Living Well on a Middle-Class Income in the Philippines
Practical money, home, and family guides for the Filipino middle class, whether you’re building your life here or sending it home from abroad.
No more sweldo-to-sweldo or petsa de peligro
The website is just the starting point. Follow us on social media for your daily dose of saktong burgis realities, relatable memes, and thoughts we can all vibe with. See you there!
Money & banking
Budgets, digital banks, and growing your sweldo
Lifestyle Creep: The Silent Inflation Eating Your Sweldo
Lifestyle creep quietly swallows every raise and bonus you get. Here is how this silent inflation hits Filipinos, and a kuripot’s way to dodge it.
Family & education
Raising kids and paying for school realistically
Is College Worth It in the Philippines? (2026)
Filipinos have treated a college diploma as a ticket out of poverty? But is this truly the case these days? Is college really worth it?
Home & property
Renting, buying, and building without growing broke
10 Signs that You Have a Good HOA in the Philippines (2026)
Part of what makes would make subdivision living great is a HOA that manages the community. Here are 10 signs that you have a good HOA.
For OFWs & retirees
Coming home, investing, and building from abroad
Re-acquiring Filipino Citizenship Under RA 9225: The Property and Healthcare Angle
Reacquiring Filipino citizenship under RA 9225 unlocks two things balikbayans care about most: the right to own land outright and access to PhilHealth. Here is how it works.
The guides worth your time
Essential must-reads for those looking to achieve a comfortable middle class lifestyle in the Philippines
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The latest on middle class living
Check out our latest articles and posts on life as a middle class citizen
How Much Income Do You Need to Buy a House in the Philippines (2026)
Ever wonder if you can afford to buy a house in the Philippines these day? Here’s how much you should be earning to buy a home to call your own.
How Much Does a Family Vacation Cost in the Philippines (2026)
Planning a local trip for your family vacation? Find out how how much you have to budget for a decent experience these days.
When Are Summer Classes Held in the Philippines? (2026)
“Summer” vacation from school now runs from June to August in the Philippines. Enroll your kids to summer classes to get them busy.
Why Filipinos Leave Plastic on Furniture and Appliances (2026)
Ever wonder why Filipinos wrap furniture in plastic cover or never remove protective plastic films on appliances? Here are four reasons why.
Remote Work Benefits that Make Filipinos Want to Work from Home (2026)
Remote work benefits like work-life balance encourages many Filipinos to look for work-from-home opportunities.
Should You Buy Chinese-Brand Cars in the Philippines? (2026)
More China-brand cars are hitting the Philippine auto market to rival the usual Japanese brands. Are they actually worth buying?
Written by people actually living it
Saktong Burgis is managed by middle-class Filipinos working through the same questions you are: where to live, how to budget, what’s truly worth it. No get-rich-quick, no maarte na lifestyle. Just honest, researched takes on living life, sakto lang.
The main writer, Alex, is an editor and a business development consultant. Most recently, he’s helped brands stabilize and grow their businesses through e-commerce. He’s also a former teacher, marketer, and HOA president. He delves in photography in his free time.
What does “Saktong Burgis” mean?
sakto sak·to
a shortened form of “eksakto,” meaning “just right”
burgis bur·gis
from the Spanish “burgués,” a borrowing from the French “bourgeois,” referring to the middle class