💰 How much to retire in the Philippines vs the US?

Deciding if you can afford to retire abroad comes down to comparing your current lifestyle against expected expat expenses. In the Philippines, you can live in paradise and save a massive amount of money compared to Western prices if you embrace the local culture.

Start with what you currently spend each month in your home country to see how much further your dollar stretches abroad. Getting an accurate baseline makes the comparison much more meaningful.

Here is a breakdown of Joe's actual monthly costs living in the Philippines. As Joe puts it, rent is 17,000 pesos a month, which works out to $300.81 for his beachfront studio with a pool.

For getting around, as Joe notes, transportation costs 5,000 Filipino pesos every month for a scooter, which is $86.56. Adjust these numbers based on your own expected standard of living, like if you plan to rent a larger house.

Food is another major area of savings. As Joe points out, he spent $135.95 on groceries, noting that he used to spend more than that in a single week back in the United States.

He also did not cut corners on lifestyle. Joe mentions he spent 11,439 Filipino pesos going out to eat, and while that sounds like an astronomical amount, it is only $198 for nice restaurants. As Joe says, he is literally doing it all for less than $1,000 a month.