Items that cost more in the Philippines

[biaobiao 40]

No kidding. In Sasmuan I never paid more than 60 peso/kg for tilapia, so about 62 cents a pound max. (The fish farms are there). Same with monster tiger prawns - way cheaper.

In Iligan City we pay between $1 and $2 per pound at the fish market depending on what we are buying. Rice is 1900 for 50 Kg. so about 40 cents a pound. It is over a dollar a pound here for anything worth eating.

Computer technology is expensive in the Philippines because they have import duties. Bribing cops out of tickets is just a few dollars.

You've been to iligan.. yey. Which part?

[VOL 425]

Being in Davao you should know that durian is MUCH less expensive in PI!

As well as papaya, mango (green and yellow), pineapple, and of course balut.

So not everything is more expensive.

Can't stand Durian. Yuck.

Yes, Fruits are great there and cheaper and Davao tends to have the best Mangos. Balut runs about 15 peso

I tried to buy a motorcycle in Davao proper and they told me it takes 30 business days to get all the paperwork so I can ride it, I went about 40 minutes south to Digos City and purchased a Honda Motorbike for $1,600 (64,000 peso) and drove it off the Honda Lot. Never priced a motorbike here, but I would also say Motorbikes are cheaper there...

[Alona_Dan 0]

^{Basically anything harvested locally whether it be fish, chickens, pork, vegetables or fruit is cheaper. Labor itself is cheaper like carpentry, auto repair (labor) and yes massages. Anything imported is outrageous. Try going to a hardware store and buy a 2X4 piece of lumber...ouch!!}

[Lee&Ana 88]

I found almost everything cheaper. However, manila turned out to be cheaper for goods and services than the provinces for me. And chocolate is like gold over there.

[rlogan 2,036]

You've been to iligan.. yey. Which part?

I built a house there in 2008. Baybay Camague. We can see the steel plant from our house. The steel plant is closed now. There used to be Karaoke bars right across the street from the gate so the wives would have to come meet their men on payday to prevent the Karaoke girls from intercepting their husbands.

That's another reasonably priced thing in the Philippines. So I hear.

Yes, Lee&Anna - we do see a lot of commodity prices lower in Manila as compared with the provinces. Rents or property on the other hand is way more.

Labor - geez. In remote provinces it is extremely low - there is supposedly a minimum wage of a little under 300 pesos a day but in remote provinces there's no enforcement and a lot of places just can't afford to pay it.

Edited May 12, 2015 by rlogan

[thespoons 33]

Any kind of beauty products for women!!!!

THIS! So true. haha

[VOL 425]

Airline tickets are cheaper. I fly a lot between Davao to Manila to Cebu. I can get tickets for about 2500 peso with a couple days notice and pick up and go check out a different city.......

[Tony and Daisy 22]

.......

Bribing cops out of tickets is just a few dollars.

You're not kidding. Illegal U-Turn in Manila turned into a 500php bribe to the cop.