Moving To Leyte Philippines For Foreigners

Moving To Leyte Philippines: Have you ever thought about moving to Leyte? Or perhaps you found yourself asking, is Leyte a good place to live? If so, you are in luck as you will find all the answers in today’s article.

One thing to mention about moving to Leyte, Philippines, is that living in Leyte is very different from living in Cebu or Manila. For example, the latest statistics suggest that before the pandemic era, the levels of tourists who visited Leyte were much lower compared to other regions of the Philippines. So what does this mean if you are thinking about moving to Leyte as a foreigner?

This means that general living may be different from other areas of the Philippines you may have lived in previously. For example, Leyte is a fantastic place for natural wonders and island life, But it does not have that big city vibe. Thus your general lifestyle will need to be considered when deciding if Leyte is suitable for you or not.

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Moving To Leyte, Philippines

What & Where is Leyte?

Leyte is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is located east of Cebu city. When looking at Leyte politically, the island is split into two provinces, north and south. The area of Leyte is most remembered due to the historical conflict during World War Two. However, despite this remembrance, the region of Leyte is not tourist-heavy compared to other areas of the Philippines.

Where to live in Leyte?

If you wish to live in Leyte but prefer a city, then a fantastic option is Tacloban, but if you enjoy The beach life and the island, then southern Leyte will be best. One thing to remember if you’re planning to live in Leyte as a foreigner is that accommodation and living experiences are much different from Cebu and Manila due to the area being less touristic.

What is the cost of living in Leyte Philippines?

The cost of living in Leyte as a single expat is estimated to be between $750 – $950 USD a month. This figure includes the standard cost of living but does not include any high-end luxuries. Therefore if you have an expensive lifestyle, you may wish to include a few hundred dollars on top to determine a more accurate budget.

The financial data for Leyte is unfortunately limited as it is not as visited as other provinces around the Philippines. Nonetheless, based on feedback from the online community, on average, Leyte is approximately 15 – 20% cheaper than Cebu; however, as mentioned, the data is somewhat incomplete.

Leyte is a relatively cost-effective region to live in. It is not the cheapest area in the Philippines, but it is certainly not the most expensive. Therefore, if one has a larger budget than previously mentioned, they would live very comfortably in Leyte.

If you are thinking about moving to Leyte (or the Philippines in general), there are often three significant categories that influence the cost of living. These three categories include accommodation, transportation, and food.

The accommodation rental price in Leyte is around 6,000 – 15,000 pesos for a standard house. The difference in cost depends on the neighborhood and the size. The best accommodation which is accessible to shops etc. is on the higher end of the scale. It is possible to find cost-effective housing, but there is a considerable drop in quality.

As a side note of accommodation, you may find plenty of resorts and hotels that are available that do not show online. This is a common occurrence in some less touristic areas in the Philippines. Therefore some foreigners can find available accommodation by simply turning up and asking for a room.

Now the transport. One thing to mention when looking at the cost of living in Leyte is that transportation is often more challenging than in other areas. Some expats have mentioned that renting a car/motorcycle in this area is difficult unless you are in one of the major cities of Leyte.

Transportation costs in Leyte are often low as public transportation is available, but as the region of Leyte is very large, you may wish to invest in your own transportation. It is possible to purchase a standard motorcycle in Leyte for around 30-50K Pesos (older model), but this will depend on the available make and model. Facebook and other third-party selling platforms are often a great place to look for transportation costs in Leyte.

The third and final category is the overall food costs. There are several places to eat across Leyte. Restaurants are often inexpensive, and many markets around the region help expats lower their costs when moving to Leyte as a foreigner.

Is Leyte a good place to live?

Leyte Is a fantastic place to live, especially if you are an individual who enjoys the natural wonders of the Philippines. However, one restriction is that the region itself is sometimes not as accessible as other areas of the Philippines. Therefore transportation to some areas may not be the easiest, but this accessibility issue can be helped with some guidance from the locals.

Over the last several years, there has been a push by tourism authorities to promote the region of Leyte. However, from the feedback of the online community, it appears that many foreigners visit southern Leyte for a short vacation but do not live permanently in Leyte.

Nonetheless, the cost of living is superb, and the locals are incredibly friendly and hospitable; thus, many travelers see Leyte as an excellent place to live in the Philippines.

Is Leyte safe?

One of the great things about the government website of Leyte is that it publishes real-time data regarding safety in the region of Leyte, such as the latest pandemic statistics. At the time of writing, over 5000 residents of Leyte have been vaccinated, but aside from the ever-changing pandemic, is Leyte safe to live?

Natural disasters can be a common occurrence in Leyte. However, due to the rapid speed of technology, natural disasters are often known ahead of time, and precautions can be taken by those living in Leyte. Many natural disasters have no long-term damage, and some at times can go unnoticed.

Leyte’s crime rate is not the easiest to find. Unfortunately, the most accurate information found is during the period of 2019. There are several reports of the crime rates of the areas of the Visayas, which suggest more information regarding the crime rate overall but do not specifically include the safety of Leyte.

But from the data and feedback of locals, it appears that Leyte is a safe place to live and travel for the expat community.