Was wondering about air conditioning in the Philippians. How common is it and what about the cost of electricity to run it? Is it hot and muggy all year? Would it be comparable to southern Florida or hotter? Is there much of a savings living there if you want to imitate the American middle class life style, as far as residence and neighborhoods, furniture etc.
What about healthcare there?
Almost all foreigners have air conditioning, at least in their bedroom, some house-wide. I have a 1.5 horsepower AC in my bedroom, although I only use it during the hot season. Personally, I love warmer weather and it was one of the reasons for my relocation and I work out outside almost daily. But I almost always use a fan except in the cool season. The cost of electricity is quite high -- I don't have the numbers handy but it is at least 50% more than the USA.
Weather varies throughout the Philippines. I am a couple hours north of Manila and an hour away from the beach (I hate Manila itself, too crowded, run-down, etc.). But these are the seasons for this part of the country:
Cool Season: December to February
Hot Season: mid-March to mid-June
Wet Season: July to early September
No, it is not hot and muggy here all year -- in fact, lots of visiting friends, especially from Thailand, comment on how nice the weather can be. And the hot season itself is dry and has lower humidity (like 45% to 55% during the day). During the Wet Season the humidity can be high, but those are the coolest days of the year (month with the lowest average high is the rainy month of August). And the weather is pretty predictable -- for instance, you can predict the high temperature on any given day a year in advance within a few degrees. In a typical year, the very hottest day of the year will reach 98 degrees but almost every day in the hot season is in the low 90's.
The transport infrastructure is not very good, at all, and there is no urban beauty in the Philippines. I got fiber installed to my door (10 Megabits/second internet same speed up/down, extensive cable TV including mostly US channels and 18 HD channels, about $90/month for the bundle). Cell phone is super cheap but really only good for texting, talking quality is bad, 3G available in most places, LTE being rolled out.
Re: Savings for living like an American -- No, I don't think so when you consider everything. I just bought a beautiful Sony big screen TV with surround sound, and it cost me 55% more here than the USA. Groceries that a foreigner typically buys cost more and cars cost more. I drive a scooter around town and that is cheap ($1500 brand new for quality brand). Labor is quite cheap and your biggest savings will be on rent. Health care outside of Manila is mediocre, at best, but at least everything is in English. I had a blood test done last week and there is one spurious reading so I am going to visit a specialist in a few hours -- I have never met him but he will speak fluent English and the office visit will be under $15.
I said this many years ago and it is still true, especially after ObamaCare: If you are looking for the lowest quality-adjusted cost of living -- live close to a Walmart in a low cost area of the USA. Then again, my girlfriend in the USA would not be a beautiful, slender 24 years old Filipina. We all make our choices.