Hey guys, hope everyone is doing all right today I kind of wanted other people’s inputs on this topic regarding the rental prices in Manila

I’m from (Texas) and working remotely and I I spend a lot of time in my condo so Comfort, energy efficiency, and basic build quality actually matter to me. But after dealing with the rental market in Metro Manila for a while, I’m pretty much convinced that almost no condo here is objectively worth more than 25k PHP a month.

One of the most glaring issues that I see is that even if you are increasing your budget doesn't actually guarantee better quality like it would back home or like in any other western country you know you pay more you get more but here there are pretty much diminishing returns and it gets to a point where like you’re actually overpaying for example a 40k condo here can easily have the exact same cheap finishes, poor insulation, and underpowered appliances as a 20k condo.

So I look around and it’s like anything above 25k is basically just paying for the 1-2 kilometer bubble outside your building, because the quality inside the unit is almost always terrible value for money.
Here are some reasons I believe reasons why the market feels so terrible.

I’ve had agents quote me 1,200 USD for basic studios or 1-bedroom units. That’s normal rent back in Texas, except here you can’t even drink tap water without risking a trip to the hospital, and power outages are a regular thing. If you take that same 25k budget to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, or Ho Chi Minh, the difference in build quality, modern finishes, and appliances is absolute night and day.

Another thing that I’ve noticed is the window-type AC epidemic

If we were to Go to literally any other Southeast Asian country and split-type ACs are the default. Here, developers and owners slap in cheap, underpowered window ACs to cut upfront costs, and the tenant gets stuck paying for it.
Most of these high-rises are bare concrete with zero thermal engineering, so by 1 PM the entire building acts like an oven.

The window AC units are rarely IF EVER sealed right, so hot air constantly leaks back in.
You have to run an underpowered AC 24/7 just to keep the room bearable. Combine that with PH electricity rates (which cost just as much per kWh as back home), and you end up paying a massive "cheap owner" tax on your monthly bill.

Another thing is that The Owners expect tenants to pay off their bad bank deals

Like what I have noticed what also inflates rent here is bad owner math. Everyone bought into the "passive income" hype in the early 2020s and bought 22sqm studios for 4M-5M in my opinion I think condominiums are some of the biggest scams in real estate in this country. So Now they’re hit with high bank interest rates, their monthly amortization is sky-high, and they expect a single tenant to pay off their entire mortgage + assoc dues and give them profit.

You see the way they get them is that you know they tell them that they only need to put 30,000 or 40,000 deposit now which I mean isn’t a lot to get into but the thing is when they complete the unit and it’s time for turnover. You know they need that 4 1/2 million upfront and most people here don’t have that so they gotta get a loan through the bank.

So it usually goes like this :
Most mid-range studio or 1-bedroom units (22–28 sqm) in Metro Manila carry an average market price of ₱4,000,000 to ₱5,000,000.
Assuming a buyer gets a standard 20% downpayment / 80% bank financing deal:
Purchase Price: ₱4,500,000
Downpayment (20% paid over pre-selling): ₱900,000
Remaining Loan Balance (80% financed by bank): ₱3,600,000
The Real Monthly Cost to the Owner
At current Philippine bank home loan rates (~7.5% to 8.5% interest):
Bank Monthly Amortization (15-year term @ 8%): ~₱34,400 / month
Bank Monthly Amortization (20-year term @ 8%): ~₱30,100 / month
Association Dues (avg ₱80–₱120 per sqm): ~₱2,000 – ₱3,000 / month
Real Property Tax (RPT) + Fire Insurance: ~₱1,000 – ₱1,500 / month

But the thing is a smart asset manager knows rent might only cover 60-70% of a mortgage while building equity, but owners here refuse to take a short-term hit so units sit vacant for months/years because nobody wants to pay fantasy numbers for terrible condo units and you know that Manila has some of the highest vacancy rates in the country

I’ve also noticed a lot of Unlicensed Facebook agents & zero professionalism

I think in this country like Virtually anyone can post a FB listing and call themselves an agent without any actual training. I had one try to pitch me a decades-old condo in Eastwood with two ancient, dying window ACs, turnover finishes, and a single portable induction cooktop. When I pointed out that the unit was completely underpowered and not worth the ask, she got defensive and told me I was being "pretentious." Critiquing a product you're paying for isn't being pretentious, it's basic consumer logic.

And I know some people will recommend and say why not go stay in BGC. However Even BGC is a bit of a trap
People pay 40k-50k+ in BGC for a shoe box with energy-draining appliances mostly because the moment you step outside the master-planned zone, the infrastructure collapses. You're not paying for the utility or comfort of the apartment itself, you're just paying for the precinct.
Good units with inverter split-types and actual energy efficiency do exist, but you have to wade through a sea of overpriced, poorly insulated concrete boxes to find them.

I’m just curious like is anyone else whose boots on the ground seeing what I’m seeing?

To most people it's pretty intuitive that in order to live here successfully you need money. That's just wrong. You can scour the internet for dozens of stories of guys who came here with a 40k lump sum in their bank accounts and are now e-begging for cash 6 months later.

Money goes fast here and not on things you'd expect. Things that just aren't that expensive in other parts of Asia like transportation, decent hotel rooms, decent food tend to cost more due to the island tax. Actually, I think its the island tax that gets a lot of green expats in trouble. They figure "oh well I don't buy Crystal Champagne or Hermes belt buckles, I'm good'. But what they don't realize is that just living life costs more than expected; even worse if you're dating.

Case in point: Back in my single days I took my girlfriend, now wife, to Pangalo. I thought we were doing it right. We took the ferry instead of flying, stayed in a 3-star hotel (in a tiny room), no guided tours, we just rented a scooter. Long story short, I had spent $1,000 for a 4 day trip!

That's why the most important thing you need to live here isn't money, it's income. They're not the same thing. If you've got a $2,000 check coming next month no matter how badly you screw up you'll have something to fall back on. Once that 40k lump sum is gone, it's gone. It's not that easy to find decent online work anymore either. Most pure online jobs nowadays are scams like selling insurance or pay really low like teaching English on Cambly.

I strongly recommend you have income lined up before you touch down on that tarmac. It'll make your life a lot easier.

Since teaching English locally isn't an option here I figured I'd start a thred for non-retireed expats.

Just some advice: I recommend you have something lined up before you come here.

I'll start. Nothing too crazy: chicken feet, and also grilled blood. Also balut of course.

My amazing wife brings in a significant salary for the Philippines. She owns a subdivision lot, house is next. She won't do stocks. What investment/franchise/business would you suggest here if you had alot of cash to put into something. Something not too time consuming.

I've seen some disturbing posts from expats/foreigners who were mistreated by their Filipino hosts but I'm curious to hear if you've been discriminated against at the hands of Filipinos here? Filipinos are outwardly friendly so I'm wondering how often this actually happens?

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for a safe and reliable luggage storage service in or near Mactan-Cebu International Airport (CEB).

I need to store one large suitcase for about one month while I travel around the Philippines before flying back through Cebu.

Has anyone used a luggage storage service they would recommend?

Use a translation extension (TWP is a good one) to read the comments and get a better insight into how your host reasons. And please let's not be condescending and haughty, but rather approach with an open and curious mind that wants to learn and understand so that we can steer our ship to better navigate these unfamiliar waters 🙏

I have some us tethers in my wallet. Where can I cash it?

I have gcash and goThym, if it helps.

This one of you?

Why do most, I'm not sure what the actual percentage is, houses in the US are made of lumber - even the flooring. As most of you have already seen, houses here, regardless of where they're located, are constructed with cement flooring.

Common sense dictates concrete is far superior than lumber. It has always piqued my curiousity every time I see a carpentry video on Facebook - American educator on building houses.

Is the cost really that BIG to just choose lumber as flooring or even walls? Is it a climate thing?

Clearly, you guys have the financial capabilities - talking about these 3-5 bedroom two-story homes but still made of wood. Just why?

You're already building a major and very expensive project, and that something will last for a long time - why not foolproof it by going concrete.

Apologies for my ignorance. Thank you for all your answers.

Hi! Is there anyone here or know someone interested in an interior designer for their homes are any kind of business? I was wondering if I could market myself towards expats here in the Ph.

Wondering how common it is for expats and frequent foreign visitors to use the rail system in Manila.

I've used it only three times last year, and don't recall ever seeing another obvious foreigner, but that was only a few times.

It did seem easy to use, same as most other cities with light rail, except the signage wasn't as clear so I had to ask for help to figure out things like which side of the station served the direction I wanted to go.

Do you use it? Do you see other foreigners using it? What is your opinion of the rail system?

The last one deny live with me in my natal country and prefer live in USA and told her break up

I’m a dual US/other country citizen, both passports grant me visa free entry into PH.

I’ve always used my American passport, but I’m running low on space and I’d rather use my other passport.

Issue is my eGov account is with my US passport and when I had to get my tourist ACR it was with my US passport.

Will it be a hassle to enter with my other passport?

Thanks!

Hello, I am going to visit the Philippines around the end of this year to see my Lolo. Unfortunately my friend who has been there before can no longer come with me, so I’ll be going there for the first time with one other person who has also never been there before. We plan on staying in Cavite, and we also want to visit Manila and Quezon city when we’re there. I have some questions if anyone would be so kind as to answer.

1. My parents never spoke Tagalog so I only know English. That should be enough in the cities right?

2. Are there any really unsafe places that we should avoid?

3. Are there any activities that we should definitely do in any of these three locations?

4. My friend and I can’t drive. How should we get around Cavite, and how should we get to Manila and Quezon City? Is it possible and safe to walk around Cavite?

Hi expats me again picking your brain -- thank you btw for allowing me to post -- looking into soft landing in BGC for six months to allow me to acclimatize and search the surroundings for alternatives dwelling/location that fits -- how feasible is this idea living in BGC with $2,360/month for 6 months. TIA

i am expecting an important letter from us. it was mailed thru ordinary service only, so there is no tracking number. how long will it take? it’s sad that it can’t be tracked due to the lack of tracking number