Manila bills hit harder than jeepney exhaust—here's what I actually paid

so i landed in manila thinking "cool, cheap living," but my wallet had other plans. electricity here? unpredictable. water? fine until it isn't. internet? don't get me started. if you're a freelance photographer like me, you need fast uploads, and manila's fiber game is… inconsistent. i signed up for a "premium" plan and still had to hotspot from my phone half the time.

my electric bill in makati hit around 4,000 pesos/month-partly because i was editing photos late at night and partly because the ac was the only thing keeping me from melting. water was about 800 pesos, and internet? let's just say i paid 2,500 for "unlimited" but got throttled after 200gb. classic. rent in quezon city was "only" 18k for a tiny studio, but then you add in the grab rides because walking means dodging both traffic and questionable puddles. i heard from a barista near p. burgos that some neighborhoods have cheaper rates, but then you're dealing with brownouts every other day. and yeah, the weather's either "sweat through your shirt in 5 minutes" or "sudden typhoon, surprise!" nearby spots like tagaytay or antipolo are just a couple hours away if you need a breather from the city's chaos. one local even told me, "if your bill looks too low, check if you're still connected." solid advice. wanna see what others are saying? check out the manila subreddit or yelp reviews for internet providers-just brace yourself for the rants. bottom line: manila's cheap until it isn't. plan for surprises, and maybe keep a generator handy.

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