Best place to live in Cebu for retirement
Apr 22nd 2007, 4:54 pm
#16
Just Joined
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: .. under deconstruction..
Posts: 6
Re: Best place to live in Cebu for retirement
..yahh, let's have a good time..
..are you familiar with " a white man's burden" by Kipling......
..damn, sorry, i was expecting you to have a conscience..please forgive me for a possible error...
Jun 4th 2007, 3:53 pm
#17
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: San Fernando, La Union, Illocos Sur, Luzon, Philippines
Posts: 41
Re: Best place to live in Cebu for retirement
Given you have to be 50 to retire in Thailand otherwise you can not stay more than 6 months of the year,I reckon Cebu is the next best place in Asia to live in relative luxury without costing the earth.
For people who prefer the beach life but with good western facilities and decent restaurants and bars,where in Cebu would be the best place to live?
Does Mactan Island have condos beside the beach to rent?What is beside it?
Doing research,it looks that there are better beach areas in Cebu but too isolated for my taste.
Any info would be welcome.Websites I have surfed aren't incisive enough.
For people who prefer the beach life but with good western facilities and decent restaurants and bars,where in Cebu would be the best place to live?
Does Mactan Island have condos beside the beach to rent?What is beside it?
Doing research,it looks that there are better beach areas in Cebu but too isolated for my taste.
Any info would be welcome.Websites I have surfed aren't incisive enough.
Cebu is a nice place, but I wouldn't live there. I have lived in the Philippines now for a year and I did consider Cebu. Too many sectarian Muslim problems there for my taste, Mindanao and the Sulu islands are too close !!
I wouldn't buy any sort of condo in Mactan either. The majority of the hotels there are owned by Koreans - and the hotels are expensive - so land and property will be expensive(and, like Thailand, foreigners can't own land...).
Best advice I can offer is to check out Kota Kinabalu(KK) in Sabah, Malaysia(old Borneo). When you mention Malaysia, everyone thinks of KL or Penang or even Singapore. KK is a bit of a jewel, I think. KK is very modern and will have everything you want - beautiful beaches, mountains, unpolluted jungle, extinct volcanoes and very modern and up and coming. And very central to the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and HK(...and it's only a short hop to Cebu). And Malaysian food is better than filipino food !! It's a very beautiful place - and you CAN buy property there as a foreigner.
Check out these pics: http://www.tropicalisland.de/borneo.html
Hope it suits you,
Best regards,
Bill
Hope it helps,
Bill
Jun 11th 2007, 3:31 am
#18
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 7
Re: Best place to live in Cebu for retirement
Fantastic phots and link to Kota Kinabalu - wow,this definitely is a place to do more analysis in.I must admit I have been there for a work event and was amazed by my fleeting time of the natural landscape.The people on the board are right,Malaysia is far more developed economically than Thailand and the Philippines and even though Thais and Filipinos are very friendly people,there simply isn't the economic dependency that is prevalent in many interactions with them compared to Malaysians.
For culture,art,philosophy,food,style,affordable western facilities,healthcare,comfortable and very accessable transportation,Thailand is world class and will continue on her path in "Thai time" to becoming a world leader in hospitality with prices to match.
For natural beauty,beaches,warmth of the local people and relative lack of publicity and marketing thereof,Philippines is rapidly becoming a jewel,hidden by a lack of polish.However the declining infrastructure,the lack of pride in Filipino culture by the ruling elite,the sheer poverty and prevalence of "gated" communities due to safety issues,makes it difficult to feel 100% comfortable,living in such an environment.
Malaysia does not have the same lustre of Thailand but she certainly is not as complicated and as hard to understand in terms of her rules and regulations.As far as the analogy goes,Thailand is beautiful but high maintenance while Malaysia is more predictable and boring.
Kota Kinabalu,from the pictures and the ease to buying property and getting a ten year residency,definitely looks more interesting than Penang.Will do more research on this place.
Cheers!
For culture,art,philosophy,food,style,affordable western facilities,healthcare,comfortable and very accessable transportation,Thailand is world class and will continue on her path in "Thai time" to becoming a world leader in hospitality with prices to match.
For natural beauty,beaches,warmth of the local people and relative lack of publicity and marketing thereof,Philippines is rapidly becoming a jewel,hidden by a lack of polish.However the declining infrastructure,the lack of pride in Filipino culture by the ruling elite,the sheer poverty and prevalence of "gated" communities due to safety issues,makes it difficult to feel 100% comfortable,living in such an environment.
Malaysia does not have the same lustre of Thailand but she certainly is not as complicated and as hard to understand in terms of her rules and regulations.As far as the analogy goes,Thailand is beautiful but high maintenance while Malaysia is more predictable and boring.
Kota Kinabalu,from the pictures and the ease to buying property and getting a ten year residency,definitely looks more interesting than Penang.Will do more research on this place.
Cheers!
Jun 11th 2007, 9:35 am
#19
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: San Fernando, La Union, Illocos Sur, Luzon, Philippines
Posts: 41
Re: Best place to live in Cebu for retirement
Fantastic phots and link to Kota Kinabalu - wow,this definitely is a place to do more analysis in.I must admit I have been there for a work event and was amazed by my fleeting time of the natural landscape.The people on the board are right,Malaysia is far more developed economically than Thailand and the Philippines and even though Thais and Filipinos are very friendly people,there simply isn't the economic dependency that is prevalent in many interactions with them compared to Malaysians.
For culture,art,philosophy,food,style,affordable western facilities,healthcare,comfortable and very accessable transportation,Thailand is world class and will continue on her path in "Thai time" to becoming a world leader in hospitality with prices to match.
For natural beauty,beaches,warmth of the local people and relative lack of publicity and marketing thereof,Philippines is rapidly becoming a jewel,hidden by a lack of polish.However the declining infrastructure,the lack of pride in Filipino culture by the ruling elite,the sheer poverty and prevalence of "gated" communities due to safety issues,makes it difficult to feel 100% comfortable,living in such an environment.
Malaysia does not have the same lustre of Thailand but she certainly is not as complicated and as hard to understand in terms of her rules and regulations.As far as the analogy goes,Thailand is beautiful but high maintenance while Malaysia is more predictable and boring.
Kota Kinabalu,from the pictures and the ease to buying property and getting a ten year residency,definitely looks more interesting than Penang.Will do more research on this place.
Cheers!
For culture,art,philosophy,food,style,affordable western facilities,healthcare,comfortable and very accessable transportation,Thailand is world class and will continue on her path in "Thai time" to becoming a world leader in hospitality with prices to match.
For natural beauty,beaches,warmth of the local people and relative lack of publicity and marketing thereof,Philippines is rapidly becoming a jewel,hidden by a lack of polish.However the declining infrastructure,the lack of pride in Filipino culture by the ruling elite,the sheer poverty and prevalence of "gated" communities due to safety issues,makes it difficult to feel 100% comfortable,living in such an environment.
Malaysia does not have the same lustre of Thailand but she certainly is not as complicated and as hard to understand in terms of her rules and regulations.As far as the analogy goes,Thailand is beautiful but high maintenance while Malaysia is more predictable and boring.
Kota Kinabalu,from the pictures and the ease to buying property and getting a ten year residency,definitely looks more interesting than Penang.Will do more research on this place.
Cheers!
Thanks for that.....and I take your point about the 'ruling elite'. In the Philippines there is a definite ruling class, and it is very tribal and all based on rich, dominant families. There is also massive govt. corruption in Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines too. A Filipino Senator in the govt. Congress makes 30,000 pesos(£300) per month and the President here earns a wage of 70,000 pesos(£700) per month !! It's probably similar in Thailand and Malaysia. Little wonder that rich families rule and that there is so much corruption !!
Regarding your comments on gated communities in the Philipines, I really think this is irrelevant. Alot of people end up buying condos in Thailand, The Philippines or Malaysia. A condo, after all, is actually a safe, vertically gated community isn't it? Having said that, I have chosen to live in a bungalow near the beach in San Fernando, La Union in Luzon. This isn't a gated community and there are lots of other white men here because it's very safe in this area. My three-bedroom bungalow, with garage and garden costs me only £80 per month here in the Philippines. You would pay alot more for this sort of bungalow by the beach in Malaysia. It really depends how much order and modern living you are willing to give up.
I would also advise, wherever you eventually choose to live, to visit that place at least three times for a long stay each time if you can afford it. Talk to people in the expat community threre as much as possible, find out as much as you can both good and bad. You will learn alot by doing this.
Good luck !!
Bill
Jun 21st 2007, 4:33 am
#20
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Toledo City, Cebu
Posts: 1
Re: Best place to live in Cebu for retirement
Greetings,
I just wanted to add my thoughts to the discussion:
My family and I live here in Toledo City, on the west coast of Cebu island, Philippines. Cebu City is growing at a fast-pace, as evidenced by the increased traffic, pollution, etc (it's a far sight better than Manila, however). Most of the expats here in Toledo are Norwegians who come in during the Nordic winter, and then head home.
I would recommend that expats consider some of the outlying areas of Cebu province. It allows you to take advantage of the conveniences of Cebu City without paying the costs associated with actually living there. There are plenty of locales to investigate, such as Bogo (north), Balamban (west), and Carcar (south of Cebu City).
The cost-of-living is quite low: I pay ₱5,000/month (₤54) to rent a 2bd/2ba home. Water is ₱200/month (₤2), electric is ₱2,000/month (₤22), cable is ₱300/month (₤3), and dinner in a Cebu City restaurant is ₱500 (₤5). Eating out locally is a mere pittance... usually a big meal for 2 is around ₱100 (₤1). Personally, I like to visit the local markets and cook food at home. This is even cheaper and much healthier; we had some lovely yellowfin tuna filets last night — it cost ₱120/kg (₤1.30).
Of course no place is perfect. The downside are the mosquitos, of which there are plenty. Crime is crime, anywhere in the world; I haven't found Cebu province to have particularly heavy crime. There are pick-pockets and purse-snatchers in the Colon area of Cebu City, however.
Right now it's the rainy season. It rains much more here on the west coast than the east coast of Cebu (i.e. Cebu City); the benefit to this is the cooler weather.
If you like travelling cheap, then an L300 bus can take you almost anywhere between major cities. For us, we pay ₱80 for each passenger (Toledo <-> Cebu City route).
Hope this helps
Gellor -
I just wanted to add my thoughts to the discussion:
My family and I live here in Toledo City, on the west coast of Cebu island, Philippines. Cebu City is growing at a fast-pace, as evidenced by the increased traffic, pollution, etc (it's a far sight better than Manila, however). Most of the expats here in Toledo are Norwegians who come in during the Nordic winter, and then head home.
I would recommend that expats consider some of the outlying areas of Cebu province. It allows you to take advantage of the conveniences of Cebu City without paying the costs associated with actually living there. There are plenty of locales to investigate, such as Bogo (north), Balamban (west), and Carcar (south of Cebu City).
The cost-of-living is quite low: I pay ₱5,000/month (₤54) to rent a 2bd/2ba home. Water is ₱200/month (₤2), electric is ₱2,000/month (₤22), cable is ₱300/month (₤3), and dinner in a Cebu City restaurant is ₱500 (₤5). Eating out locally is a mere pittance... usually a big meal for 2 is around ₱100 (₤1). Personally, I like to visit the local markets and cook food at home. This is even cheaper and much healthier; we had some lovely yellowfin tuna filets last night — it cost ₱120/kg (₤1.30).
Of course no place is perfect. The downside are the mosquitos, of which there are plenty. Crime is crime, anywhere in the world; I haven't found Cebu province to have particularly heavy crime. There are pick-pockets and purse-snatchers in the Colon area of Cebu City, however.
Right now it's the rainy season. It rains much more here on the west coast than the east coast of Cebu (i.e. Cebu City); the benefit to this is the cooler weather.
If you like travelling cheap, then an L300 bus can take you almost anywhere between major cities. For us, we pay ₱80 for each passenger (Toledo <-> Cebu City route).
Hope this helps
Gellor -
Jun 21st 2007, 8:44 am
#21
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: San Fernando, La Union, Illocos Sur, Luzon, Philippines
Posts: 41
Re: Best place to live in Cebu for retirement
Greetings,
I just wanted to add my thoughts to the discussion:
My family and I live here in Toledo City, on the west coast of Cebu island, Philippines. Cebu City is growing at a fast-pace, as evidenced by the increased traffic, pollution, etc (it's a far sight better than Manila, however). Most of the expats here in Toledo are Norwegians who come in during the Nordic winter, and then head home.
I would recommend that expats consider some of the outlying areas of Cebu province. It allows you to take advantage of the conveniences of Cebu City without paying the costs associated with actually living there. There are plenty of locales to investigate, such as Bogo (north), Balamban (west), and Carcar (south of Cebu City).
The cost-of-living is quite low: I pay ₱5,000/month (₤54) to rent a 2bd/2ba home. Water is ₱200/month (₤2), electric is ₱2,000/month (₤22), cable is ₱300/month (₤3), and dinner in a Cebu City restaurant is ₱500 (₤5). Eating out locally is a mere pittance... usually a big meal for 2 is around ₱100 (₤1). Personally, I like to visit the local markets and cook food at home. This is even cheaper and much healthier; we had some lovely yellowfin tuna filets last night — it cost ₱120/kg (₤1.30).
Of course no place is perfect. The downside are the mosquitos, of which there are plenty. Crime is crime, anywhere in the world; I haven't found Cebu province to have particularly heavy crime. There are pick-pockets and purse-snatchers in the Colon area of Cebu City, however.
Right now it's the rainy season. It rains much more here on the west coast than the east coast of Cebu (i.e. Cebu City); the benefit to this is the cooler weather.
If you like travelling cheap, then an L300 bus can take you almost anywhere between major cities. For us, we pay ₱80 for each passenger (Toledo <-> Cebu City route).
Hope this helps
Gellor -
I just wanted to add my thoughts to the discussion:
My family and I live here in Toledo City, on the west coast of Cebu island, Philippines. Cebu City is growing at a fast-pace, as evidenced by the increased traffic, pollution, etc (it's a far sight better than Manila, however). Most of the expats here in Toledo are Norwegians who come in during the Nordic winter, and then head home.
I would recommend that expats consider some of the outlying areas of Cebu province. It allows you to take advantage of the conveniences of Cebu City without paying the costs associated with actually living there. There are plenty of locales to investigate, such as Bogo (north), Balamban (west), and Carcar (south of Cebu City).
The cost-of-living is quite low: I pay ₱5,000/month (₤54) to rent a 2bd/2ba home. Water is ₱200/month (₤2), electric is ₱2,000/month (₤22), cable is ₱300/month (₤3), and dinner in a Cebu City restaurant is ₱500 (₤5). Eating out locally is a mere pittance... usually a big meal for 2 is around ₱100 (₤1). Personally, I like to visit the local markets and cook food at home. This is even cheaper and much healthier; we had some lovely yellowfin tuna filets last night — it cost ₱120/kg (₤1.30).
Of course no place is perfect. The downside are the mosquitos, of which there are plenty. Crime is crime, anywhere in the world; I haven't found Cebu province to have particularly heavy crime. There are pick-pockets and purse-snatchers in the Colon area of Cebu City, however.
Right now it's the rainy season. It rains much more here on the west coast than the east coast of Cebu (i.e. Cebu City); the benefit to this is the cooler weather.
If you like travelling cheap, then an L300 bus can take you almost anywhere between major cities. For us, we pay ₱80 for each passenger (Toledo <-> Cebu City route).
Hope this helps
Gellor -
....I guess it really depends how you want to live here in the Philippines. I live in San Fernando, La Union for my own reasons. There is a large expat community here, plenty of places to eat out and it is provincial and coastal which I much prefer. The Governor of La Union is fierce in his opposition to crime here, and I've been told that he operates a zero tolerance policy towards local crime which I can attest to(...I don't live in a gated community, and there are plenty of white men where I live). And I haven't experienced any sort of crime or hustle here - and I've lived here over a year now.
An hour away is Baguio City, 2000 ft up in the mountains, which can be 10 degrees C cooler than the lowlands where I live and makes a lovely change. There are wonderful, cheap markets there too(..it is one of the breadbaskets of the region) and of course the mountains are wonderful.
....My girlfriend comes from Mandaue near Cebu City, and I know that she doesn't like Colon, particularly at night. I don't like Manila much either. All hustle there....
