Condo Life In Asia Is More Like Living In Your USA Bedroom
Asian Condo Truths
At 63, I refuse to share an elevator with drunk backpackers at 3 a.m. and live in a condo so small it is more aptly described as a dorm room. If you don’t want to live in a space the size of your master bedroom in the USA, stick around while I share what I’ve learned after living the “condo life” in the Asia for the past three years.
For the past three years I’ve lived in the greater Manila area here in the Philippines. More specifically, BGC. I’ve traveled to Africa, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam and Australia and have discovered one thing they all have in common; Due to increasing cost, developers are downsizing condos in major cities to make them affordable to a greater number of people. Think shrink-flation, but on a larger scale than a bag of snacks.
Almost anything can be tolerated for a short time, but it won’t take long for most to tire of drunks screaming in the hallways, trash being left everywhere and people passed out in the hallway outside your door. I’m not exaggerating, these are all things I’ve personally experienced.
Let’s explore some hard facts, because virtually everything you see on the property portals is deliberately deceptive.
Let’s begin with the numbers.
In every major city – Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta, Phnom Penh, and Hanoi and the default offering marketed to foreigners is somewhere close to 25–36 square metres. That is 270–387 square feet. For context, that is roughly the size of a large American master bedroom or a comfortable living room in a suburban home built after 2005. Rent for these units ranges from $550 to $950 per month in good buildings.
They are aggressively photographed with wide-angle lenses and often have walls lined with mirrors so the room appears twice its actual size. When you arrive, the illusion collapses.
Furniture is Asian domestic scale: a 140 cm bed, a two-burner hotplate, a small fridge that requires manual defrosting, and a wardrobe that holds perhaps a small collection of shirts and two pairs of shoes are the normal outfitting. There is no oven, no dishwasher, and no clothes dryer. Storage for hobby (golf or scuba) or professional equipment is effectively zero.
Parking, if available, will be an additional $100–$180 per month and is listed as an add on to the rent for the unit e.g., 50,000 Philippine Pesos for rent alone, or 55,000 with a parking spot.
The Most Critical Factor (To Me)
To Me, the single most important filter I apply when evaluating any building is: Does it permit Airbnb or short-term rentals? In buildings priced below approximately $1,000–$1,400 per month for rentals, the answer is almost always yes. That single policy destroys residential life.
What actually happens is this:
Friday through Sunday the elevators are filled with rolling suitcases and intoxicated tourists. The pool and gym become extensions of hostel-like common areas.
Security is meaningless because every guest has a key card or is granted access by the guards
Noise travels through thin walls at 2–4 a.m. with predictable regularity.
I lived in a building when I first arrived and discovered that every unit across the hallway from me was short term rental (AirBNB). I experienced every thing I mentioned above. It was all I could do to not scream..
My Personal Reccomendation:
If you have the means, only consider buildings that explicitly prohibit Airbnb and all rentals under six months.
These buildings begin at roughly $1,000–$1,100 for a small one-bedroom (40–60 sqm) and $1,300–$1,800 for a genuine two-bedroom of 65–80 sqm in prime districts.
At that price point you gain:
Resident-only facilities
Functional elevators that are not battlegrounds
Actual security who know the residents
Neighbors who are professionals, not transient party groups
Proper secured parking, not an open air garage where your vehicle is covered in grime while parked.
Kitchens with ovens, multi burner cooktops and in many cases dishwashers
Wardrobes and storage that accommodate an adult professional wardrobe and some hobby equipment
With a budget of $2,000–$3,000 per month – which is still half of what most of my pay in Miami, Dubai, or London – you secure 110–150 sqm three-bedroom units in the best developments in Asia. These are not “luxury”, they are simply normal adult housing without the circus.
My Advice, in order of priority:
Budget minimum $1,200 for a nice one bedroom to guarantee an Airbnb-free building. Below that price, peace is impossible.
Never trust listing photographs. Demand a video walkthrough taken with a phone held at eye level – no wide-angle lenses.
Visit the property on a Saturday night unannounced. Stand in the lobby at 11 p.m. You will know within ten minutes if the building is viable.
Accept minimalism or pay for space. There is no third option.
Asia The Best Option
My opinion is that “Big City Asia” remains the best place on earth for a high quality lifestyle provided you have the income to avoid living like a 22-year-old backpacker. For more affordable life, choose an apartment or home for rent outside the big cities and your budget requirement will drop considerably
Wrap up
If you found this useful, please like and subscribe. I release a new film every Tuesday covering visas, banking, medical care, and private schooling for serious relocations. In the comments, tell me which city you’re considering and your monthly budget. I answer every serious inquiry personally.
Better thinking does equal a better life.
Joe