Philippines Apartelles For About 10,000 Pesos A Month?

[Will N. Dowd]

I'm hoping for website links or recommendations from other members on apartelles or pension houses in the Philippines. I don't really care where they are, I'm just looking for places to go and stay that are not hotels. I cook my own healthy food so need a kitchen with hotplate and utensils and need the internet and my budget is about 10,000 pesos a month including rent, water, internet and electricity. This is what I have paid at places in the past and they were sufficient. I unplug the aircon the day I arrive and never use it, eat almost every meal at home, do my laundry by hand and hang it outside to dry, and take trikes and jeepneys to go and meet girls and even buy my groceries. I don't even watch the TV there, the internet provides me with far more entertainment. From what I have seen I doubt many foreigners there live like me, but that's just the way I am. I hate paying people to do things I can do better myself, and hate spending lots of money in a country where it is possible to live comfortably for cheap. The simplicity and low cost of life there is part of the appeal for me and others too I'm sure.

After looking around, it is sometimes hard to find places with a personal kitchen and the internet. Many only have a communal kitchen, and while some have wi-fi, it sometimes only works in the lobby and hallways, but not in the rooms. So I'm looking for recommendations on places that have both in the room for about 10,000 pesos all in.

Again, location is not important, I'm very mobile, so post any places you've been or know of that fit my budget and needs. If it's a bit more than my price, please post anyways. If it's worth it I will spend a bit more. Thanks!

[Taco]

I rent a small 2 bedroom house in Northern Cebu for 3800 pesos(Filipino price) a month. However, most of the cheap hotels and pension houses are 1000 pesos/night. Any hotel less than 1000 pesos/night is usually full of roaches, ants, centipedes, zombies etc... You might be able to find one that's 10000 pesos/month but you'll probably need to enlist the help of a Filipina to search for one. The best deals in the Philippines are never advertised.

[filousophe]

dude, Filipino here. i live in Metro Manila.

for info of other members, PHP 10k a month is roughly USD 220. if you are living alone, i think you can cut it down to half, and yet have a decent place to live in.

anyway, hotels/ serviced apartments aren't really advisable at this price range per month. i suggest that you look for residential areas that are "informal" in set up -- i.e., NOT the condominiums, subdivisions, and the like. perhaps the residential areas that might look sketchy at first glance. some might even call them "informal settlers" but you'd be surprised that they own the land they are at. for instance, the area called Kalayaan Avenue near Bonifacio Global City, a major business district where you can go to bars easily. in that place, they have places for rent at 5k a month. you just have to look.

since you are a foreigner, start with online listings. check OLX.

hope that helps.

[Will N. Dowd]

It's getting harder and harder to find places for about 10,000 a month. Most places geared towards foreigners are now charging 25,000+ a month because they know most foreigners will pay it. It seems most places for rent are shoddy boarding houses for the locals under 5000 pesos a month or over 25,000, with not much in between. Even some of the 25,000 places have no kitchens and the wifi only works in the lobby. I found a apartment hotel with kitchen that was 96,000 a month with NO wifi in rooms. Madness!

If anyone knows 10-15,000 pesos a month places anywhere in the phils with internet and a equipped kitchen please let me know thanks!

[Winston]

Well if you wanna come to Angeles City, it is easy to get apartments that are 5000 pesos and up. Not in central locations though, more like out in the neighborhood areas. Those are easy to get. And Angeles City has tons of for rent signs everywhere. However, many of them will want you to sign a year lease and pay one or two months deposit up front. It's hard to get around that. But if you keep trying or ask around, you can often get deals where you just pay month by month with no lease. But they do want a deposit though. They will not return the deposit, but they will let you consume it as the last month's rent payment.