So back when I first decided to live in the Philippines I had a lot of questions such as what is it like to live in the Philippines will I enjoy life and as Asia is massive is the Philippines really the best option? These and similar questions might be ones that you are also thinking about but from the time that I moved to the Philippines to now the country has changed a lot. So today I'm going to be revisiting these questions by looking at two of the most popular topics the cost of living and dating in the Philippines. So when it comes to the cost of living you will find that most websites across the web talk about a budget of $1,500 to $2,000 a month. So I found some groups talking about the costs and looked at different responses. So take a look at this comment the original question was asking what the typical middle class cost of living is in the Philippines. So this guy feels that most expats don't want to live a Filipino lifestyle which is an important acknowledgement if we're looking at the costs. We all know that we could live much cheaper in the Philippines but some expats feel that this lifestyle for them would not be living it would just be existing. This is why most mainstream advice on the cost of living in the Philippines is around $1,500 to $2,000 but let's take a look at other information. Another comment said the following. General consensus is that you need around $1,200 a month for a frugal existence as a westerner. I've been nomadding in the same countries for the last 15 years and I never had a month where I spent less than $1,500 and that was because I was running low on funds or had to do it. Two-care month means that you can live in a very nice house, condo, transportation, eat whatever food you like and even some hobbies and entertainment. This comment sums up the cost well meaning that you could live less but a higher budget gives you more freedom. But here's the thing. A lot of these living costs you will see are for the big cities. There are many expats especially here on YouTube that talk about living cheaply in the provinces so I looked at this option too. So for some context the OP was asking if it's possible to live on a very low budget of only $350. The highest voted comment said that this kind of budget is certainly possible but you'll find that Rural is quite more extreme in these countries. No air conditioning in blistering heat and possibly no running water or plumbing. Books and lizards in the bedroom luckily the lizards eat the books so you'll learn to love them and you'll see and hear rats throughout the night. So it really comes down to how you want to live. One area I looked at a lot when I wanted to live in Asia was the cost difference between Thailand and the Philippines. One commenter said, I have been living in Minila for five years and have also lived in Bangkok for two years. Your observation is correct. Thailand offers better value for money and a better life overall. Now it has to be said that one of the positives with Thailand is that apartments and utilities are much cheaper on average. You tend to get more for your money and this is why some expats who wish to save and live cheaply tend to live in Thailand and neighbouring countries instead of the Philippines. There are also some sources that talk about how costs are rising in Asia. For the most part people seem to agree that you will need around $1,000 as a minimum and if you want to live really well a better budget would be $2,000 a month. So what can you expect if you plan to date in the Philippines? Well I found a few comments on this subject. The top comment said to stay away from ladies in Minila, there must be a story behind this comment but this was followed by another comment saying Filipinas are materialistic. Now it's important that we do not generalise and you will find in the Philippines there are some amazing Filipinas but also some not so amazing ones just like everywhere else. One guy wrote what seemed to be a whole article about the topic. He spoke about the culture, religion, single mums, you name it. To summarize a few points he spoke about how Filipinas love to have fun and this can be from drinking to singing to dancing. He also spoke about how many Filipinas in his experience are open to dating all kinds of races and that single mums are not your typical single mums story. In other words they didn't full pregnant drunk as a teenager or anything like that but instead were in a long term marriage and sadly it fell apart. Another expat was asking for advice when dating a Filipina and the top comment read prepare to date her family too. I know it sounds strange but within a few weeks you could find yourself in a long term relationship which is pretty crazy but it does happen. If there's one thing I would say it's just to take your time and really enjoy the dating game in the Philippines. There is a great deal of information about the Philippines but it is a developing country and things can change quickly. It's not the cheap haven it used to be but it still offers a lower cost of living with a unique lifestyle. As someone who is very much interested in the future of the Philippines I often look at projections, the economy, housing and so on. The Philippines is one of those countries that does have a very bright future. There are still a few ongoing problems such as corruption which hold the country back but if the Philippines can get past this things can look very differently in the near future. On this subject I spoke to two good friends of mine who are local Filipinos and they seem to disagree. Their argument is that many Filipinos just want an easy lifestyle and the country may continue to grow but very slowly over time. But I believe that we are just at the start of how popular the Philippines will become. In terms of dating, well during my interviews with Filipinos I spoke about dating a lot. One thing that stood out to me was just how many of the same messages they got from expats. Dating apps and online dating is increasingly popular in the Philippines but if you wish to be successful with a Filipina whether that is for casual fun or something more serious you need to change the game. Some guys rely on them being white or having money or sexual stereotypes in order to impress. Now this is not to judge as we all say things that we wish we didn't say but the sheer amount of messages that I saw from expats to Filipinos that said some pretty crazy stuff were shocking and it just doesn't work if you're looking for a high quality girl.