Live in the Philippines

Live in the Philippines helps expats with visas, moving and other services regarding the Philippines.

It’s cheaper in the Philippines, right?

Money Matters, Shipping, Shopping / by

Everything you might want to buy is cheaper in the Philippines, right? Well, I’m sorry to inform you, but it just ain’t so. Indeed, many things are cheaper here, but the truth is, many things are much more expensive here than in your home country, you can bet on that.

For the most part, the things are quite expensive here are imported products. If there is something that must be imported from the west, such as the United States, you can bet, it’s going to be significantly more expensive here than it is there.

Last year, when Feyma went to the United States to work in Alaska, she shipped a number of Balikbayan boxes home, to the Philippines, with staples, items that we use on a regular basis. On some items, it was all about price. These are items where we use the same brand here in the Philippines as we use to use in the United States. Imported products, American products, which are imported here to the Philippines. I’ll get into some examples of that shortly. In other cases, she purchased better quality merchandise than what we can get here in the Philippines. Cases where we use Filipino brands of items, but for a similar price, we can get much higher quality American-made products. Or, products that were made to be imported into the United States.

How much savings?

I use Gillette Mach 3 razors. I have a nice metal handle, on which I can put Mach 3 blades. I feel they are good quality, and they are available here in the Philippines, but at a high price. Because of the high price, I do my best to maintain their quality, keeping them clean and dry, etc. so that they will last longer. When I go to buy new razor blades the price is P350 for two blades. That is around US$7 for two razor blades. Outrageous. Additionally, the peso has been sliding in value in recent months, and you can be sure that the price of these imported razor blades is going to increase soon. In November, before Feyma came home to the Philippines, she took a trip to Costco. She saw some Gillette Mach 3 razors. These were razors which included the handle, the blade, and also a can of shaving gel. In each pack, you got 14 razors for a price of $14.99. That makes the cost $1.07 per razor. Buying just the blades alone in the Philippines would cost you 2450 pesos, a whopping $49. Feyma bought several of these packs of razors, for me to use in the coming year. What huge savings. In addition to the savings, over the years, I’ve come to realize that the Gillette razor blades being sold in the Philippines are not of the same quality as the ones sold in the United States. Much lower price, much higher quality. Hard to beat that combination.

Another example, and sticking with Gillette, I use Gillette deodorant. This deodorant is 200 pesos per container here in the Philippines, $4. Also, on her trip to Costco, Feyma purchased some of the same Gillette deodorant. She purchased packages contain six containers of the deodorant, at a cost of $9.99 per package. $1.67 per container of deodorant. That’s 83 pesos, compared to 200 pesos, which will be increasing because of the sliding value of the peso.

A lot of times, buying something because it’s cheap is not a good value. In one case you may be buying an inferior product, or in another case, you may be buying things you don’t really need, just because they are cheap. But, it in the cases I have pointed out, these are products that we use on a daily basis, and she was just able to get them at a much lower price for the same items. You can’t really go wrong on this.

Not always cheaper in the Philippines

So, as you can see, things are not always cheaper in the Philippines. As I said at the outset, many things are much cheaper here, but not everything.

For the coming years, Feyma will be going back and forth between the Philippines in the United States regularly. This really gives an opportunity to get the cost savings from each country. By things in the United States when they’re cheaper there, by things in the Philippines when they are cheaper here. It’s a no lose situation.

Arbitrage for business

Basically, this kind of practice can be called arbitrage. Take advantage of things in one country when they are cheap, and sell them at a higher price in the other country where there expensive. One of my sons already has a plan to do this for business. He will also be going to Alaska for the coming years to work there part of the year. He can make very good money there, then come back and live cheaply in the Philippines. This particular son is into sports, sports apparel, and that sort of thing. He has a plan to buy sports items, sports shoes, and other such things in the United States. He will then sell those items here in the Philippines. Some of this kind of stuff will sell for three or four times the US amount here in the Philippines. If he sells it for just double or triple, it still offers savings to people here, and it also offers big profits to him. There are so many possibilities.

Anyway, I just thought I would share this with readers, it might be interesting to some.

But remember, it’s not always cheaper in the Philippines.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Seems strange that it is cheaper, don’t you think? But, it is just so much cheaper than here.. and the only blades I have found here are the 2 pack, and no big pack with handle here! It is a no brainer!

    • Seems strange that it is cheaper, don’t you think? But, it is just so much cheaper than here.. and the only blades I have found here are the 2 pack, and no big pack with handle here! It is a no brainer!

    • Marcelino Zabal I think it is good qualtiy also. Right now I have only one handle, and it is years old, so I am sure having these new “disposable – although they are very nice) handles will be a big benefit for me.

  3. Hey Bob,

    I really agree with you, Try to compare prices of smartphones. The difference between prices in Phils and in Europe is about 20%. Some kind of fruits are at least triple more expensive in the Phils too. For example strawberries, cherries or sometimes apples.

  4. Even shaving gel is not available in stores. I had to go with the regular shave cream, still very good but the cost was more than what I’m charged here in L.A.! The cost of blades almost gave me a coronary lol.
    Fun fact, if you say out loud “raise the blinds” in an Aussie accent, it sounds like “razor blades ” in English hehe.

    • Hmm.. I never thought of it.. perhaps I had a heart attack due to the price of razor blades! LOL

      I have actually gotten where I don’t use shaving gel or cream.. it is hard to get and expensive. I just use liquid soap. I am looking forward to using the ge.!

      Never thought about the Aussie thing.. that is funny!

    • There are no customs issues. These were sent by my wife in a Balikbayan Box. Customs does not charge for personal goods sent in Balikbayan Boxes.

      • That’s whilst you can get away with it. You are not supposed to send comercial quantities by BB boxes.

        I use the same razor and buy the 24 packs from costco £27. I don’t think they shave as well as the smaller packs in our supermarkets, but at that price I put up with it.

        • I don’t believe that I am “getting away” with anything. Feyma shipped 5 boxes, and larger quantities of items were split into different boxes to avoid commercial quantities.

  10. My retired sister in law splits her time between the US and the Philippines. She spends her US time scouring sales in stores as well as yard sales and sends several Balikbayan boxes to arrive in the Philippines before she arrives. She then spends her Phiippine time hosting a perpetual garage sale.She usually makes enough to pay for her airfare as well as lot of expenses while she is there.

    • Feyma sent 5 boxes home! 2 in May before she went up to AK, then 3 after she finished work in King Cove. Next year won’t be as many, but it had been so many years since either of us had been tot he STates! 🙂

  11. Hi Bob,
    It looks like a different format for comments here on LIP ?

    Yes, some things may ” seem ” cheaper in PH but there is also I feel a higher likelyhood of fake or knock-off items. A few years ago I bought a couple of Shure Microphones that sell in the USA for $99. At a ” Big G ” ( not the real name ) shopping mall they had what looked like the same make and model for 650 Peso. Researching online after I got back home in New York I found that the ones I bought there in PH were counterfit, no wonder the price was so low LOL. I priced a budget microwave oven at the same mall which the equivalent at a USA Walmart would cost $39, there it was selling for the equivalent of about $80. At my favorite appliance store in Iligan City, ( Imperial Appliance Plaza ) I found some nice Panasonic refridgerators selling for around 12,000 peso equavalent to what I would call a 10 cu ft size. I bought several of these as gifts for friends there and also for donations. That was a reasonably good deal as all of them are still working. Yes, some things are cheaper there in PH but in some cases so is the quality.

    • Hi Bob, yes, I have changed the commenting, and it is likely that I will be changing it again. There have been some issues with Disqus, which I think I saw you mentioning before, so I think you know what I’m talking about. Also, for some users the comments were not loading under the old system in I want, and need, to use some other system, because with the sheer amount of comments on this site, it puts heavy load on the Web server, and that is costly. Anyway, I’m still searching for the right solution.

      When you have lived here for a while, it becomes easy to spot the counterfeit items, so that is not a big concern to me. I can see how it would be a big concern to people who are visitors, and not regular residents.

      There are many things that are a very good deal here, but just with the items I pointed out, obviously, not everything.

  12. Hi Bob,

    Good article! If we buy Filipino stuff in the USA the cost is a lot higher than in the Philippines. It is a two way street, but good to point out the fact that imported goods are usually higher especially if they are not popular with the local people.

    Peace

    Jay

    • Yes, of course! The topic of the site is about people from abroad living in the Philippines, so I don’t really go into how much it costs for Filipino goods in other countries, hope you understand.

      When Feyma was in Alaska last year, the workforce where she was stood at about 80% Filipino. They all had Filipino food and such, and paid dearly for it! LOL

      • Bob
        My daughter lives in Florida and asked if we would like her to ship us stuff from the states. She would love to do it and LBC would like it too.
        Since 1994 I’ve weaned myself off a lot of US products, but like you Bob I am a Mach III razor guy, they are dear in the Philippines, so unless I’m going out I don’t shave. One way to save money here, another is the Japanese 99 Yen store at the mall and Japanese Home store in the other mall, great products at very good prices. and most products are reasonability priced.
        I like Philippine Sky Flake and Fita crackers, and find them much better than Nabisco Crackers or Ritz, and they stay fresher longer. I eat local snack items as they taste good and the price is fair.(My Doctor wishes I’d stop.
        So I agree with your premise, on the cost of US Items, shipping must be included in the price,
        As Jay said “Filipino products cost more in the states than here.
        For over 25 years I buy what I like and shun anything that is off the scale costly. Smart shopping is all any of us can do. But once in a while I’ll see that Item, that I just want, and the cost be damned (LOL) But Subic and Clark duty free shopping does help out in this neck of the woods.

        [email protected]

        • Hi Paul. I think we have similar philosophies on this. We use few US products, and the stuff that Feyma shipped here was mostly just practical stuff that offered a cost savings.

  14. You touched on a subject that I pride myself in. PRICES. I think it bothers my wife that her hillbilly husband from Kentucky USA would rather have the ultra cheap Filipino knock offs. I am the proud owner of THREE pairs of Chuck Jordan’s which look eerily similar to Chuck Taylor’s. As a matter of fact they even have the same penmanship.
    I also have a few pair of Lives blue jeans. But you can’t pronounce it that way. You must say LY-vees to sound more like the Levi’s brands they’re ripping off.
    But shaving is a whole different ball game. I pay to get my straight razor shaves. When I’m in Home in Negros I spoil myself with a straight razor shave every other day. After a good straight razor shave you will feel that you could never shave yourself so good ever again. I’m anxious for my shaves. I usually go on even numbered summers but might not this year.
    Getting depressed now. What a downer.

    • HI Chaz. There are good products made in the Philippines, just that you have to get used to them. I have bought a few knock-offs over the years, but no a mainstay for me.

      Hope you make it over this year!

  16. Hello Bob,

    I tried to anticipate things I would have trouble finding here. I shipped a years supply of those mach 3 razor blades before leaving. We’ll be in Hawaii for a wedding soon. I’m already making a Walmart and Tractor Supply wish list.

    Take care,
    Pete

  22. Any thing that relies on service will tend to be cheaper. Local grown food products will also be cheaper. Housing though not equal is cheaper. The rest is equal in cost or more expensive. The biggest savings in the PH is no impulse buying.

  23. Too bad you are not closer to Iligan Bob, I’d give you a lifetime supply of comp coupons for free haircuts and shaves at my full service shop. Fully Air Con, hot & cold water for the shampoo, all tools sanitized in world class ” Barbicide ” disenfectant ( not easily found in PH shops ) . Those in the neighborhood love the place LOL.

  25. I have found by personal experience (but not tested scientifically) that keeping my razor in soapy water between shaves seems to extend its life. It does not get rusty and it helps to get the ‘mush’ out from between the multi-blades. Also, I buy in Negros a large 340g can of shaving foam for P99 – it is very creamy and last months (possibly 6 months). In my home country I used to buy products when they were at half price and store them in boxes; most items were reduced at sometime in the year. But in the Philippines they often think a reduction is one or two pesos off!

  26. I had a BIG issue with prices when I first came here – I was shocked. But then I rationalised it by thinking how I was saving about P40,000 per month in house costs (rent, taxes, water, phone/internet) and so if I paid high prices for some items then I am still far better off than before. However, bringing stuff from abroad if someone goes there on holiday/work is, as you say, a no-brainer. I can get some home products online (Branston Pickle being one of my great recent purchases) and a good meat products company in Manila (sent by post in cool boxes).

    • Best thing we all can do is to take advantage of the cost savings here, and source expensive goods from our home countries. As each of us lives here longer, we figure out ways to cut the cots.

  27. HI Mike I am interested in meat that you buy from Manila, and they deliver in cool boxes, I live in Tarlac, meat to buy here is always my big problem, so if you have website I will for sure use them if they as good as you say, thank you.