The real cost of retiring in Southeast Asia.
I moved into a Singapore HDB block at 61 and later split my year with the Philippines. Here is my full ledger — rent, hawker meals, MRT, healthcare, right down to the dollar.
- Know the true monthly number before you commit — most people only discover it after the deposit is gone
- The neighbourhood and healthcare realities almost nobody mentions out loud, and what they cost when you learn them late
- Sit at the table with readers who already made the move, instead of guessing from the outside
$22.99 $45.99 one-time payment · instant access after checkout
What is inside my ledger
Landing in an HDB block
- What rent really costs by district and floor
- Deposits, agent fees and the clauses I missed
- Utilities and aircon: the bill that surprised me
- How to read a block before you sign
- My first 30 days, hour by hour
Eating well for very little
- My hawker week, every meal priced
- Where the tourist mark-up starts
- Cooking at home: is it even cheaper
Moving around the island
- MRT and bus costs for a slow month
- When Grab is worth it and when it is not
- Why I never needed a car
Healthcare without illusions
- Public versus private: what I was charged
- Insurance at 60+ and what gets excluded
- The dental and eye costs nobody budgets
The Philippines half of my year
- Rent and daily life outside the tourist zones
- Flights, visas and the paperwork rhythm
- Where the savings are real and where they are not
The honest part
- Loneliness, routine and building a circle
- The three mistakes that cost me most
- My full monthly and daily budget sheet
BONUS: included on top
Value: $87The Daily Budget Sheet
Know your real daily number before you spend a cent abroad.
Value: $87First 90 Days Checklist
Arrive settled instead of scrambling through paperwork.
Total value: over $174 — Today only $22.99
Real voices
„I have read a dozen retire-abroad books. This is the first one that shows the bank statements instead of the sunsets. My spreadsheet changed the same evening."
„The honesty about loneliness stayed with me more than the numbers. It made me plan the move properly instead of romantically."
„We budgeted 2,800 a month. After reading the healthcare and utilities chapters we adjusted to a figure we can actually live with."
Does this sound familiar?
Every blog gives a different number
One says 900 a month, another says 3,500. Nobody shows the receipts, so you cannot plan a single year with confidence.
The costs nobody warns you about
Agent fees, aircon bills, visa runs, dental work, the flight home when a family member is unwell. They arrive quietly and they arrive together.
The quiet part: it can get lonely
The brochures show sunsets. They never mention the first Sunday afternoon in a strange block when you do not know one neighbour by name.
„The difference between a good move abroad and an expensive mistake is not courage. It is knowing the real numbers before you buy the ticket."
Everything inside my ledger
HDB living
Rent, deposits and what a block really feels like.
Hawker food
What I eat daily and what it truly costs.
Getting around
MRT, buses, Grab and when a taxi wins.
Healthcare
Clinics, insurance and the bills I actually paid.
Philippines side
How splitting the year changes the budget.
Monthly budget
My full sheet, line by line, no rounding.
This is for you if …
The serious planner
You are two or three years from retiring and want the real figures before you talk to a single agent.
The quiet mover
You will likely go alone and want an honest picture of the days, not just the costs.
The curious viewer
You watch the videos, you enjoy the neighbourhood walks, and you want the full ledger behind them.
Get my full Southeast Asia ledger
- My complete cost ledger for Singapore HDB life and the Philippines —90 pages, every figure from my own statements
- Bonus 1: The Daily Budget Sheet (value 75 €)
- Bonus 2: First 90 Days Checklist (value 75 €)
- Instant access on any device, phone, tablet or computer
- Free updates whenever I revise my numbers
PDF ebook · VAT included · one-time payment · delivered by email straight after checkout
What you will discover
- The rent line most newcomers get wrong
- Why my aircon bill shocked me
- The one clause I should have read twice
- What a full hawker day actually costs
- The healthcare number nobody quotes you
- Why the Philippines is not always cheaper
- The mistake that cost me three months rent
- What I would never do again at 61
- The quiet cost of moving alone
- The number I now check every single week
Common questions
Is this useful if I am still years from retiring?
Yes. The earlier you know the real monthly number, the more calmly you can plan. Many readers use it purely to test whether the move is realistic at all.
What format do I receive?
A PDF, readable on phone, tablet, computer and e-reader.
How do I get it after buying?
Immediately by email, with a secure download link.
Does it cover the Philippines as well as Singapore?
Yes. A full chapter covers rent, daily life, flights and visas on the Philippines side and how splitting the year affects the budget.
Are the numbers current?
They are from my own recent spending, dated in the book, and I send free updates whenever I revise them.
Is this only for Americans?
No. Readers from Canada and the UK tell me the cost structure and healthcare chapters apply just as well.