Differences between home in the USA and home in the Philippines for an US citizen
I am writing this from a logical perspective and trying to leave my feelings at the door. What are the advantages and disadvantages of making my home in the USA versus making my home in the Philippines for myself, future wife and two children, ages 5 and 2. I will look and 5 areas, use statistical data in all areas and come up with a value for each area, eventually cumulating into a numerical total.
- Cost of living, income, and employment.
- Children Education costs and future value.
- Family healthcare.
- Safety, security and culture.
- Retirement.
A little background, we are a family of four. Myself, 52, retired military, pension around $2,100 after taxes. Wife, filipina, 35, homemaker, and the best. Child #1, 5 years old, and Child #2, 2 years old. I have lived in the Philippines for over 7 years. We are currently living in the Philippines and considering moving to the USA next year for the kid’s education, and so wife can work and develop a retirement pension, I am not going to live forever, but I think I have 30 good years remaining.
Cost of Living, Income, and Employment
This is from my experience, but cost of living is much less in the Philippines and varies from person to person for obvious reasons. But for this article some important numbers are:
US Philippines
GDP per capita $52,000 $4,700
Avg Annual Income $56,810/yr ($4,735/mo) $3,580/yr ($300/mo)
Population (2016) 319,000,000 108,000,000
Unemployment Rate 4% 7.9%
Land Area 9,826,675 km sq 300,000 km sq
Population Density 32 per km sq 363 per km sq
As one can see the income is much larger in the USA but also the cost of living. I could not find a good cost of living comparison because all comparisons are for Manila whish is by far the most expensive place to live in the Philippines and most compared New York City which is insanely expensive. So, I will just share my knowledge as I have not lived in either city but have lived in rural and cities in each country.
The comparison is about 3 to 1. Costs about $3,000 in the USA and about $1,000 in the Philippines for the same type of life style. This is my opinion, I understand one can live much cheaper and much more extravagant if desired, this is just my knowledge of living in both.
In conclusion, I will need an additional income of at least $1,000 to maintain my current lifestyle. In all actuality I am not average as we spend much less here and I spend much less then average when living in the US also. But these are the numbers. Financially I am liking the Philippines as we can live off my retirement and still have plenty for other activities and travel.
Children’s Education Costs and Education Value
US Philippines
Spending per Student 5.38% of GDP 2.65% of GDP
Literacy Rate 99% 92%
Pupil per Teacher 15 31
This area is the greatest concern for me as the kid’s education is my #1 priority. I combed through lots of numbers and this one is very skewed toward the US. I have seen and observed public education in the Philippines and this is not even considered as if we lived here my kids would go to private education. I attended a private University here for 3 years and have observed the private primary education at that institution. My conclusion is I would only allow my kids to go to the best private school here as they are comparable to public education in the US. Things I loved about school here is they have values education to teach values. Most important to me is God is still in school here. I was in University at a Christian school and even we prayed before every class and some classes sing religious songs. As I am not a profoundly religious person I know the values that are learned from these activities and would love for my kids to get those. In the US they would come just from the house not from school where they are 8 hours per day around peers.
Due to lack of spending for school in the Philippines, I believe the education from US is more valuable for my kids future.
Family Healthcare
US Philippines
Life Expectancy 79.5 Years 72.4 Years
Incidence of Tuberculosis 3.1 per 100,000 people 554 per 100,000 people
HIV Prevalence 0.5% 0.1%
Healthcare expenditure per capita $9,403 $135
Family Healthcare Insurance $450 per year $50
This is another one of the mixed results. Much more expensive in the US but care is much better. Most of my friends who live in the Philippines go back to their home country for major medical procedures. If one is healthy with no major medical issues then it is much less expensive in the Philippines and meds are cheaper in the Philippines also.
For me I have Tricare through my retirement from the military and pay a small premium and deductible as part of my service benefits. I live in a small town in the Philippines and the nearest medical center that excepts my Insurance here is over 60 kilometers away. This one is a toss up because my kids are very healthy but if there was a major issue we would immediately return to the US for treatment.
Safety, Security, and Culture
US Philippines
Homicide Rate 4.9 9.8
Rape Rate 37 10
Auto Theft Rate 215 13
Poverty Rate 1% 8.3%
Ease of doing Business Index 58 83
There are a few numbers to ponder. The rape numbers were surprising but if you understand the culture in the Philippines then I am sure most rapes go unreported. My wife has told me about a few rapes that occurred in our small area and they handle it at the local level the police usually are not involved. No young ladies go out at night alone. The homicide rate was as I expected, I figured about double the amount of murders in the Philippines. Most people who have guns here have illegal guns as the Philippines is the world leader in unmarked firearms and exports around the world. Philippines is a country where you have a fence around your house, guards if needed. Burglary statistics were not available for the Philippines but I know they are extremely high.
In conclusion, the US has a huge advantage when it comes to this area.
Some other interesting facts I found. People living in the Philippines
die 7.08 years sooner
be 2.9 times more likely to die in infancy
make 91.1% less money
spend 98.66% less money on health care
use 95.68% less electricity
consume 95.09% less oil
be 83.81% less likely to be in prison
be 2.4 times more likely to be murdered
be 1.37% more likely to be unemployed
be 83.33% less likely to have HIV/AIDS
experience 0.44% less of a class divide
Electricity is of course relative to usage. I spend less then $20 per month but we use very little, no air conditioner, only a couple fans and a couple lights and small TV for our 30 sq meter (257 sq ft) bamboo house. But the rate is higher in the Philippines then the US.
Retirement
As I am currently retired and living in the Philippines with two small children I will not be able to do that in the USA. If retirement is your goal then the Philippines is a great place as long as one does not have any health problems. The Philippines wins for retirement.
CONCLUSION
Area of Concentration WINNER
- Cost of living, income, and employment. TIE
- Children Education costs and future value. USA
- Family healthcare. Philippines
- Safety, security and culture. USA
- Retirement. Philippines
Tie game lets do some overtime. For me my main areas of emphasis are the kids education and the safety of my family. The USA was the winner in each of these, so I will be moving to the USA. I will be getting a job, moving to a district with good schools and medical facilities for us all. I am sad after over 7 years of living in Negros Occidental I will be leaving the great friends and family here.