I have been to many different websites that compare cost of living, and http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_countries_result.jsp?country1=United+States&country2=Philippines is the best I've found. Those Indexes are comparing to New York City though, and I live in Oklahoma City.

Does anyone know the job situation there? I hear from my friend visiting there that its pretty americanized and that if you speak good English then finding a job shouldn't be too hard. I also hear that money isn't as tight over there (in that city specifically) than it is over here.

Does anyone have any personal experience with moving out of the country?

Just from watching House Hunters International.... I've seen a building in Cambodia rent for $300 a month.

You also need to think beyond the cost of living and factor in the standard of living. the US has a much higher standard of living.

Ah well I'm not too worried about that. As long as theres accessible transportation and work. I would be moving in with my girlfriend. The rent for her apartment is paid for by her father, as is her schooling. She says its within walking distance of a mall, so theres that.

EDIT: What I am trying to find out is how hard you have to work there to make a living. I hear the people there are happy, and its actually easier than in most places in America. But thats just what I hear from my girlfriend. I need something more than that.

It's a brave move leaving your hometown for another country, but if you've got contacts waiting for you then you'll have a much easier time of it. It sounds like you have that part covered though so it should be a fairly smooth transition.

I'd hope that you have a [censored] load of US$ saved up before moving though as a safety net. And keep some of it in the US so if things ever go bad in the Philippines you can easily return to the US and pick up where you left off. Obviously the more US$ you bring the easier things will be for you until you find work, and remember that once you start earning a living that the peso won't be worth [censored] if you ever go back to the US.

I'm not very familiar with the Philippines (other than an ex-gf) but I'm aware that they have a good command of English so I'm not sure how viable English teaching will be over there which is often the back up plan of travelers in Asia.

I hope you do it though You won't regret it.

Hello, greetings from the Philippines!

First of all, why is Baguio your first pick? (just out of curiosity). (Edit: oh you're relocating to your girlfriend's place if I understand correctly). It's kinda far from the capitol city (Metro Manila), around an 8 hour drive if I recall correctly. What kind of work do you want to get into? I'm not so sure on the amount of jobs available in Baguio specifically, since I'm from Manila but I'm assuming most of the jobs there are tourism-related since Baguio is primarily a tourist attraction during the summer. Jobs are good, you can get by pretty easily over here. If you can get around Php 30,000+ / month (around $700) salaries upward, that's pretty comfortable, IF you already have a place to stay.