How Long Can You Live On $100,000 in the Philippines?

A brief talk on living on a fixed amount for a fixed time and how to do it.

[@Travelingwithsonny]

I love this channel 👍🏼

[@MrSteven5975]

Thanks 🙏🏻

[@glenclarkchidley3637]

The alternative being, trying to live in America on 100k and SSI… look at how many seniors are dying alone on the streets of America.

[@youngandfree93]

It's no different in places like Japan, South Korea, Singapore, etc. Prices are even higher in these places unless you really know the cultures

[@karlbryant5706]

Eating on western style restaurants is like eating in the west too, Cost the same

[@RetireandGo]

Truth Investing in dividend stocks could bring a stable 6 percent or about 450 to 500 a month That helps for sure With SS I think it’s doable but tight Thoughts?

[@GeoSer-lv9eb]

100,000 ×56

[@Abdulaziz-nu4qc]

what's ss

[@jillesguzman3333]

This topic will never get old unfortunately. Answer: It depends entirely on your lifestyle. There are minimums of course. 1000 per month in the province, 1500 in the city. The latter includes places like Makati, by the way. It can easily be done, as long as you cook your own food, take it easy on AC, don't party, have no medical emergencies and travel rarely. So there you have it. Anything beyond 1000/1500 USD will grant you serious upgrades and more peace of mind. Just one thing: Do not listen to those hyperactive clickbaiters yelling into the camera that they live on 500 USD or less. None of them do.

[@egovorch]

The question always is, would you want to try and live on $500 US a month….probably not…🥲🥲🥲

[@osros]

@@egovorch Think its safe to say no one WANTS to. But what if you HAD to, no one plans for that I hope, $500 is the lowest amount I ever saw yet a prob off the cuff number. What does $500 get you in your home country? $500 in Phils or $500 in USA without any other influences no free anything, where would you rather be if you HAD to? is a question that may deserve a deep dive. Just saying, I know for me, But I like to learn things I may not be thinking about.

[@egovorch]

@@osros for $500 in the US you would be pushing a Walmart shopping cart around the homeless encampment….

[@osros]

@@egovorch Ha yeah, but you know I thought on it more and I would pick the Phils, but on the other hand there is always a chance someone can go back to work and pull themselves back up again so there's that, things can be bad does not mean has to stay that way.

[@jillesguzman3333]

@@egovorch You´d be surprised. Unfortunately, there are legions of people out there who take such "promises" for granted and think for themselves "splendid, I can easily live on 500 USD over there!" And so the chaos begins.

[@KevinVenturePhilippines]

Many of us are very different than the average expat. I thank you very much for your views though. I bought an acre of land outside of town for less than a grand, solar for less than a grand. I have two older RV's paid for, a car, a van, etc, all paid for. I live off like $500-$700 a month in America, and I need to lose weight! I grew up in Alaska and spend half a year every year in places like the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, or camping outside of Flagstaff. I love to cook my own food, etc. I have lived in Phoenix and Corpus Christi, so heat and humidity are both a joke to me. I think there are many of us that could live a very happy life on much less than the Average American. Like where you are from in Boston, a nice dinner would possibly cost the same as my monthly food bill cooking at home. You have inspired me to make this channel ( I have many, I was paid for over 10 years by KZbin since 2007) this channel about how a person like me would not need nearly as much as the average expat, yet still eat amazingly (not a rice diet, lol) and do so easily. If I can do it in America, there is literally no reason I could not do it there. I can use fans and don't have to run the AC the entire time I am not at home, etc. And that is cool for people that do, I am not cutting them down at all! It's just not me. I am just over 50 and ready to have a good life there! I like what you said about a clean place. There are so many tricks to making a mansion out of a small place, it would blow your mind. Cheap, easy, it just takes knowing how. Love your videos, thank you for not being judgemental like SO many others here. "You need at LEAST $3,000!" ...then why am I so OK in America on less than $700?? Those guys always had posh lives. I just like a normal life, yet one I make extraordinary. I will travel while there more than 99% of the expats there, for almost nothing. A ferry ride is like $15, lol. And a decent motel like $15 a night, if you know how to research. God bless, brother! You are one of the best expats there, IMO.

[@trailguy]

Great comment, thanks. It’s so true about weather. I’ve lived a few years each in alaska and south Florida, and people who complain about south Florida are just wimps because I’m sure that if they spent a few winters in alaska they’d re-evaluate how terrible 94 and humid is, lol. Do you grow food? I’m just curious, I plan to do that there, I’ve done plenty in the usa and I read about mindanao crops/harvest schedules often. Good luck!

[@utubenewb1265]

You could get yourself a small rural farm/homestead in Mindanao for a low price also. (Although probably not $1,000/acre.) Then you could do solar, collect and filter rainwater, grow much of your own food, get a Trike or Used Micro-truck, and if you are local foods and not imported, you could get by on $700. Unless you needed medical insurance, or worse had medical issues and couldn't get insured. Even though healthcare is much cheaper in the Philippines it isn't free, and there are actually a few medications that might cost more than here. But yes, if you lived a rustic lifestyle and lived in a spartan manner, you could go day to day on $700/month. After all many Filipinos scrape by on $100-200/month.

[@lifeuncommon1116]

I live in the U.K. and when I’m there I spend about £650 a month (can’t be arsed to convert to USD)…. the house is paid for do this is just utilities, food, fun etc…. And I am wasting money, so should cut down. Could easily get it to £400. But I like to travel around visiting friends when there or Europe. Flights are crazy cheap. Same in PH, but my expenses are higher because of rent… so here my budget is £1000-£1250 a month.

[@scottbrinks9248]

Without any medical emergency you can live 5 years most with reasonable comfort on 100K. Been here 18 months, with stable life, comforts and it costs me 1,700 per month. I am one of those who self-insures. Saving the monthly premium and using it as a reserve for medical costs later. I also use ultra-pasturized milk and it is very good.

[@gemox3225]

I feel yours is a reasonable estimate. Some people have said 800 a month. I think there are just factoring in food, drink and a low rent, and forgetting about other things.

[@user-wz4db1zn3r]

You don't go abroad without a full coverage travel medical insurance policy, so mentioning a medical emergency is only for the fools. a medical emergency in my case will cost me $68 (my co-pay) with unlimited coverage for everything.

[@prairiemark4084]

We moved to the Philippines planning to live on about 50,000P a month. We had a nice house paid for with most of the amenities we needed like AC, WiFi, refrigeration and so on. And we hit the nail right on the head at 50,000 a month. I ate breakfast at a native cafe five times a week. We went to the city twice a month for night shows and overnight stays with mid to high end dining. We did what we wanted to. Always rented a car and driver. All this added up to about 50K Pesos a month. The "fly in the ointment" was the medical. I had some cardiac problems with procedures and in patient treatment. With my array of medical problems good insurance was higher than medical costs. Then I got a bad case of parasitism that lasted the rest of my stay. Our medical averaged about 60,000P a month. So instead of 50k Pesos a month we needed much more. We had a 50,000 USD medical fund and used 30% of it on one year. So we moved home to USA to use my medicare. Fully recovered now (we think). Hope to return to Philippines in seven years when my wife retires. She loves to work in the USA and the employers love her. So do I. I need at least 25,000 USD/ year to live in the Philippines since I am older and spoiled.

[@osros]

Sorry for the problems and hope all is well now, yeah the 25k a year is a good place to be. Im glad you had that option to come back, that's something we all need to consider a plan B of having to come back. I admit for me the plan B seems worst than staying. Cheers

[@GUITARTIME2024]

Bro, you aren't a good candidate for living in PI. Let it go.

[@prairiemark4084]

@@GUITARTIME2024 Perhaps not. We are heading over for five weeks on the 18th of next month. The key is planning.....having a plan for health care emergencies and for scheduled care with good hospitals and doctors you trust. And toward the end of life when no surgeries are appropriate and when you live close to health-care....why not? In Montana where I grew up my eye surgeon was 400 miles away and my cardiologist was 220 miles away. And you could make all kinds of comments about what you do when the snow is three feet deep and it is 40 below zero with a wind. Many do move to the city at that stage of life. There is risk in everything you do in life and it is best to plan to reduce risk, but not so anxious you cannot do what you want to do. Anyway...thanks for your comment!

[@prairiemark4084]

@@osros Thanks for the comment and thanks for the support. I don't care if people second guess me on medical issues. I spent nine years in college and university and worked in hospitals remote areas with limited healthcare. I know the risks and am willing to take them. The healthcare on Mactan Island is better than the healthcare I grew up with.....if you have the money to buy it. And the weather is much less hard on a cardiac patient than the 5 months of brutal winter on the Canadian border in Montana.

[@enzos711]

I'm sure the guy's an expert and not just rude .. @@prairiemark4084

[@tedjohnson4451]

I'm 621 Days from 100% Income Replacement in Pensions a little after age 63. I plan to live on a $3k USD budget, after Taxes, Insurance & Savings. I have a Dozen places picked out in the Philippines [8 on Luzon] to spend a couple of weeks checking out... Places I really like, I''ll give a 30 Day visit. I'm single, not going to do a LDR, or chat online until I find the place to settle....

[@keith4826]

When retirement income matches working income and you have a plan for inflation or exchange rates. It’s a good time to go.

[@tombkk1322]

Hi Steve, I need rotator cuff surgery soon and very happy to have my Pacific Cross insurance. $11,000 dollars is a rough estimate on price at a nice hospital in Bangkok. You always preach having insurance and I agree with you. So many 70 year old expats have no money and no insurance it’s crazy. Many in Dumaguete look at insurance as foolish. I don’t understand their logic.

[@redranger518]

Don't do any type of surgery in the Philippines. If you are from USA go back home if you can fly, if you are in bad shape you will need to get a "Fit to Fly" form from a doctor so they airlines will let you board.

[@michaelbyrne5469]

How old are you, last time i checked if your over 75 it costs a fortune for insurance . i am talking over $1,000 a month.

[@tombkk1322]

Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe the Pacific cross representative quoted a minimum price of US$50,000 for heart surgery at St. Luke’s. I’m sure the price would end up being much higher and without insurance that would be a tough pill to swallow.

[@tombkk1322]

@@michaelbyrne5469 I think it would be worth talking to the Pacific cross representative to see if there was anything cheaper.

[@stankroll8167]

I sympathize with your rotator cuff surgery… I had both shoulders done in USA over a 2 year period from tennis…my insurance was billed $85 K each… I did not pay a cent

[@garrycompton7214]

I've lived overseas in different places for well over a decade and I definitely agree with You. But it really depends on which country you hang out in also. You gotta have a pension or SS , just for a peace of mind and because you earned it.

[@mrb-6118]

There are so many variables. Personally I could stretch that to 10 years. The secret is adapting to living here. Leaving the West behind was a good thing for me. Rarely do I eat Western because they just can't get it right' because of the ingredients are not available. If I am in A/C for more than 2 days I get a bad cough. It lasts for 2 weeks after getting out of it. There is none in my house and have done just fine for 7+ years now. I easily live on 50k with no problem.

[@trailguy]

@@Midwest10 this is a non-sequitur at best. Squatter? Lol.

[@youngandfree93]

$100k over 10 years is $10k a year. That's absolutely wayyy low. Not many people can handle that. That's swatter territory for sure.

[@LeonardMarlin]

Good video Steve, How much a person can live on depends on their lifestyle. Likes and dislikes. I made a plan before moving to the Philippines to reduce my monthly expenses as much as possible. My start up cost was $25,000 u.s. dollars. We bought a car and 2 scooters. New furniture throughout our house. We built our house so we have no rent. We enjoy going to eat and swim at local resorts here on Samal Island. I thought we could live on $1,500 a month boy was i wrong. With 4 kids and 2 in college, i must have been delusional to ever think that 😂 With inflation and electricity costs going up we spend $2,200 a month to live an upper middle class lifestyle. My small penison and social security allows us to live a good life and be able too put money into our savings every month. Good video Steve.

[@backwatersandbackroads]

I love this no nonsense information. I could be one of those people who live well on 1k a month or so. I already do here in the US.

[@satysunk]

1k would in tough in the US. Where in the USA do you live?

[@backwatersandbackroads]

@@satysunk the UP of Michigan

[@satysunk]

@@backwatersandbackroads ok. Been to Michigan, Lake Michigan, lovely state. But that must not include rent and medical insurance. If you live in a cabin in the woods I guess it would be possible, but not in town. I know. I lived in Illinois and Minnesota thirty years ago and back then 500 USD barely got me through the month, and that without purchasing medical insurance. 500 back then is equal to 1000 now, if you take into account inflation.

[@mikesimpson9997]

I got me , myself, and Jesus to depend on . I never plan to receive anything for any reason from anyone. Luckily only one to let me down is myself but life is good for me and I have a really good retirement fund at 59 . Once my 14 year old dog passes I’m gonna live there at least 6 months out of the year and 6 in states . Good video Steve

[@glorgau]

Yep, I'm waiting on my dog also. He is 13 and wouldn't travel well. Got plenty enough money to live on wherever.

[@mikesimpson9997]

@@glorgau it would be hard to live with if he died in transit in a crate . I hope my dog lives a long life and yours too but the time is growing shorter not longer for them so they deserve to be made a priority now. I wish you luck in your journey when you do get to leave for Philippines

[@tonytaylor880]

I do not use the grounding but believe in it. Just ask any horse person what happens within the first few minutes of rubbing your horse. It does the same thing, grounds you and your mood improves, depression decreases. I am coming for another month after the first of the year. After that I will do a year to make sure it is for me. I have loved every trip so far. I would like to get up with you for a few questions sometime. I may want to base somewhere close to your town. Thank you brother and I pray your pain eases up for good.

[@LB-ty6ks]

If you can possibly do it, I think it would be best to come here for two or three months on a trial run. This gives you a chance to see for yourself how your budget fits the life style you'd be happy with.

[@thefeckineejit264]

2 to 3 months isn’t long enough to understand yourself in this new living situation, it takes 90days to adjust to new behaviors alone, so a minimum of 6 months would give you so much more info on the habits you will need to adopt, from my experience I see individuals fail in these endeavors mainly because they refuse to change their old behaviors to new behaviors in a new environment.

[@frankkluz9787]

People have different priorities within their lifestyles. Been watching many expats lately that vary widely in their budgets. More than half are living on budgets well below the $1500 you recommend Steve. Several think for a single person $1200 is more than enough. Some are quite content on $800 - $900 most months and not because they have to either ! -- Some are @ the $1500 - $1600 with family's and 2 or 3 AC's. -- Apparently it's all about lifestyle and perhaps food choices ? Rent too is of huge importance like you say. -- If your happy or content in a $60 - $80 studio or super small one BR - it should make the $1000 - $1500 budget a lot easier - especially if you are a 'homebody' mostly and alone ?

[@utubenewb1265]

One big thing to remember with that much money is that you can earn either decent interest or investment income on that amount. Also if you were married or got a lease on land you could build a small house, or even a small farm or business for your wife. Build in a cooler mountain region, put in some solar, these things can provide a good return on investment. Even very secure bonds can get you 5% right now. If you did a small farm or business in the Mindanao highlands and also got 5% interest you could stretch that out 15-20 years.

[@Mary-vr3xz]

Agree.

[@trailguy]

Right. And with 300k you can live exclusively on investment returns and a minimum SS check. That’s my plan.

[@utubenewb1265]

@seashells-and-seashores If you are responding to the guy with the 300k plan, he is planning to have a Soc Sec check also. If his Soc Sec is $800 and he pulls out 3% a year that would be $1550/month. If he got 4.5% in bonds and 10% in stocks - 50/50, then his money could keep up with or gain on inflation. Even if he only got 4.5% he could pull out about 1200-1300 for 50 years added to his soc sec. With that much savings I am assuming he would get more than $800/month even if he retired at 62, and far more if he waited for 70.

[@trailguy]

@seashells-and-seashores im not sure you are responding to me. ive looked at finances and returns carefully. i didnt mention here how im investing, so you might be assuming, or you are responding to the wrong comment.

[@Chizanator07]

In Thailand, probably only need 500 a month…250 to live on the beach..5 bucks a day for food, 50 bucks for healthcare..and another 200 for odds and ends and fun stuff

[@clydesmith3437]

Great helpful video Steve. You gave a lot of ideas much appreciated. Just know your time spent making these videos are not in vain.Thank you.

[@vinniephillips452]

No guarantees in life. Anything can happen whether you’re in the Philippines, the USA, Canada, whatever. Money goes fast when you underestimate your monthly expenses.

[@LeonardMarlin]

I totally agree, I listened to all the vloggers before coming to live in the Philippines thinking $1,500 would be more then enough for a monthly budget and found out with my upper middle class lifestyle, inflation and cost of electricity going way up I had to adjust our monthly budget to $2,200 a month.

[@EasternDreamer615]

Electricity sounds expensive over there Steve. I pay about $35/month for electric in a studio in Thailand. That includes frequent and consistent air con use.

[@justaguy-69]

my elect runs about 6000 peso a month with one aircon and 1 fridge and lights. that and 1100 peso a month for cooking gas are the 2 biggest expenses.

[@keith4826]

I have a 2 bedroom condo with 2 AC’s The highest was 7k and that was after a got my girlfriend an e-scooter. About 125 USD

[@EasternDreamer615]

@@keith4826 @justaguy-69 I paid about $9 equivalent last month as it gets chilly here in the north of Thailand. This month, I'll probably pay closer to $30 equivalent. I use $ because I imagine the conversion back and forth to pesos from thai baht is bothersome.

[@gailmaplesden7380]

Try and keep people out of your pockets and off the payroll. Also, if you choose to contribute, make it random and never part of your budget. If you're coming over with a set amount of money to last a certain period of time, then you especially want to stay away from the friendly beggers in the family. Oh, you will at some point get someone asking to borrow money, and you have to remember that there is no such thing as borrow in the philippines, whether it is money or your personal property. Tools will never come back, so don't let them out of your possession. You have to let people know that you are not rich and that you are no different than them when it comes to having a budget. Sure, you may be living an upper middle class lifestyle, but that costs money, which is something that you are entitled to and worked all your life for . No money is free money, and just because you don't get up and go to work every day doesn't mean that the money you get didn't cost you at some point in your life.

[@GarySmith-cf6rd]

so so true I learnt the hard way

[@keith-kb1zl]

Yep, and if you help one member of your wife’s extended family, then you will be deluged with requests from all of them, birthday, Christmas, parties, gifts, loans, -which of course will never be paid back, money to start a business, etc,etc,

[@richieliper4720]

Wooahh! That could go beyond decades, man! If you can manage your financial daily, weekly expenses very well, you can make it through. Even dining on decent restaurants and lived on moderate apartments or houses for rents. I’ve known lots of expats here who have decided to reside in the provinces permanently. Invested in local business and even made more money.

[@rednaxelahcitorfaznebo2830]

100k US dollars is equivalent to 5.6 million based on current exchange rate. If you live modestly, that will be for 9 years if you send at least 50k per month.

[@kikiandjasmine]

Here is my take: decide how many years that $100,000 would last you. Divide it by the number of years, then divide it by 12. Then go to the Philippines and live on that monthly budget for 6 months and see how you do. Most guys won't do that though. Example of my hypothesis: $100,000 /4=$25,000/12=$2,083.33. Thus, that isn't living an extravagant lifestyle either. Sorry for bursting the fantasy bubble guys 😂

[@keith4826]

My bubble is the expat bubble…lol I would not suggest anything less than 2,000 USD. Exchange rates can change and prices can go up.

[@jlmarc01]

Your points are valid. I love expensive Manila. Can’t be without entertainment or finer dining

[@kbird529]

I live on 1k USD a month in Chiang Mai Thailand , this covers food, monthly scooter rental, 3bd/2 bath house, WiFi . It doesn’t cover a companion or Retirement Visa costs. I’m self insured with Medicare coverage in the US in case of major health issues.

[@UlilangMatapang]

I brought a 1.5L copper water pitcher from shoppee. I leave the water in the picture overnight and drink that once a day plus about more or less another liter each day. We used have copper pipes in the US, now it's all PVC. Mac n Cheese with asparagus? Dagg❤❤❤

[@lez075]

You can invest it and live about 10-12 years, without investing maybe 6-7 years. My budget is 80k pesos a month (1600 usd) for me and my girlfriend (no kids), but I like to travel a bit within the Philippines, you can live cheaper than that, maybe 1000-1200.

[@ForgotMyOrange]

My question to these people quoting higher numbers is... a substantially higher than average Philippino salary, in Cebu City, is less than $1000USD (50k PHP) per month. A mid-level, university qualified software engineer with several years experience could get that. He'd need to be good tho - and maybe up to 80/100k with leading or management involved. So how do they manage?

[@damonottaway3648]

You could drag out $100,000 for quite awhile if you invest it wisely. Like in a IRA ETF. The dividends would pay about $400-500 monthly and you could probably average around 5-8 percent growth of equity yearly. If you wanted to survive on $1200 per month you just take out the difference at the beginning of each year to your bank account and budget wisely. $500 Dividends Draw $8,500 from principal each year. Thats $700 per month plus your $500 to live off $1200. 100 grand or whatever it is at the end of each year should be making you income for future years.

[@fendermon]

100000 *.06 dividend = $6000 * .88 (federal tax of 12%) = 5280/ 12 months = $440. Quality stock ETF's don't pay anywhere near 6% in dividends, at least any I know of. I'm all ears though if you do (please and thanks) I do like your post, and how you approach the problem :)

[@damonottaway3648]

@@fendermon , JEPI

[@fendermon]

Thank you. Do you think an options driven fund would be able to grow the base value as well? When I think of a fund that grows and pays a solid divi (.036) I think of SCHD, or HDV. The JEPI yield is sweet though ..no doubt.@@damonottaway3648

[@stephendueker9006]

And you can lose the principle and the 400 goes to 200. This is gambling. With free financial advice, you get what you pay for. All bubbles eventually pop.

[@richardellison2899]

At last hear an ex-pat not complaining all the time. It is so refreshing. You are right to keep some money for emergencies.and not be too mean on yourself. Good health for the future.Cheers.

[@Man-In-The-Home-Stretch-60]

when I make it over there, it will be with a 2300 a month SS payment, and 400k in savings. I'll be 62 on moving day. Sounds like I'll be OK.

[@enzos711]

You got it made, esp with Interest ..

[@CavalrySecurity]

My budget was 800 a month from 2017 to 2020 and I helped feed a few family members eat and pay for school. However we lived in a house we built so no rent. In Dumaguete we were only paying 12K a month for a 2/1 apt. Behind Nevas Pizza a few blocks. No roosters because there are upper middle class Filipino houses nearby.

[@utubenewb1265]

The idea that a expat can't live on $500 or $800 or even $1,000 when Filipinos (and even people in America) do it all the time is ridiculous. Yes, a expat can live cheaply, but most wouldn't want to do so. A expat could get the 3-6kpeso dingy house, or rooming house, and eat rice/egg/chicken and veggies they cook at home. And they could use only load, or cheap internet. Dry their close on the line. Just fans, no a/c. No boozing, no trips. Just a used motorbike or jeepney. Shop at ukay-ukay. And only take medicine when the alternative is immediate death. Can you live like that for $500/month? Yeah. But most expats wouldn't want to.

[@CavalrySecurity]

Actually cheaper to live homeless in the USA because you just go to a bigger city, sign up for food stamps to sell, then get the free handout food. I know in Orlando alone there are several dozen places to get a meal or a box/bag of food. As for me, I have provided for myself since 14 and earned my own money starting at 8. If you are lazy or disabled security is a good field, also good for students IE study while at work. My My plan for 2025 is a 6 month vacation, 1 month with my wife and family in our house. Then she will return to work and I will do a slow travel. My tentative Budget is 1,000, but I can adjust that upwards. You can rent hotel rooms with a bathroom, A?C, and internet that includes breakfast fairly cheap for a 1 month stay. A light snack lunch every day. then a nice dinner. the touristy stuff is beach, diving, snorkeling, churches and waterfalls. Its pretty affordable when you aren't impressing the poon with indulging her family. Enchanted Kingdom is less than 14 bucks for a senior compared to WDW with tickets as high as 189 per day. Hotels on Agoda for Dumaguete below 20 bucks if you stay a month. Budget is subjective to needs. Can get a decent Steak in Cafe Racer had steak dinners for around 7 bucks, might be 10 by now. @@utubenewb1265

[@justaguy-69]

i live on 1000 a month with my wife and 4 kids, i built our house before retiring. we have a small boat for fish and buy rice by the sack, i eat american style food the wife and kids eat filipino food. we are not rich by any means but we are happy.

[@CavalrySecurity]

Yeah, I get a kick out of people who say you need MORE to live there, than I spend in the USA. Its all about what makes you happy in life. In 3 years of living in the Philippines and going there on Vacations before that. I took many Tabo showers, but only a few cold. 1 kettle of hot water makes a whole plastic washtub of warm water. My first trip there to get married the water was at a hose bib by the street, but the ground was elevated about 6 feet above the clay road. I went to the city to buy decent bread and ground beef 2 X a week. Wife kept lean bits of pork for me. It was more fun to go with a herd of family to the local crappy beach than to go to a resort just us 2. Many good cooks in the bukid, eating out was rare and there was a poor selection in our home Province. Dumaguete was better, but then I had rent My plan is a slow travel style for 6 months, then return to USA 6 months. Can find cheap accommodations because warm shower, aircon, and internet meets my needs. Can rent outside of city centers for 400 or so a month. Hotel el Cheapo. Booking on AGODA or Air BnB. @@justaguy-69

[@satysunk]

​​@@justaguy-69all four kids yours biologically?

[@plalonde28]

Your no nonsense information is appreciated. I don't think you can cover it often enough.

[@Gmantrini]

It’s not for everyone, but living small is the key. I easily do it on $1200 monthly, nice modern 1 bed condo, occasional travel locally and regionally, biweekly trips to S&R, and weekly restaurants. UHT milk, ultra high temp, is cool and works well even in coffee, another alternative is powered milk from New Zealand. Looking for a place by the beach is my ultimate

[@adamzimmerman1562]

Such comfort of detail in your explaining the pros n cons Sir. A master salesman you are...Haha, an honest one at that. Sir, you have my vote!

[@youngandfree93]

If you're a young backpacker then 100k can last you maybe 7 years traveling around, staying at hostels, eating street food. For older retired folks though I would think with all the medical involved it's just not nearly enough. Probably 5 years max for most people.

[@ronlugbill1400]

Just invest that $100,000 and live on the income only. Don't touch the principal. Put it in an index mutual fund. This way, you will never run out of money and have an emergency fund, just in case. How do you live for less than $1,000/month? You live like filipinos do. Rent an apartment for 5k-10k per month and buy a 50 kilo bag of rice.

[@AFuller2020]

All these guys with their 300K houses and 45K trucks in the US, then they move to the Phils and they count pennies.

[@joebidet2050]

😂😂true

[@BrisLS1]

It's been 2 months, now guys with 500k house and 100k truck. Inflation, ha ha.

[@rfbos]

Do the math and calculate your monthly bills of everything, including any fees paid for immigration. $3,000×12=$36,000. 2.7 years $2,000 ×12=$24,000. 4.1 years $1,500×12=$18,000. 5.5 years $1,000×12=$12,000 8.3 years I would have to say that having $100,000 in liquid cash is not really alot of money for planing retirement unless you also have SSA or some kind of pension monthly. However, what's the percentage that have those kind of saved funds? I think 99% don't.

[@MrSteven5975]

You might be surprised

[@AlreadyShort]

ur math makes no sense

[@justaguy-69]

i suggest building your house and setting it up before retirement and having at least 1000 bucks of SS coming at some point and a thousand bucks a month to last until SS starts, plus 20,000 bucks you NEVER touch for your medical emergencies, put the wife&kids on philhealth, and you will do fine. it helps to be in the province and to own a small fishing boat and a small garden. do not think of having a sari-sari store or business, its a waste of money. only count on CASH. keep all cash in the USA bank and dont waste money with 250 peso atm fees. deposit a paper check of 1000 a month to your philippine bank acct one month ahead of when you need it, it takes a month to clear after you deposit a paper check. its free to write a check unlike atm machines that add up or fees for wiring money. been here since 2010 and this comes from experience.

[@gailmaplesden7380]

I've been doing research on a/c and solar. You need three to four times the amount of kilowatts just to start the unit so if you have a 1 hp unit which is 1 kilowatts then you need a minimum of 3 kilowatts or around 13 panels plus a 100 kilowatts battery storage. This will run you around 150,000 pesos but if maintained properly it should last 15 to 20 years as well as a good quality split a/c unit.

[@martinsmith6971]

Thank you for giving perspective on the economics of life as an expat Given my age and financial situation I should do ok but still have to see the reality once I am here in the Philippines Marty

[@samdavies7665]

Nice vid. If I had a friend in this situation I'd suggest he take out what he needs for 12 to 18 mos in living expenses and invest in either: a) an index fund, or if he's very financially conservative in 4 tiered 6 mos CD's, allowing him to access ever 3 mos money that will allow some incremental growth

[@WhoWouldWantThisName]

I just started to consider doing a part time expat sort of thing. I intend to retire here in the US, but I thought perhaps it would be worthwhile to spend winter months in a warmer climate and also a cheaper one. I can't imagine affording a winter or summer home in the states, but in a much more affordable country maybe I could. My family wants warm and sunny year around. I would be fine back in the PNW all year. I think maybe living for a few months a year in SEA during most of winter might be financially manageable AND be a bit like taking a long vacation each year in the tropics. I also need to consider Thailand and Vietnam but the PI seems like an easier transition due to the people seeking better English and being used to Americans. I hear my money would go further in some of those other places though. Thanks for making these videos.

[@rlacy916]

We do hard money loan for real estate at 12% I/O with 2% origination. That means that 100k will earn you $1k per month in interest and 2k origination. On a 6 month note with a 2% extension that is an extra $2k each 6 months and your principle doesn't go down. This is pretty common.

[@andrewhuhn6006]

Interesting i believe 1700 USD per month which is 2500 AUD per month is fine for a comfortable life. I believe that if you calculate this out by a minimum of 20 years you have your number you need. When you retire overseas in a warm climate you need to be able retire in relevant comfort. I have smashed out the numbers and this is what works for me.

[@bobTom37]

I spend at least 10 usd a day on just meat. I love a high protein diet,which is not common in ph. Lean meat is expensive in ph. Almost no beef/dairy available. Pork and chicken and small fish are the common meats. Rent is around 500 usd a month for a 1 bedroom in the provonce with full amenities. Scooter is 140 usd a month rental. Thats roughly 1200 on the high end per month for one grown man..thats my experience. Been twice in the past year for a month each time..

[@Nina_banana]

With $100k you can get about 400$ a month on interest if you put it on a high yield savings account. So if you can live with 400$ a month then it’s possible to make 100k last for a very very long time. Maybe even a lifetime if interest rates remain the same.

[@gbot3377]

1 year cds are paying 12%. So that's $1000 a month. This guy is cracked crazy!!!!

[@satysunk]

Inflation would raise the cost of living every three years

[@l.rongardner2150]

You can now make $5000 (5%) a year in interest on $100,000 in a money market fund. I loan out most of my money through first trust deeds (with title insurance), and make 11% right now on my loans. The stock market, by comparison, has historically generated a 7.5% profit per year.

[@jamestopeka2236]

My retirement is just over 3k and I only need half that to live good here in Solano Nueva Vizcaya but my house is paid for so no rent . My power bill is 3600 and my internet is 1,150 so we don't have high bills . We have a Sari sari store build on our house . We sale 8 oz coke for 15 pesos . That's a returnable bottle like America was years ago .we built our house in 2017 when the exchange rate was mid 40's , 4 bedroom with 2 CR's I spent 40k usd building it but now it would cost more than that to build this house .

[@alanaldpal950]

This is basically a …”how much does it cost to live per month in the Philippines”…. Divided into 100K. Obviously the only answer to how long will $100K last is. How much do you plan or need to spend per month plus “reserves”. If I had to live on a nest egg of $100K while waiting for some other retirement income stream to kick in I would first set aside 30% as a reserve for medical and other unknown surprises, than budget out how long your $70K will or needs to last

[@BradGrayable]

Super straightforward helpful info! Thanks. I'm 38 so I don't have enough money yet to up and leave America. I usually visit the Philippines a couple of times a year and I'm always looking around to see how I could make the move. In reality, I still have at least 10-12 years left of working here before a move like that would be feasible. So I'm in the process of bringing my Filipina to America. We've talked about it and we have every intention of moving to the Philippines unless she ends up loving it here; Then we'll re-evaluate. 😎

[@rickss69]

If you bring her to America you will forever regret it.

[@dylanoram3216]

I have about 100 grand now at 31 but I'm still not sure whether I should make the move yet even though I want to so bad 😂

[@BradGrayable]

@@dylanoram3216 Not sure of your exact situation, but if you have a gf/fiance/friends there, definitely do some research. When I asked mine to give me a rough estimate of monthly costs, for me, I had enough saved that would last me until I was 53-54(and that's without emergencies factored in). After that, I'd have to wait a while for social security to kick in(if it's even still there by the time we're that age). I could probably find some kind of work but that's not the goal. If I move there or anywhere abroad, I want to be set. 😅

[@dylanoram3216]

@@BradGrayable Yeah for sure. I wanna know that I'm all good without any worries for my own peace of mind. Right now I'm single doing my thing so whatever income I have will only have to cover me. I kind of like being monk mode devoting my time to studying and whatnot. I'm thinking once I have about 150 to 200k I should be alright down there as long as I have some income coming in to offset the costs.

[@martw5306]

i live in boston and the rents are very expensive we did her house over here so it more modern so 1000 usd a month you can live very comfortable and go to different places but its getting more expensive INFLATION is over here too

[@christopherbradley5575]

Very good assessment but my answer would always be that you cannot tie your plans to a finite amount of money while living in a world of constant variables. Planning that way is on the assumption that nothing will change. The truth is that things do change. Even professional economists can't predict things like political turmoil, inflation, deflation (yes that's bad too), financial bubbles, or the real-estate market. Also, if you have that amount of money and are not even thinking of turning it into some kind of passive income, you're already on the wrong track. The next time someone asks you that question, just tell them they aren't ready.

[@ed5308]

It depends if you find a good women or one that expects you to cover the bills for her family. What you need in the terms of lifestyle house or condo. Rent or own. Drinking or staying sober. I would need three to five thousand per month minimum. I have the 100K but I am going to stay put for now.

[@scott-gy6fe]

I'm in California and made it on $17500 last year for income. Credit card rang up 4000 also. House, car and truck all paid for. Someday social security will kick in and I will be able to have more stuff. I am staying put.

[@ryanmonti4903]

QYLD, RYLD and XYLD are covered call ETF's that you can buy and sell like a stock. They have annual dividend yields of 12.3%, 13.46% and 11.46% recpectfully, each pays monthly. If you invested the $100,000 in QYLD with a 12.3% yield, it could give you a return of about $12,300 per year which would be paid monthly $1,025. Unfortunately you will likely see priciple erosion over time. Anyway, just thinking out of the box.

[@edwinkirkland8856]

All again that i want to do when im able to come to the Philippines 🇵🇭 is just hang out with my fiance and family (she as myself doesn't like the "party..going out situation)so hanging out with her and her family in cebu and dalaguete is on my radar and again thank you for this information

[@paulleckner8235]

With $100,000.00 in the bank at 5% interest, it is $5,000.00 per year. You are set for a soft landing when social security kicks in and takes care of you until you pass.

[@tryscience]

None can deny you're a well-grounded person.

[@papadougpapadougsadventures]

I’m considering making the jump to the Philippines and stretching a 100k as far as I can and then activating social security if needed until 70 when it will be maximized. I’m 64 currently so I have the safety net of activating social security as a parachute if needed. There’s a million different opinions on “why wait take it now” on social security but if I don’t need it why not maximize it for life. My mom’s 87 and going strong and my dad’s oldest sister is 100 this year. My dad died of smoking related lung cancer so I don’t count that.😂

[@mrbutch308]

I can't live like that (on a tight budget). In my 60s, retired, and now I want to live comfortably after nearly 50 years of working. I don't need to live opulently, and a clean modern one bedroom apartment would suit me fine. I like eating out in nicer restaurants, having a cocktail in an attractive bar once or twice a week, treating a friend to lunch, and having a cleaning lady coming in at least three times a week. I'm sure I can manage this lifestyle on US on $2600 to $3000 a month ... what do you think?

[@MrSteven5975]

You can do it!

[@scotmandel6699]

You need your place cleaned 3 times a week damn do you do absolutely nothing for yourself?

[@MarcG294]

If you have $100K and nothing else it’s too early for retirement. Invest the money to grow it and keep working at least until you get social security.

[@Qbal8]

100k in a low interest savings account would yield around $300 a month in income without touching the principle.

[@peter-pg5yc]

yes a cola with ss can increase funds. but you need investments that throw off dividens and interest..

[@neilmartin4187]

I had 3hp air-con and my electric bill was 8k pesos. If you have 100k you could get your acr card after 2 months and invest 75k of your money and get 5% on your money and extend your budget a little farther.

[@rickylee6129]

Good Video Steve 😊. 108 days to go. Keep the lights on for me lol 😆 ✨️. Keep the video's comin. Stay Safe 💕 💞 🙏 🙏

[@daddylogan]

I understand you can still collect your SS in the Philippines so that covers most monthly expenses right out of the gate. If you own your own home in the USA (no mortgage) and you get SS, you can sell your home and between that money and your SS check you could live a great life. Yes, medical Insurance would be a must because with SS you do not get the medicare part.

[@MoorDragon]

Seems like there are two types of expats in the Philippines: those who have to move there and those who want to move there. If all you have is $500 income, you kinda have to move there. If you have $5000+ income, it’s more of a choice because you can really live a life of luxury there.

[@dovoso5685]

Hi Steve, like you have mentioned many times, the main problems with a fixed sum of money which supposed to last for many years to come , is Inflation and emergencies/disasters, especially when you get older. IMO, you will need a minimum of 20K for every year of life expectancy.

[@trailguy]

Buy gold, dont hold cash. The dollar has lost 96% of its value in 100 years, gold has gone from 20 to 2000. Sure it isn’t predictable from year to year, but it’s a sure thing compared to cash over time. Keep 20% in cash if you are afraid of short term fluctuations.

[@davegoody9603]

You hit the nail on the head....he mentions money many times in blogs

[@TropicalTodd]

@@trailguyyeah when I buy my groceries I just hand them a gold coin

[@pnoon43]

Ear plugs have saved my sanity especially when i worked night shift for 19 years other than other condo`s people doing major renovations.

[@LeroyPauley-oh7dl]

I just returned to the states after a 6 month trial run in lapu lapu. You can live on 1000 a month but it is not much of a life. After 200 dollars a mount rent another 200 for electricity, water, trash drinking water. Then add in WiFi and cable and outher household expenses you are up to 500 dollars. 300 for food if you cook at home everyday. So we are up to 800 already. Add in haircuts , landury and eating out 2 times a week and you are up to 900. So you can live on 1000 a month for the basics. Now if you want the 25 year old girl friend you need to add another 500 at least. You had better have a good health insurance plan mine was 140 dollars a month. You will need to leave after 3 years so you need to save money for that and immigration fees. If you want to live a bare minimum life you can do it. If you want to live a decent lifestyle you better have at least 1500 dollars a month. The live like a king on 1000 dollars a month is a dream In better of here in th states where I own my home and so glad I didn’t sell it before I went over to lapu lapu. Just a little advice from a guy who tried it and was disappointed with the true cost of living there. Thanks and have a great day

[@ForgotMyOrange]

Fair enough, for someone who doesn't own a home and only has around 300k (not me, but worse scenario) living in Australia with rent and expenses would simply be impossible. There is no housing cheap enough for any style of living... So whatever that level of luxury you had would be way more than we could get at home.

[@shb7772000if]

I moved to the Philippines in 1996, with $75,000, and made it till 2016 when i started getting my social security!

[@dennynisevic7848]

20 years on 75k , not possible

[@dennynisevic7848]

And how old are you, 170 , hahaaaa

[@69hendrikus]

🎉did u work there? Ah I bet can manage with that if one has skills and some good smart friends to work with

[@shb7772000if]

@@69hendrikus no, never worked at all. Spent about $500 a month in the Philippines. I lived 2 years in Phnom Penh, and spent a little over $300 a month there, including pussy, which was $3 at that time.

[@muradshawar]

Correct answer is 500k at 4% dividend which is 20k a year . Some might be able to do it on 400k at 4% dividend thats 16k . Also the whole point of going there isnt to do nothing you still got to be active and work its good for the mind . Here in the states you would need 2 Million at 4% in order to live good . 4 times as much in the states thats why people are leaving. the $$$$$$$$$$$$$ goes far overseas . Would love to see more youtubers discussing this as a option for people . Also working online making $$$$$$$$$ in USD while you wait for the compounding to build is another way of getting there early.

[@ianlewis2813]

Strawberries are good for pain (osteoarthritis and knee pain). You can get it in powder.. Turmeric is also good anti-inflammatory for pain ....and no kidney damage

[@SevenCostanza]

Turmeric yes kidney damage

[@ianlewis2813]

Buy $100,000 of shares in British American Tobacco, the Dividend is 9% = $9,000 per year paid at $2,250 every 3 months..minus tax.

[@edwinkirkland8856]

Thank you for this information and i came to the conclusion that, i cannot come to the Philippines just on social security so im 66 thank you lord Jesus im still fit and how much rel television can one human being watch as a veteran im looking for work any work so when i finally come to cebu, i want to have a steady financial income instead of always messing with the social security, more advice please for veterans coming to the Philippines God's blessings upon you my friend

[@gif24gt60]

$100,000? 2 years in the US and then u'll end up on the streets.

[@dannysantis2622]

If you controlled your monthly expenses, and your expenditures only up to max of $2,000/mo,.equivalent to not less than P100,000 a month, then you'll be hitting to stay in P.I. for 50months. P100,000÷4wks you get P25k a week budget. And P25k a week will give you P3,500 daily budget, which is more than enough to survive for the week. Raftly, you only need P1,000 for you daily budget, which includes your electricity and water bills.

[@MrSteven5975]

It's the medical bills that go up as we age

[@dannysantis2622]

@@MrSteven5975 Oh yeah.. that's one to be included in the list. Haven't you tried inquiring about healthcard or HMO here in the Philippines, for foreigners? Many HMOs available esp in Manila. There are cheap ones and there are also pricey ones. It depends on the services they provide. I think this isn't new to you, about policy vs expensive HMOs. I heard from HMO providers and their clients that a member is charge by illness per year. Which is explained in details when you inquired or about to become a member.

[@ScofaUK]

£500k at 7.5% gives you 37.5k per year (£3125 per month). This has been my idea on how to finance moving over to the philippines. But im still looking for better options then selling houses.

[@Eclectic_RN]

No more $1500 studies in Boston! $100G without any SS, 4-5 years. Sure, you can do better, maybe, or maybe not (if you end up in hospital for some months).

[@CarefreeChris]

Great vid Steve. Hope all is great there

[@randellt]

Living in Makati. 2 bedroom with balcony.. average lifestyle is costing me over $3000 a month. I plan on moving elsewhere after my 1 year lease is up.. iloillo or Bohol.. possibly outskirts Cebu. I never thought I'd go through $40k so fast living here.

[@onefixitman]

For the copper intake wear a copper bracelet made out of pure copper. Put your watch in your pocket and just try a copper bracelet. You can make yourself with a piece of 8 gage or 4 gage solid copper wire. Use ball peen hammer to flatten to your liking and bend to fit your arm. Very inexpensive if you can find a piece of scrap copper wire on a construction site or pay an electrician for a one foot long piece to work with and maybe you can make two bracelets for that price. Just my humble opinion. Good video.

[@ThePhilippinePipeDream]

Whenever I spend money I try to take a few days off, I try to pretend I’m still getting paid on Friday, and yeah we can do some stuff on the weekend, but gotta stay home and not spend money for a few days. You can’t spend everyday and make it on a small budget

[@trailguy]

So true. I recently had a few months of dental nightmare and seeing my bank account pile up due to not eating anything but shakes and blended soup clued me in to how much I can save by just eating more plainly.

[@ThePhilippinePipeDream]

@@trailguy Bro food is so expensive, especially if you are paying for a woman too. My brother makes more money than me but I live way better than him, he’s got foolish spending habits. My guilty pleasure is blu ray dvds, they are cheap and make me feel like I’m treating myself when I add new movies to my collection

[@RetireandGo]

Good video Investing in a REIT like Aberdeen ( ABR ) can bring in over $1000 a month with $100,000 invested There are others as well

[@CornellSandifer]

Steve as a option trader using just very basic "cash covered puts" and "covered calls" very basic option trading you can make $4000 a month with just $50,000. I'm in a condo in Makati in the Greenbelt mall area doing that right now with very little effort, people fear what they don't know and all it takes is a little knowledge.

[@tomper2204]

a little knowledge and a lot of risk

[@LeonardMarlin]

Im back in the states until the end of April when I come back to live in the Philippines I would love to talk to you. I have $50,000 in my emergency fund and never will touch it and do add $500 a month to it for future medical cost. That said I do have $10,000 saved for house hold emergency and am wondering how to add another $500 to that savings each month. I would like to know what you're doing so I can possibly do the same thing on a much smaller scale. Admittedly I know nothing about the stock market.

[@LeonardMarlin]

​@@tomper2204I am sure the benefit outweighs the risks, would it bother me to lose $10,000 dollars of course it took me almost a year to save it. But they say you have to have money to make money so even if I can make $500 a month to add to my household savings account that would be great.

[@CornellSandifer]

@@LeonardMarlin Sure I'll be still right here in Mikati, I love the Philppines, I follow Steve's channel.

[@CornellSandifer]

@@tomper2204 There are risk to living and breathing but this risk is in relationship to your greed, most people can't control their greed, my needs are small, my risk is little.

[@tessmartinez9446]

USD1,800/month is comfortable living in the Phils.

[@KantoCafe715]

I liked this. In Japan right now, it applies to expats here too.

[@glennhiggins5425]

Great advice Steve. I think we need to factor in inflation aswell. Prices will eventually go up, not that you will see in 1 year, but 3 to 5 years down the track and so on. Im planning retirement @ 60, 62 the latest. That will give me 6 to 8 years before pension kicks in. I also intend to have saving on top of pension, i believe with inflation and or needs ill need a few dollars more per month. Thats my plan, things could change, but lets face it, if you dont hage a plan, nasty surprises can bite you bad. Hope all is good, cheers 🍻

[@MrSteven5975]

Absolutely

[@AlexPerez-fo2nc]

Guys 100k is nothing, my goal is retire by 45 latest 47 ,come with 500k for security that i wont touch & a income of 100 a day coming in daily that i can live off, 100 a day the sweet spot if you wanna live like a king

[@joehogan8234]

I would invest that money in dividend etfs and it will last much longer. Use the dividend payments as income.

[@Tony_Kaku]

Im still deciding if I want to retire in another country (Im 43) and get out of the rat race early. This wont be for about 10+ years but Im doing my research now! Fortunately my condo sells for twice the original price and sells fast (I still check zillow for research). Been in my corporate career 18 years so 401k and pension can sustain me until social security kicks in. I had lots of fun time when I was younger and now I prefer a simple and quiet life and maybe some karaoke once in a while 😁 Thank you for the information and I wish you well!

[@davidhaylett1810]

Surely the idea is not to burn up Capital. If you have 100,000 you can get 5% dividends if invested in shares so that’s 5,000 per year and not enough. But if you have 400,000 you can get an income of £20,000 per year and that’s enough to live forever as the Capital is intact.

[@redbeard2527]

I’m 35 and get $2500 a month VA disability. I have $65k in retirement, and want to retire well in a warm place. Hopefully the Philippines is still affordable when I retire 😂

[@christaylor7049]

No rent and not much drinking booze, no smoking, invest the cash Warren Buffett top 200 blue chip share portfolio last year return over 10 percent plus cash dividends, you can easily live on 50000 pesos a month and you would have ongoing nest egg, plus pension

[@ncsludgefactory5445]

The bottom line is If you talking 1500-2000 monthly, youre living a western lifestyle period If youre complainin about roosters Youre definitely city folk

[@roberttaylor9628]

As long as you don't have to take care of her 100 family members, you should be ok.

[@lamonttaylor5061]

I plan to have 401k, investments and will continue investing into Roth IRA once retired in the Philippines.

[@williammmmmmmmm]

Forever if you understand the concept of dividend investing

[@mindcache5650]

If you have social security already ($1700 per month) , then you’re looking at surviving 25 years with the extra $100,000 if you invested it and just withdrew a few thousand a year.