(Eng CC) 菲律賓遊學一天花費0元?!🇵🇭計程車只要20元、爆喝酒錢才台幣100元！真的有那麼便宜？｜林宣 Xuan Lin

Summary

In this engaging video, Lin Xuan shares her experience of studying abroad in the Philippines, focusing on the financial aspects of living and studying in different cities such as Baguio and Bicol. She discusses the costs of tuition, accommodation, meals, and daily expenses, comparing them to her experiences in Taiwan and the United States. The video provides a detailed breakdown of weekly expenses, including unique aspects like laundry services, phone data plans, and social activities. Lin Xuan highlights the cost-effectiveness and cultural experiences of studying in the Philippines, alongside the challenges of local living standards and health concerns.

Takeaways

• 😊 The video documents how much money the vlogger spent studying abroad in the Philippines for a week.
• 🍛 Many people tried Chinese cuisine like chicken feet and chicken claw for the first time.
• 💰 The total weekly expense was around 10,000 NTD including accommodation but excluding tuition fees.
• 🏫 The tuition fee for IELTS prep in the Philippines is around 230 USD per week.
• 🛏 A single room accommodation costs around 260 USD per week.
• 🚕 Most transportation like taxis and jeepneys are very affordable.
• 🍸 Entertainment expenses like going to bars are much cheaper compared to Taiwan.
• 📱 A 7-day 6GB phone data plan costs around 100 pesos.
• 👩‍🏫 The school provides convenient services like laundry and exam fee payments.
• 💡 The vlogger feels the standard of living is not very high despite low costs due to traffic, unclean food, etc.

Q & A

How much did Lin spend on phone data per week?

Lin spent 99 pesos (around $2 USD) per week on a 7-day, 6GB phone data plan.

What were some of the weekly activities at the language school?

Some weekly activities included: IELTS mock exams every Saturday, laundry services twice a week, badminton games, and farewell dinners for graduating students.

What were the accommodation options and costs?

Accommodation options included single rooms (around $260 USD per week), double rooms, triple rooms, and dormitories. Single rooms were the most expensive.

How did costs compare to studying abroad in the US?

Tuition, accommodation, and living expenses were much cheaper in the Philippines. Total weekly costs were around $500 USD compared to $750 USD for studying abroad in the US.

What were some pros and cons of studying abroad in the Philippines?

Pros: Affordable, friendly locals, short travel time from Taiwan. Cons: Lower standard of living, traffic congestion, prone to illness.

What forms of transportation did Lin use?

Lin used Grab (similar to Uber), jeepneys, taxis, and walked to places near the school.

What were some leisure activities Lin did with classmates?

Lin went to bars, restaurants, malls, played badminton, and went on weekend trips with classmates.

What were the total weekly expenses excluding tuition and accommodation?

Lin's total weekly expenses were 2,556 Taiwanese dollars or around $85 USD per week.

What did a typical day look like for Lin?

A typical day involved classes, meals at school, using on-campus amenities like the computer lab or laundry service, and occasionally going out for coffee or badminton with classmates after school or on weekends.

What tips did Lin have for studying abroad in the Philippines?

Tips included choosing short IELTS prep programs in cities like Cebu or Baguio for an affordable yet immersive study abroad experience.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Studying Abroad in the Philippines: An Introduction

The video begins with Lin Xuan sharing the aim to document weekly expenses while studying in the Philippines. Lin Xuan details the discovery of unused currency in luggage from a previous trip, setting the stage for a budget-focused journey. The narrative explores the contrast in living and study environments across different Philippine cities—Baguio, Cebu, and Bicol—highlighting the inclusion of meals in tuition fees and the minimal weekend expenses. Lin Xuan breaks down costs associated with language school tuition and accommodation, emphasizing the affordability of education for ESL, TOEIC, and IELTS courses. The video also touches on the convenience of school facilities like laundry services and the process of managing phone data expenses amidst varying Wi-Fi stability. Lin Xuan's engagement with viewers through a call to subscribe and follow on social media wraps up the segment.

05:01

🍴 Exploring Filipino Lifestyle and Cuisine

Lin Xuan takes viewers through daily life and culinary experiences in the Philippines, from the simplicity of breakfast at McDonald's to the excitement of trying a treehouse coffee shop and a hot pot dinner. The section vividly describes the adjustments and surprises encountered with local food, like the difference in egg muffin preparation and the first-time experience of duck blood at a hot pot restaurant. The narrative extends into nightlife, comparing the affordability of bars in the Philippines to Taiwan and detailing a group dinner at a Chinese-style seafood restaurant. Lin Xuan also shares personal moments of discovery and interaction with local vendors, highlighting the cultural and social aspects of studying abroad beyond just academic pursuits.

10:02

📚 Academic Life and Social Connections

This segment delves into the academic routine and the social fabric of studying abroad. Lin Xuan describes the structured weekends with mock IELTS exams, the casual coffee shop visits for unwinding, and the poignant farewells to friends. It illustrates the community aspect of student life, from shared meals to collaborative learning experiences. Lin Xuan reflects on the cost of living and studying in the Philippines compared to previous experiences in San Francisco, emphasizing the value for money in terms of tuition, accommodation, and daily expenses. The narrative underscores the practical considerations and emotional connections that shape the study abroad experience.

15:03

🌏 Future Plans and Reflections

In the concluding section, Lin Xuan shares reflections on the study abroad experience in Baguio and outlines future plans to explore and document life in various countries. The narrative encapsulates the personal growth and insights gained from living abroad, highlighting the appeal of the Philippines for its cost-effectiveness and the warmth of its people despite challenges like traffic and food safety concerns. Lin Xuan invites viewers to follow the journey ahead through social media and YouTube subscriptions, fostering a community of interest around travel, education, and personal exploration.

Keywords

💡Language school

The language school refers to the educational institution where the video creator Lin Xuan is studying English and taking exam preparation courses like IELTS. She discusses the tuition fees, accommodation options, and convenience provided by her school in Baguio. The school is central to her experience of studying abroad.

💡Baguio

Baguio is the city in the Philippines where Lin Xuan is currently studying. She compares the lifestyle, transportation, food, and entertainment options in Baguio to her previous experience studying in Cebu.

💡Accommodation

Accommodation refers to Lin Xuan's living arrangements while studying abroad. She breaks down the weekly costs of staying in a single room vs. double, triple, dormitory rooms. This is a major expense for students.

💡Tuition fees

Tuition fees refer to the amount Lin Xuan has paid to enroll in classes at her language school. The weekly rates vary based on the type of course - ESL, TOEIC, or IELTS. She includes this in her total weekly expenditure.

💡Food

Food is a frequent topic, as Lin Xuan shares many meals with classmates and documents the costs. She notes that the school provides meals on weekdays. Going to restaurants and trying local cuisine is part of the cultural experience.

💡Entertainment

Entertainment refers to leisure activities with classmates. Lin Xuan mostly discusses going to bars on weekends - these outings seem affordable due to cheap alcohol. Entertainment is key for cultural immersion.

💡Expenses

A main focus of the video is tallying up Lin Xuan's total expenses for one week studying abroad. She breaks down costs like phone data, laundry, transportation, alcohol. The goal is to showcase the affordability.

💡Experiencing life abroad

An overarching message is that studying abroad in the Philippines allows international students to fully experience daily life in another culture, without spending as much money as other destinations.

💡Making comparisons

Lin Xuan frequently contrasts her current experience in Baguio to her previous study abroad stint in Cebu, as well as comparisons to studying in the USA. This highlights differences in expenses and lifestyle.

💡Language practice

While not explicitly stated, language schools allow students to immerse themselves in English, interacting with locals and classmates to improve verbal skills. Lin Xuan takes IELTS mock exams to practice.

Highlights

Documents how much money is spent studying abroad in the Philippines for a week

Weekly expenses for studying IELTS in the Philippines with accommodation included is around $260 USD

Basic weekly expenditure includes tuition, accommodation costs, phone data, laundry, and exam fees

Alcohol is very cheap at bars and restaurants in the Philippines compared to Taiwan

Total weekly expense for studying abroad in the Philippines was $49 USD, not including tuition and accommodation

Accommodation and tuition are the largest expenses when studying abroad in the Philippines

Cost to study abroad per week is much cheaper in the Philippines compared to the United States

Standard of living is not very high in the Philippines - traffic, unclean food, prone to illness

English environment good for short-term IELTS study abroad with friendly locals and good safety

Will record daily life and travel in different countries in the coming year

Remember to subscribe and follow on Instagram for more content

Many trying Chinese food in the Philippines for the first time

Fried chicken feet a daring food that nobody wants to eat

Seafood dinner at Chinese restaurant split 10 ways cost around $8 USD per person

Badminton racket purchased for $1.25 USD showing how cheap equipment is

Transcripts

Today's video

is here to document

how much money you'll spend studying abroad in the Philippines for a week.

Many people are trying Chinese cuisine for the first time.

This chicken claw is probably something nobody dares to touch.

It feels like fried lion's head.

Just ten pesos.

Compared to Taiwan, it's really cheap.

I'm going to disclose my total weekly expenses.

Hello, everyone.

I'm Lin Xuan.

Here's the story.

Yesterday,

I opened my luggage and found a stack of money deep inside my bag.

I suddenly felt like,

"Wow, I'm rich now."

This stack of money

was exchanged during my first week in Baguio.

I haven't spent any of it until now.

So, today's video is about

documenting

how much money I'll spend

studying abroad in the Philippines for a week.

And now,

I've been in Bicol for a month already.

The lifestyle here

is quite different from Cebu.

Perhaps because I usually have to study,

I don't feel like going out on weekends.

At most, I go to the city center or a mall to shop.

And then, I go to restaurants with classmates.

Also, meals at the Filipino language school are

included in the tuition fees I paid initially.

So, I don't spend any money from Monday to Friday.

The money I'm spending now

is from my last trip to the Philippines,

the pesos that haven't been used up yet,

and a bit of US dollars that I haven't exchanged yet.

First, let's talk about accommodation and tuition fees.

How much does it cost to attend a language school

in the Philippines?

It depends on whether you're taking ESL,

TOEIC, or IELTS.

The prices vary from cheapest to most expensive.

The most expensive is IELTS.

The weekly tuition fee for IELTS

is around 230-something US dollars.

Plus accommodation,

it depends on whether you're staying in a single room,

double room, triple room, or dormitory.

Single rooms are more expensive.

For the single room I'm staying in,

it's about 260 US dollars per week.

This week,

I'll add up my tuition and accommodation costs,

which is my basic weekly expenditure.

Next,

let's calculate how much I usually spend.

My videos are about studying abroad,

travel guides both domestically and internationally,

and outdoor diving adventures, and so on.

If you're interested, you can subscribe and hit the bell.

Also, follow me on IG.

Let's get started with the video.

Okay, I'm going to do my laundry now.

Every Monday and Thursday

is the time for girls to do laundry.

The school provides green laundry bags,

and you put all your clothes in there

and register them.

They'll wash them for you.

Washing and drying once costs 300 pesos.

I find the school very convenient.

It has an app

where you can store money,

and it automatically deducts from it.

So, you don't have to carry cash around all the time.

I find it very convenient.

Every time they finish washing our clothes,

they fold them super neatly for us.

They also dry them for us.

And fold them neatly.

Now, I'm going to buy some data for my phone.

Because here in the Philippines, SIM cards

basically don't have unlimited data.

You buy a SIM card,

and then you top it up every once in a while.

And they have different plans.

Daily, weekly, monthly, they're all available.

But I didn't buy a monthly one

because I feel like it's a bit hard to predict

how much data I'll use in the next month.

And I'm using a SIM card from Smart.

You can top it up directly in their app.

When I first arrived, I bought a 7-day plan.

But I found out that

the school's Wi-Fi was very good at that time,

so I connected to it every day from Monday to Friday.

I barely used

my phone's data.

I only used it when I went out on weekends.

Later, I felt like buying a 7-day plan was a bit wasteful.

So, last week, I decided to

use the school's Wi-Fi from Monday to Friday

and only buy a 3-day plan for the weekends.

The page itself shows

how much more you can top up,

and when you click on it, there are different plans.

7 days, 6GB for 99 pesos.

I usually buy this one,

but maybe because it's still winter vacation,

there are many freshmen,

so the Wi-Fi started to become unstable last week.

And sometimes, the Wi-Fi here is intermittent.

So, I think it's better to have some data on my phone normally.

So,

I'm going to buy the 6GB, 7-day plan for 99 pesos

This is my phone data expense for this week.

This is my phone data expense for this week.

The classrooms here are like a maze.

Hi, Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Good morning, everyone.

Today is Saturday,

and every Saturday,

as long as you are a guaranteed class student,

there will be an IELTS mock exam in the morning.

And if you're not in the guaranteed class,

you'll have to pay an additional 500 pesos

to join this exam.

Since I'm not in the guaranteed class,

but I want to practice more,

I'm going to take the mock exam later.

And if everything goes well,

I'll attend every Saturday thereafter.

Because the school's breakfast is only served at 8:00 a.m.,

and there isn't enough time to eat by 8:00 a.m.

So, I've called Grab.

I'm going to pick it up.

I ordered a hot coffee from McDonald's.

The coffee comes with a sausage egg muffin and hash browns.

I need to eat quickly.

I only have 10 minutes to eat.

But actually, I realized

since coming to Bacolod,

their delivery isn't cheaper than in Taiwan

with tips and all.

It's 245 pesos.

Their burger is this super thin patty.

They flatten it so much.

Hey!

In Taiwan, their egg muffin

has this smooth texture to the egg,

but here, they fry it until it's well done.

Take a look.

This is the computer room next to the restaurant.

Students taking computer-based exams come to this room.

Well, wish me luck on the exam.

Hi, Today is Saturday,

so we are going to a coffee shop.

It looks like a treehouse here.

When you go inside,

there are many shops in it.

I ordered... What's that? Espresso with milk.

It is P130.

and we also ordered cookies. cookies are P10. so cheap.

What is Spanish Latte?

Do you want to drink? Can I?

Ah I know, 肉桂.

What is 肉桂 in English?

Cinnamon.

Our dinner today is hot pot,

spicy hot pot, and it's buffet-style.

You can help yourself.

This is my first time eating hot pot in the Philippines.

My Japanese friend is trying duck blood for the first time.

Are you ready for trying blood?

Yeah! I'm ready.

Go ahead.

It's okay. It's okay.

We're at the bar now.

Bars in the Philippines are very noisy.

The music is really loud.

We chose a spot where there's no one above.

But drinking here

is really cheap.

If you drink normally, two or three drinks,

it would probably only cost 300 pesos per person.

So, for today,

each of us drank at least two beers,

one mixed drink,

plus three bottles of soju and some snacks,

came out to about 700 pesos per person.

It's really cheap compared to Taiwan.

Are you okay? I'm fine.

Our school,

it's about a two to three-minute walk away

from a coffee shop

that I used to visit during the holidays.

Actually, this coffee shop has a nice ambiance,

and today I came here for lunch.

They have this semi-outdoor space with a white glass house

and seats on top.

They grow their own ingredients,

and today we had lunch here.

I ordered a Sardines Pasta,

which costs 200 pesos,

and I always order an 6oz iced latte,

which costs 130 pesos.

And I find it very spicy.

I can't finish it.

Today, my classmates and I played badminton.

We went to a small grocery store

where they sold a badminton racket for 66 pesos.

Our badminton expert said using this racket

might cause trouble.

Since I came to Bacolod,

I haven't done much exercise for a month,

and they invited me to play badminton today.

I thought, of course, I should play.

Now after playing, we're going to have dinner.

And I find the drivers here very skilled.

You don't have to tell them which road to take,

just mention the name of the restaurant,

and they'll know.

They can't make change for big bills here.

Our dinner

is at this Chinese-style seafood restaurant.

Many people are trying Chinese cuisine for the first time,

but I don't think anyone dares to touch the chicken feet.

The chicken feet are sold out.

Here's our bill.

The total is 4008.55 pesos.

Splitting among ten people, it's about 400 pesos per person.

Splitting among ten people, it's about 400 pesos per person.

I went to make a video.

I went outside the school to buy his fried noodles.

And now he's setting up a stall again.

Today, he's selling different things. How much is it? P15.

It's quite delicious.

And very cheap, only 15 pesos.

I think you definitely need to add that sauce next to it.

It's a bit like vinegar with garlic.

And it has another flavor.

I think I should buy one more.

I just met a teacher.

And he told me the other one is

chicken flavor.

It's quite delicious.

I can go buy another one tomorrow.

I'm telling everyone that because the snack yesterday was too delicious,

now I want to go buy it.

Oh no, yesterday's snack that the teacher mentioned isn't as tasty.

Bought it and I'm so hungry.

It's only 10 pesos like this.

I've taken 100 pesos for two days in a row and still can't find change.

He said 100 pesos is too big.

It feels like the kind of lion head we fry.

I feel like I can come here often in the future.

But I think the sauce is a bit too much.

But it's quite delicious.

Yesterday I told my teacher

that I went to buy the one outside,

and then he said

I should buy the other one that's more elongated.

He said that one is chicken flavor.

He said it's his favorite.

It's really delicious.

My teacher said he thinks the boss who sells this

is very skilled.

He thinks it's even better than what's sold outside.

Hi.

Now I'm going to buy coffee with my Japanese classmate

because going to class every day is really tiring.

You say it's really tiring.

It's really tiring.

Yeah, yeah, nice.

The coffee shop is just a few steps away. Thank you.

It's over here by the school.

Having this coffee shop here is really great.

When I was at CIA before, the coffee shop was inside the school.

So I would go there for coffee every day.

Today is my first time

coming to the coffee shop on a weekday.

Luckily, it's just a 2-minute walk away.

The coffee here is quite good.

But I think the food is just average.

Today, because our good friends

some of them are leaving this week,

so we're here at this restaurant to bid them farewell.

Today is Shinya, Nick, and Annie’s last day. Bye Bye

There were six of us

and it cost 3077.52 pesos.

That's 512 pesos per person.

Okay, now

I'm going to reveal

the total cost of my one-week study trip in the Philippines

when I went to Cebu

and this time to Bicol.

I feel

there's a difference in expenses.

Because when I was in Cebu,

every week there were many opportunities for island hopping

and some classmates even made plans to go diving

or visit Bohol

or Boracay for a three-day-two-night

or four-day-three-night trip.

Comparatively,

the expenses would be higher for those trips.

So I think in the Philippines,

the cheapest place is

from Monday to Friday, from morning till night,

where you spend 70% of your time at school.

Because you have your three meals here

and the tuition fees you paid before departure

already cover everything.

So if you don't go out

and have all your meals at school,

you really won't spend any money.

Plus, our school does laundry

or if you want to apply for mock exams every week,

you need to pay extra.

But our school has an app for topping up

so you won't

have that feeling of spending a lot of money outside.

Even the snacks at the cooperative are not expensive,

just tens of pesos.

Now, let me briefly talk about transportation expenses.

When I was in Cebu before,

besides using Grab,

sometimes when we went to nearby restaurants

or bars,

we took Jeepneys.

A trip was about 11 pesos.

But here in Legazpi, I don't take Jeepneys anymore

because it's actually very close to the city center.

It's just a ten to twenty-minute drive at most,

very accessible.

Most of the time,

we just flag down taxis directly on the road.

And if you're going out with a group of classmates,

like four people sharing a taxi,

it's only about 20 or 30 pesos per person.

Taxi fares are really cheap.

As for entertainment, it's mostly about drinking.

Usually, in bars in Taiwan,

if you go out with friends and have two or three drinks,

it could cost over a thousand.

But here,

sometimes with a group of friends,

maybe ten people order a tower,

and then you may order a few more beers yourself,

it's only about 200 pesos per person.

The cost of alcohol is really cheap.

Sometimes you might want to order some cocktails

or shots,

but even if you add those,

like I recorded last Saturday,

it's about 700 pesos per person.

It's really much cheaper than in Taiwan.

Now, I'm going to reveal my total expenses for one week.

The total is 2556 Taiwanese dollars.

Isn't it super cheap?

But

I didn't include tuition and accommodation in this money.

Because I feel that tuition and accommodation

I want to show you the calculation directly

You can compare

I went to study abroad in San Francisco before

How much money per week in that video

I forgot to include tuition in that video

So it only includes accommodation and living expenses

The weekly expense at that time was 22,000

Comparing now, studying abroad in Baguio for a week

If accommodation is included without tuition

It's about 10,000 NTD per week

If accommodation is included

I found that accommodation in Baguio compared to the United States

Is not really

Much cheaper

Staying with relatives in the United States is about 9,000 NTD per week

But in Baguio, staying in a single room costs 8,000 NTD

But of course

If you choose a double room, triple room, or quadruple room

It will be much cheaper

I've talked about this in detail in the previous video

If you're interested, you can watch it

And if tuition is included

It's 28,000 NTD per week in the United States

If I add the tuition fee for the IELTS in the Philippines

It's around 18,000 NTD

So actually, the larger expenses in the Philippines

Are in accommodation and tuition fees

Well, that's it

For the expenses of my one-week study abroad in Baguio, Philippines

Of course, these expenses

Depend on what courses you take

What type of accommodation you stay in

Or whether you're in Cebu or Baguio

There may be different expenses

Studying abroad in the Philippines

The biggest advantage

In addition to the distance and time difference

The biggest advantage

Is that its cost-performance ratio is really high

You really don't need to spend a huge amount of money

You can fully experience the life of studying abroad

But relatively

If you choose to live here for a long time

I personally feel that

The standard of living here

Actually, it's not really very good

The traffic is quite congested

The part of eating out

Food is also often not clean

I don't know why

Studying abroad in the Philippines is very prone to illness

Whether it's when I was in Cebu before

Or I'm in Baguio, it's like this

If you really want to take a short-term sprint to study for IELTS in Baguio

I think it's really quite suitable

The English learning environment is not bad

Local Filipinos are also very friendly

And it's not as bad as people imagine in terms of safety

Relatively speaking

I really feel that the safety in San Francisco is much worse

Anyway, this is my record in Baguio this time

And my plan for the next year

I will go to different countries to record different lives

If you are interested in this topic

Also remember to subscribe to my channel and click on the bell

Then I will share my daily travel

Life routine to my Instagram

You can also follow along

I'm Lin Xuan

See you next time, bye bye