Expat Community > Philippines

WWu777
Joined 2007
Posts: 17

Things that are underpriced and overpriced in the Philippines

16 years ago

Hi all,
Just to show you how strange prices are here in the Philippines, here is a list of things that are dirty cheap and things that are overly expensive.

- Movies - only 80 pesos or $2

- Haircut - 40 pesos/$1 if at salon in local neighborhood or nontouristy area, or 60 pesos/$1.50 if downtown.

- Meals - usually between 100 pesos and 200 pesos (3 to 4 dollars) for a full meal at a restaurant, or a bit more if it caters to westerners, but still cheaper than in the US.

- Taxis in Manila - $2/80 pesos for a 15 minute ride by meter!

- Jeepney - 7.5 pesos, just under 20 cents.

- Intercity buses - $3 or 120 pesos for a 90 minute ride between Manila and Angeles City

Now here's the weird part:

Electronic items tend to be double the price of the US and UK!

- digital cameras - gotta spend at least $250 for a decent one whereas in the US you can now get a decent one for around $100

- camcorders - similar to above

- laptops - now 10,000p or $500 for state of the art capacity (used to be a lot more), whereas in the US, you can get a state of the art laptop for half that price (check ebay).

- cell phones - has gone down recently, but still 25 or 30 percent higher prices than in the US, on the average

(I've never understood why electronic items are more expensive in Asia than in the US, since most of them are made in Asia!)

Snacks imported from the US are also more expensive than they are in the US.

- Hershey's kisses - a total ripoff, but my Filipina girlfriend pressures me to buy them for her! Here a SMALL bag is 184 pesos, that's over $4! In the US, you can get a large bag of Hershey's kisses for 2 or 3 dollars! Who in their right mind would pay that much for it?

- Doritos, Pringles - same, about double the cost as in the US.

Anyhow, those are some of the bizarre prices here in the Philippines.

I still don't get how most Filipiinos who make around $8 or $10 a day can afford anything above, esp the electronics stuff. It doesn't add up and everyone I ask just guesses and isn't really sure. The math doesn't add up and I can't find a satisfactory explanation.

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SJB Global is a top-rated financial advisory firm specializing in expat financial advice worldwide, offering retirement planning & tax-efficient solutions with a regressive fee model.
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SJB Global

SJB Global is a top-rated financial advisory firm specializing in expat financial advice worldwide, offering retirement planning & tax-efficient solutions with a regressive fee model.
Learn More

SJB Global

SJB Global is a top-rated financial advisory firm specializing in expat financial advice worldwide, offering retirement planning & tax-efficient solutions with a regressive fee model.
Learn More

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Expat Community > Philippines

Things that are underpriced and overpriced in the Philippines

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