Tag: Living in the Philippines
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What Do You Actually Do All Day? The Reality of Retirement in the Philippines After the Vacation Ends
What is retirement in the Philippines really like after the vacation feeling fades? Explore routines, friendships, purpose, health and everyday expat life.
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Is Divorce Now Legal in the Philippines? What Expats and Retirees Need to Know in 2026
If you’re moving to the Philippines, dating there, or considering marrying a Filipino citizen, you’ve probably heard conflicting stories about divorce. One person will tell you that divorce has finally been legalized. Someone else will tell you that there is absolutely no divorce in the Philippines. As of September 2026, the second answer is much…
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City Convenience or Island Life? Choosing the Philippines You’ll Actually Want to Live In
When people imagine retiring in the Philippines, they often picture the same scene. A small house or condo near the water. Palm trees. Warm weather. Fresh seafood. Maybe a motorbike parked outside. The beach is a few minutes away, neighbors know your name, and the noise and expense of American life feel very far away.…
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The $3,000-a-Month Philippines: What Kind of Retirement Can You Actually Live?
You have $3,000 coming in every month. Maybe it’s Social Security combined with retirement savings. Maybe it’s a pension. Maybe it’s a combination of several income sources. The question is simple: What kind of retirement can $3,000 a month actually buy you in the Philippines? The answer is considerably more interesting than saying, “The Philippines…
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Living in the Philippines but Need Medicare? Guam and Saipan May Be an Option
One of the biggest healthcare questions facing Americans who retire in the Philippines is surprisingly simple: What happens to my Medicare? For most retirees, the answer can be frustrating. You may have spent decades paying into the Medicare system, continue paying a monthly premium for Medicare Part B, and then discover that Medicare generally does…
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Could Medicare Finally Be Coming to the Philippines? Here’s Where Things Stand
Updated September 2026 For years, one of the biggest healthcare frustrations for Americans retiring in the Philippines has been Medicare. Americans can spend decades paying into the system, enroll when they become eligible, and continue paying Medicare Part B premiums, yet in most circumstances they cannot use those benefits for medical care received while living…
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The Return of Subic Bay: What the Growing U.S.-Philippine Military Presence Could Mean for the Region—and for Expats
For anyone who remembers the Philippines during the Cold War, the name Subic Bay means something very different than it does to younger generations. For decades, U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay was one of America’s most important military installations in the Pacific. American ships filled the harbor, thousands of military personnel passed through the area,…
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The Philippines Honeymoon Wears Off: What Nobody Tells You About Adjusting to Life as an Expat
Moving overseas is a major life decision. This article isn’t intended to convince you to move to the Philippines—or convince you not to. The goal is to help you understand something that doesn’t appear on most retirement budgets or moving checklists: adjusting emotionally and culturally to actually living in another country. You’ve done it. You’ve…
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A New Philippine Living Guide: Everything You Need to Plan, Move, Retire, and Live in the Philippines
If you’ve visited Philippine Living Guide before, you may notice things look a little different. Actually, quite a bit different. We’ve redesigned Philippine Living Guide around a simple idea: make it easier to find the information you need when you’re considering visiting, retiring, moving to, or living in the Philippines. Over time, the site has…
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What Does $100 Buy You in the Philippines? A Real-Life Spending Guide
One of the biggest attractions of living or retiring in the Philippines is that your money can often go considerably further than it does in the United States, Canada, Australia, or many parts of Europe. But statements like “the Philippines is cheap” do not really tell you much about what everyday life actually costs. A…
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