines are best & safest for those making that sort of income?
Hi Bob,
Yes, living “very well" on that income in the Philippines is an understatement. A stress-free retirement awaits your family on that income. I know an expat couple around that income level living in a luxury four-bedroom house in an exclusive gated community with a driver, maid, cook, and gardener.
To put your salary level in perspective, using the current exchange rate, $5,500 USD is roughly 276,000 Philippine Pesos. The income of the TOP 0.003% of the wealth in the country is only over $4,500 per month (as of my 2018 data).
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Cheers,
Marco
Hi Mark,
Do you live in the Philippines? I’m a Filipino Canadian and I wanted to start planning to retire in a few years and I wanted to go back when I retire and spend 3-5 months a year. do you think 100k pesos as my budget will be ok including rent in Makati?
Hi Amado,
I spent the first 7 months of the pandemic in the Philippines, but with the state of lockdowns in the country, I had to leave. I’m currently in Dahab, Egypt for the winter.
When you say a budget of 100,000 PHP, is that per month? If so, that budget will be fine. At today’s exchange rate, 100,000 pesos is roughly $2000 USD per month. That is upper-middle class income in the Philippines.
As with any city, how far $2000 takes you in Manila depends on your lifestyle. For $2000, that isn’t the income level where you could afford a live-in maid or driver, but you would have enough for a 1-bedroom Western-style condo in Makati with a weekly cleaning service. You could go have a social life, drink beers and eat out 3-5 times a week. Manila is the most expensive place in the Philippines. If you choose another city, Baguio, Cebu, or Dumaguete, your $2000 goes much further.
Any other questions, please feel free to ask.
Cheers,
Marco
Another unrelated note- Were your born in the Philippines? If so, you should look at picking up dual citizenship. It’s simple and having an additional passport has been helpful.
Yes I was 47 years ago, I was actually thinking of doing that as well.
Thanks again for your time..Stay safe
Great article Marco, I’m glad I found your site. That area you describe called La Union sounds like a paradise in my mind. Relaxing in a nice beach town is right up my alley. I’m 49 now and the last few years I’ve been working towards an early retirement type exit or at least a part time digital working lifestyle. I’ve been pretty fortunate financially and will be looking to exit with around the $3500-$4000 month mark. Your post was encouraging as too many other posts or YouTube videos talk about a sub-$1000 a month life. I’m sure it’s possible but has never sounded realistic to me. I still plan to travel the world but will definitely be great to have a nice beach location to come home to after each adventure. Safe travels and thank you for your time on this article.
Hey Jes,
Thanks for the kind words. I’m glad you found the post helpful.
Glad to hear you are on the path to FIRE by 50-ish. The world is your oyster if you hit $4,000 net per month post-retirement. That is a heck of an accomplishment. Not sure if you saw this sentence in the FAQ of that Manila article
RE: Cost of Living. If you think about it, nearly every city in the world has somewhere with the cost of living in the $1,000 range. When sometime tells me it costs $XXX per month to live somewhere, I always want to know what that means? Are you eating beans and rice 21 times a week? Do you have no friends or social life? Are you living in someone’s windowless basement? When I write about the cost of living in a city, I do my best to show what kind of lifestyle that means, so people can adjust their expectations of what their life would be like in the same city.
Can you live in Manila for sub-$1000? Yes. Would you enjoy living in Manila for less than $1000 per month? Likely not. However, there are places in the Philippines where $1,000 per month would still mean eating out several times per week, enjoying an active social life, and renting a proper flat with air-conditioning going full blast 🙂
If you have any questions about living in the Philippines, drop me a comment.
Cheers,
Marco
Marco, I’m a Disabled Veteran from the the United states, currently what I earn in Disability (for the rest of my life) $3300 seems like it would be enough for me to live comfortably in the Manila. Do you know if Veterans can survive off this amount in Manila comfortably? I’m single and I plan on retiring outside of the USA, I also have equity in my home and I in total I would make about $4-5k a month when reaching retirement age.
Hi Jarvis,
$3300 USD per month is a good budget for a single person in Manila, but honestly, over the last couple of years, I feel that the price/benefit for Manila is a bit off. Manila has the best nightlife, social activities, and restaurants in the Philippines, but the traffic, crowds, pollution, and costs are beginning to outweigh the benefits.
There are several better places in the Philippines that might be more suitable and are also cheaper!
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Cheers,
Marco