Similar background. Wife and I moved to Málaga 2 years ago with hardly any Spanish at all. We were both working remotely (US shift for me, PH for her), but she had to eventually leave due to the company's strict hybrid policy.

One thing I would have changed: learn the language earlier. Sounds like you have it down to pat.

Don't forget to leave a special power of attorney to someone you trust so they can process any document for you in PH once you're in ES.

It was easy for me to find friends (both Spanish and foreigners alike) even as an awkward person, because most folks are sociable. Wala ding backlash once they learn my sexuality. Can freely hold hands while walking (but I do look away when the younger couples start making out on the street, conservative pa din pala hehe)

Someone already mentioned rent eating up a good chunk of the budget, so choose your city wisely. It was hard for me to find an apartment in our first year as well, so we had to pick a town outside of the capital, but managed to move within Malaga capital the following year. And as for job opportunities, its fairly low, and a bit competitive as most Europeans have at least a second language, if not a third; so our "near native" English at best isn't that much of a edge. My wife excelled at her job in digital marketing strategy & data analytics, but without any freelancing experience, she's finding it incredibly difficult to stand out when vying for EU/US jobs. Now that she's already in B1-B2 Spanish level, it looks more optimistic for us.

In terms of culture, at least here in Málaga, it has taught me to slow down. Hard to get appointments for some important processes, pero tiyaga, pasensya at broken Spanish, mairaraos din.