Monthly Living Expenses
Someone here is writing a novel, so I'll keep it short and to the point.
Late 30s, retired, married with three kids, living in Tagaytay.
1. Grab Food: 20,000
2. Yaya (nanny): 18,000
3. Driver: 25,000 (including Pag-IBIG, SSS, PhilHealth)
4. Car: 2,000?
5. Food: 50,000
6. Electricity: 0, but if you split the solar panel installation cost, about 4,000
7. Child tuition: 4,000
8. Internet: 5,000
9. Water: 1,000
10. Rent: 0
Total: 129,000. If you paid rent, probably over 200,000.
I'll add my expenses to the list too. If more people join, we can compare everything and get a true average. Living in Makati, no kids, I give my girlfriend an allowance. 1. GrabFood ₱10k/month 2. Grab rides ₱5k/month 3. Groceries ₱7k–10k/month 4. Electricity ₱8k/month 5. Internet ₱700 (Dito, 1-year contract, so ₱8k/year) 6. Water ₱250 7. Rent ₱42k/month (56㎡ 1-bedroom fully furnished condo in Makati) 8. Girlfriend allowance ₱15k/month Based on my usual spending, it's about ₱93k a month. But honestly, if you count impulse buys, especially clothes and random junk, I probably spend close to ₱150k a month. There are other things people should consider too. 9) Emergency fund £25k (kept in a UK account) 10) Settling-in fund: I set aside about £10k to get settled in Makati. It covers flights, Airbnb for the first month while I look for a permanent place, and everything needed to make the condo feel like home. Buying essentials like a desk, bedroom furniture, an electric wok, plants, balcony furniture, rugs, bath mats, a fan, and a dehumidifier added up faster than I expected. Do I live like a king? No, but life in Makati is 10 times better than in the UK.
Are you homeschooling? Education is one of my biggest monthly expenses.
Your budget shows the good side of the Philippines well. Hiring help is very cheap. Housekeepers, nannies, and drivers are all inexpensive compared to the US. That gives you a quality of life you mostly can't have in the US.
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