Retirement kick off.

[CJS]

At that time of year the west coast of Thailand would be nice. Khao Lak and a budget live aboard in the Anderman Sea, around Phuket, Koh Lanta.

 

[Catito]

Dye your hair silver blue, change 3 lanes at once with no signal, buy a stack of Lotto tickets and move to Hobe Sound Florida just down the road from West Palm Beach / Jupiter. It's cheap and predictable viz diving. All the Canada folks are here already !!

Bahahahaha. Sad but true

 

[Rickk]

I live in the Philippines and can tell you the prices.

I usually stay at Airbnb rentals a month at a time. Right now I am at Badladz Apartments in Puerto Galera, a large studio is costing me 21,000 p or 420 USD a month plus electricity, say another $US 100 for that. Cleaning, towel and linen change every 3 days with cable TV and WiFi.

Meals at the restaurant in the adjacent Badladz Beach Resort are about 400 p each ($8 including drink). You can reduce this by shopping and cooking locally but this will allow you a place to lay your head and full your belly for less than $US1,000 a month depending in how many San Miguel you consume (local beer). Fun facts, beer here can often be less than Coke or Pepsi or fresh juice, it is almost always cheaper than brewed coffee. You have to ask for brewed coffee or you will always get instant. Coffee refills are never free.

Diving is as low as 1000 p or USD 20 per dive, some places might go as high as $30 and there is a premium for night and Nitrox. Lets call it $25 per dive on average so you could do say 60 dives a month for another $US 1500. That would give you room an board, at an acceptable but not luxurious place for $2,500 a month which is your lower limit of cost.

Even if you went nuts on your diving and tried say 4 per day for a month, that would still not be over your upper limit all in.


I was in Dauin (Dumaguete) last month. There I stayed at an Airbnb that was 11,000 p ( $US270) but it was very basic, no air con, no TV and no WiFi. It was also a distance from the dive shop I was diving with (Liquid) There dives were 1200 per in bundles of 30 plus sanctuary and nitrox fees. Staying nearer the dive shops would have been a little more.

Before that I was in Bohol, diving was about 1300 p per dive, ($US 26) all in and my Airbnb was under 25,000 p ($US500).

Laundry is generally about 200 p or less for a load, washed, dried and folded, you can hang around and do it self serve and save 50 p $1.

Next month I am going to Moaboal, I have an Airbnb for just over 25,000 ($US 500) and diving can be as low as 800 ($US16) in bundles.

Anywhere I have been food with one western standard restaurant meal a day plus either street foods or cooking myself is never more than $US 20 or 1000 p. Self catering or street foods only can be as low as 300 p or $US 6 a day. I have eaten lots of street foods with no ill effect, just look for the one where there are locals eating and you will be OK. I am generally a biog eater and have been full for less than 100 p ($2,50).

In all of these places, living plus diving 40 or 50 dives a month was well under $3,000 including operating my car and traveling between them and other entertainment.( RORO ferries can be a little pricey.)

If you are going to Moaboal or Dumaguete or any where in the central part of the country, look into flying direct to Cebu, it is closer to most of the dive places and from there bus or even taxi/ hotel shuttle can be easily arranged. Cebu Airport is much smaller and easier to navigate than Manila where they have 4 terminals and getting from one to another can be more than an hour in the airport shuttle and even two hours if you try the regular taxis.

English is widely spoken and there is not much of a language issue, if someone in a shop does not speak English usually a customer will step up and help out, Filipino's truly are very friendly and helpful to foreigners.

So yes it is quite doable to dive extensively in some world class dive sites here for less than $US 2,500 a month, all in. Local transportation can be pretty cheap as well. Airfare between any two cities is often less than $US 200, sometimes under $100 but baggage can be costly. You can easily come here and stay at three different places, all with world class diving and be well within your budget. If you did say Moaboal, Dumaguete, and Bohol you could go from Cebu to all 3 of these for less than a couple hundred taking local bus and ferries. ( Tagbaliaran in Bohol is 3 hours and costs 1,00 p in air conditioned cabin or half that on deck, bus w/aircon Cebu to Dumaguete including the ferry crossing was less than 600 for two of us a year or so ago.


On the other hand you can also find places that are over 10,000 p a night and dive costs more than 2500 p so you can spend north of $US 500 a day here as well.

You get a 30 day visa on arrival and can extend it for the second month for about another $100. The second extension would be for two months and costs a little more as you also need what they call an Alien Certificate of Registration or ACR card. Not sure of the prices or process as I have a long term residential visa.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I live in the Philippines and can tell you the prices.

I usually stay at Airbnb rentals a month at a time. Right now I am at Badladz Apartments in Puerto Galera, a large studio is costing me 21,000 p or 420 USD a month plus electricity, say another $US 100 for that. Cleaning, towel and linen change every 3 days with cable TV and WiFi.

Meals at the restaurant in the adjacent Badladz Beach Resort are about 400 p each ($8 including drink). You can reduce this by shopping and cooking locally but this will allow you a place to lay your head and full your belly for less than $US1,000 a month depending in how many San Miguel you consume (local beer). Fun facts, beer here can often be less than Coke or Pepsi or fresh juice, it is almost always cheaper than brewed coffee. You have to ask for brewed coffee or you will always get instant. Coffee refills are never free.

Diving is as low as 1000 p or USD 20 per dive, some places might go as high as $30 and there is a premium for night and Nitrox. Lets call it $25 per dive on average so you could do say 60 dives a month for another $US 1500. That would give you room an board, at an acceptable but not luxurious place for $2,500 a month which is your lower limit of cost.

Even if you went nuts on your diving and tried say 4 per day for a month, that would still not be over your upper limit all in.


I was in Dauin (Dumaguete) last month. There I stayed at an Airbnb that was 11,000 p ( $US270) but it was very basic, no air con, no TV and no WiFi. It was also a distance from the dive shop I was diving with (Liquid) There dives were 1200 per in bundles of 30 plus sanctuary and nitrox fees. Staying nearer the dive shops would have been a little more.

Before that I was in Bohol, diving was about 1300 p per dive, ($US 26) all in and my Airbnb was under 25,000 p ($US500).

Laundry is generally about 200 p or less for a load, washed, dried and folded, you can hang around and do it self serve and save 50 p $1.

Next month I am going to Moaboal, I have an Airbnb for just over 25,000 ($US 500) and diving can be as low as 800 ($US16) in bundles.

Anywhere I have been food with one western standard restaurant meal a day plus either street foods or cooking myself is never more than $US 20 or 1000 p. Self catering or street foods only can be as low as 300 p or $US 6 a day. I have eaten lots of street foods with no ill effect, just look for the one where there are locals eating and you will be OK. I am generally a biog eater and have been full for less than 100 p ($2,50).

In all of these places, living plus diving 40 or 50 dives a month was well under $3,000 including operating my car and traveling between them and other entertainment.( RORO ferries can be a little pricey.)

If you are going to Moaboal or Dumaguete or any where in the central part of the country, look into flying direct to Cebu, it is closer to most of the dive places and from there bus or even taxi/ hotel shuttle can be easily arranged. Cebu Airport is much smaller and easier to navigate than Manila where they have 4 terminals and getting from one to another can be more than an hour in the airport shuttle and even two hours if you try the regular taxis.

English is widely spoken and there is not much of a language issue, if someone in a shop does not speak English usually a customer will step up and help out, Filipino's truly are very friendly and helpful to foreigners.

So yes it is quite doable to dive extensively in some world class dive sites here for less than $US 2,500 a month, all in. Local transportation can be pretty cheap as well. Airfare between any two cities is often less than $US 200, sometimes under $100 but baggage can be costly. You can easily come here and stay at three different places, all with world class diving and be well within your budget. If you did say Moaboal, Dumaguete, and Bohol you could go from Cebu to all 3 of these for less than a couple hundred taking local bus and ferries. ( Tagbaliaran in Bohol is 3 hours and costs 1,00 p in air conditioned cabin or half that on deck, bus w/aircon Cebu to Dumaguete including the ferry crossing was less than 600 for two of us a year or so ago.


On the other hand you can also find places that are over 10,000 p a night and dive costs more than 2500 p so you can spend north of $US 500 a day here as well.

You get a 30 day visa on arrival and can extend it for the second month for about another $100. The second extension would be for two months and costs a little more as you also need what they call an Alien Certificate of Registration or ACR card. Not sure of the prices or process as I have a long term residential visa.

Good stuff, thanks so much for sharing.

 

[Bert van den Berg]

I have not taken the time to read all of the responses but would like to suggest New Zealand. The Poor Knights are rated in the top ten dive locations in the world. The language is English and the exchange rate is 1.5 NZ$ for each US$. The people are super friendly and you can find nice accomodations at the local dive operators at Dive Tutukaka and Northland Dive.

 

[Sask]

I live in the Philippines and can tell you the prices.

I usually stay at Airbnb rentals a month at a time. Right now I am at Badladz Apartments in Puerto Galera, a large studio is costing me 21,000 p or 420 USD a month plus electricity, say another $US 100 for that. Cleaning, towel and linen change every 3 days with cable TV and WiFi.

Meals at the restaurant in the adjacent Badladz Beach Resort are about 400 p each ($8 including drink). You can reduce this by shopping and cooking locally but this will allow you a place to lay your head and full your belly for less than $US1,000 a month depending in how many San Miguel you consume (local beer). Fun facts, beer here can often be less than Coke or Pepsi or fresh juice, it is almost always cheaper than brewed coffee. You have to ask for brewed coffee or you will always get instant. Coffee refills are never free.

Diving is as low as 1000 p or USD 20 per dive, some places might go as high as $30 and there is a premium for night and Nitrox. Lets call it $25 per dive on average so you could do say 60 dives a month for another $US 1500. That would give you room an board, at an acceptable but not luxurious place for $2,500 a month which is your lower limit of cost.

Even if you went nuts on your diving and tried say 4 per day for a month, that would still not be over your upper limit all in.


I was in Dauin (Dumaguete) last month. There I stayed at an Airbnb that was 11,000 p ( $US270) but it was very basic, no air con, no TV and no WiFi. It was also a distance from the dive shop I was diving with (Liquid) There dives were 1200 per in bundles of 30 plus sanctuary and nitrox fees. Staying nearer the dive shops would have been a little more.

Before that I was in Bohol, diving was about 1300 p per dive, ($US 26) all in and my Airbnb was under 25,000 p ($US500).

Laundry is generally about 200 p or less for a load, washed, dried and folded, you can hang around and do it self serve and save 50 p $1.

Next month I am going to Moaboal, I have an Airbnb for just over 25,000 ($US 500) and diving can be as low as 800 ($US16) in bundles.

Anywhere I have been food with one western standard restaurant meal a day plus either street foods or cooking myself is never more than $US 20 or 1000 p. Self catering or street foods only can be as low as 300 p or $US 6 a day. I have eaten lots of street foods with no ill effect, just look for the one where there are locals eating and you will be OK. I am generally a biog eater and have been full for less than 100 p ($2,50).

In all of these places, living plus diving 40 or 50 dives a month was well under $3,000 including operating my car and traveling between them and other entertainment.( RORO ferries can be a little pricey.)

If you are going to Moaboal or Dumaguete or any where in the central part of the country, look into flying direct to Cebu, it is closer to most of the dive places and from there bus or even taxi/ hotel shuttle can be easily arranged. Cebu Airport is much smaller and easier to navigate than Manila where they have 4 terminals and getting from one to another can be more than an hour in the airport shuttle and even two hours if you try the regular taxis.

English is widely spoken and there is not much of a language issue, if someone in a shop does not speak English usually a customer will step up and help out, Filipino's truly are very friendly and helpful to foreigners.

So yes it is quite doable to dive extensively in some world class dive sites here for less than $US 2,500 a month, all in. Local transportation can be pretty cheap as well. Airfare between any two cities is often less than $US 200, sometimes under $100 but baggage can be costly. You can easily come here and stay at three different places, all with world class diving and be well within your budget. If you did say Moaboal, Dumaguete, and Bohol you could go from Cebu to all 3 of these for less than a couple hundred taking local bus and ferries. ( Tagbaliaran in Bohol is 3 hours and costs 1,00 p in air conditioned cabin or half that on deck, bus w/aircon Cebu to Dumaguete including the ferry crossing was less than 600 for two of us a year or so ago.


On the other hand you can also find places that are over 10,000 p a night and dive costs more than 2500 p so you can spend north of $US 500 a day here as well.

You get a 30 day visa on arrival and can extend it for the second month for about another $100. The second extension would be for two months and costs a little more as you also need what they call an Alien Certificate of Registration or ACR card. Not sure of the prices or process as I have a long term residential visa.

Awesome information, I have a lot of research to do but also time. Philippines is certainly very much in contention for me as I do think it can fit the budget.

 

[Rickk]

Awesome information, I have a lot of research to do but also time. Philippines is certainly very much in contention for me as I do think it can fit the budget.

Forgot to mention, a 59 day visa on arrival is possible but you need to ask for it on arrival, I don't know the details as I have long term residential visa but if that interests you I can find out.

 

[Sask]

Forgot to mention, a 59 day visa on arrival is possible but you need to ask for it on arrival, I don't know the details as I have long term residential visa but if that interests you I can find out.

Sure that would be great Rick, don't go out of your way but if it's easy let me know.