How much would it cost to live in Iloilo?

One bedroom and fully furnished places are all but impossible to find.

There is the Charter Pension house on General Luna st. (behind the Sarabia Manor Hotel) that will run $300 a month for rent. It has hw shower and private bathroom, cable TV and ac. There is an internet cafe onsite that charges P25 per hour. There is also free use of the hotels pool included.

Two (2) bedroom places are difficult to find. All are unfurnished. They vary in price from P8, 000 a month (roughly 30 min outside the city) to up to P 20,000 a month for a western style new modern place. 3 bedroom houses in a gated subdivision near the city the average price is P20,000 per month.

0ne year leases are the norm with 2 months down as security and first month upfront. Nobody I know that owns houses/apartments myself included will bother with short term or month to month rentals.

Laundry is P40 per kilo, wash dry and fold or you can hire a labandera (laundry lady) for P250 a day. She will wash by hand or use a machine if you have one and iron it.

Electric will cost around P5,000 a month. Less if you don't have or run a much.

Food is a big variable. If you are looking for traditional fast food like McDonald's, Jollibee etc. plan on P150 per meal. Native BBQ places and Calderetas are all over the place and cheaper. Dinner in a nice restaurant is P300 on average. Cooking and buying you own food at the market is much cheaper or you can buy a large selection of imported "American food" at the Iloilo supermarket chain.

Cabs are P 30 flag down and P60-P80 will get you just about anywhere in the city. Jeepneys are only P7 per ride if using a local one around the city or to the next town.

386 DSL is available through PLDT (the phone company for P990 a month) but the catch is P4,000 down for the connection and equipment and a two (2) year agreement. Internet cafes are all over with P15 to P30 per hour all over.

For a single guy that wants some nightlife and creature comforts I would not go lower than $700 a month minimum.

Source(s):
USN Retired, Married and living in Iloilo City since 2002.
www.livinginthephilippines.com and the yahoo discussion group Living in the Philippines 3.