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Rentals in the Philippines

Rentals in the Philippines

Philippine rental rates are usually considerably lower and sometimes amazingly lower than similar properties in the USA. For example, our apartment in a rural area, which cost 3,500 pesos a month or about $80 would probably cost $400 US or more in a similar area in the US.

In Angeles City, in or near the Clark Freeport Zone condos or apartments range from a low of about 5,000 pesos to about 25,000 pesos a month. The average monthly rate is probably around 15,000 pesos in the Angeles City area. A fine new one-bedroom unit can be had inside the Freeport Zone for about $525 US per month. Many landlords want first, last and security deposit and a sizable utilities deposit.  Most want a full one-year lease. Shorter term lease rates will be higher, if you can find such units.

Use this money changer calculator to convert pesos to US dollars.

For those who intend to stay less than 6 months it is probably best to stay at a place like the Charlie Hotel (formerly Charlie Apartelle) where one may rent a 1 bedroom furnished apartment for about $500 to $600 US a month.

It would be a good idea to go look at cities you think you might want to live in. Check out the area. This will help you decide where to rent or buy a condo or house.

Check out an article comparing renting to buying in the Philippines. The author says that renting is the best way to go in the Philippines. He points out, among other things, that a foreigner can never really own a house in the Philippines.

Living in a compound in Metro Manila

First, we lived with my wife's family in a "compound" in a barangay in Paranaque City in Metro Manila for 2 years. About 30 families lived in the compound. The units were arranged in a large rectangle around a central paved courtyard (like a hacienda). There was a sidewalk, in front of the units on one side, which passed through the compound leading to a large neighborhood of squatter dwellings. Some squatter areas look almost like developed subdivisions while other squatter areas are very basic. The poorest ones consist of "houses" made of secondhand wood and metal (some beer can aluminum already printed with labels.) I will write about those in upcoming articles.

Living in small towns or rural areas in the Philippines

Second, we lived in a rural area on the outskirts of Magalang, a small town about 15 or 20 minutes from the Marquee Mall in Angeles City.

Low rent rates and clean air to breath are the two big advantages of living in a rural area in the Philippines.
But, before you sign a lease or purchase agreement use Google Earth to search for pig farms and poultry farms nearby. You may be very sorry if you do not. Your health is at risk. We made the mistake of leasing before we thoroughly checked out the area. If you are interested in apartments or houses for rent in rural areas in the Philippines read my article about pig farms and chicken farms.

A secret to living in a small town or a rural area is always be friendly and polite. A local police officer, a friend of a friend of mine, advised us to only live in "secure" subdivisions or condos in the cities or close to the city centers. Secure meaning a place that has gates and armed guards. The USA State Department website advised Americans to maintain a low profile. Thus, my choice of a very old car which needed body work and paint. Most Filipinos think foreigners are "rich." True, most of us are not super rich but even a social security check makes us rich in their eyes. The average clerk in a department store in a large mall like an SM Supermall, a Robinson's Mall or an Ayala Mall earns about 300 pesos a day ($7.10 US as of 08/16/2012.) Less than the USA minimum wage per hour. So, in a way, you are rich in the Philippines!

Here are pictures of the apartment we leased in a rural area. You might say it was a mountain view apartment. From the apartment on the 2nd floor there is a good view of Mt. Arayat. It is on the outskirts of Magalang city. About 20 minutes from Angeles City if traveling by car.

Our apartment building on a dirt road.
A volcano, Mt. Arayat,
in background behind the building.

Our 40 sq. meter apartment in Magalang.  On the right, first floor.
3,500 pesos a month rent (would be $83 US as of Aug. 16, 2012.)
A 2 bedroom, 1 bath unit with a car park and gate.
 Similar apartments closer to SM City Clark mall in Angeles City
 will have rates of 10,000 to 25,000 pesos per month.

The road leading to our apartment
(near where we turn right onto a dirt road.)

Before we purchased the car, we used jeepneys and tricycles. We would walk about 1,500 feet from the apartment to the corner of Magalang-Angeles Rd. where we would catch a jeepney. There was never a long wait. Jeepneys came by about every 5 minutes.

At night we would get off the jeepney at the same corner and then would ride one of the waiting tricycles back to our apartment.

After we first moved in, we met a neighbor who advised us not to walk after dark. He said, "if you do walk at night and someone robs you, just give him what he wants or he may kill you."

He also told us that "if you see some guys walking down the street with rifles, just don't pay any attention and they won't hurt you." I do not know who he was referring to, but I have heard of the New People's Army (NPA). It is probably more dangerous living in rural areas. However, we lived in the apartment for over one and a half years without incident. Near the end of our lease a woman was accosted on the road near us, and a gas station attendant was murdered by a robber at the corner of Magalang-Angeles Road where we often waited for jeepneys and where we got tricycles to ride home in at night. I heard by the grapevine that a foreigner was shot dead in the local market (where I shopped occasionally) and that another was shot dead while walking near a road with his little daughter, who was kidnapped. Those incidents were some of the reasons we moved out of the area. Pig farms and chicken farms were two other reasons (flies from the chickens and stench from the pigs).

Find more information about my experiences living in Metro Manila and in Magalang, a small farming town, in a rural area, not far from Angeles City, in my post "Living In The Philippines."

Here are some sites where you may
find rentals in the Philippines:

Island Properties

OLX


Specific travel warnings for Americans traveling or living in the Philippines.

Find out about air pollution in the Philippines. Most of the pollution is from vehicle exhaust. Go to this link to learn about masks which are available. Use one to protect yourself in polluted areas.

I know what it is like to ride in jeepneys and to ride in tricycles in polluted areas. I know what it is like to be driving in the Philippines in a car with open windows. Our car had no air conditioner.

If you are considering buying real estate in the Philippines be sure to consult with a Philippine attorney before even beginning your search. An attorney can give you basic advice that may save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run.

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This article will be expanded upon. Please check back to read more about rentals and living in rural areas or small towns in the Philippines. This article last updated June 4, 2022.