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The Philippines is, in one word, INCREDIBLE! Discover waterfalls in the jungles of Cebu, go wreck diving in Coron or explore pristine beaches on a 4-day expedition. You’ll feel like a real Robinson here!

During my backpacking trip in 2019, I wanted to explore the Philippines on a budget and I kept track of almost all costs to be able to share this with you.
You don’t need a fortune to visit this beautiful country, but it is slightly more expensive than other countries such as Thailand, Cambodia or Laos.
This is because you often have to travel by ferry or plane from one island to another and these costs add up very quickly.

In this article, I will share with you how much it cost to travel to the Philippines with a complete cost breakdown of my trip.

READ ALSO: 42 x Best hotels in the Philippines

Travel the Philippines on a budget

There are many beautiful islands to explore and fun things to do in the Philippines, which makes it one of my favourite places to explore in Asia. Although it’s a bit more expensive than other Southeast Asian countries, it’s well worth it!

The cost of transportation to the other islands, as well as the many exciting activities I’ve done, has taken up the biggest part of my Philippines travel budget. (for example, the popular island-hopping tours, scuba diving excursions, or adventure trips)

The total cost breakdown was based on two trips to the Philippines in one year, each journey lasting 28 days. Also, most of the Philippines travel expenses went to food, activities, and transportation.

I divided this budget breakdown into five categories and listed the total amount me and my partner have spent as well as the average daily expenses for each category. So whether you have a Philippines itinerary for 2 weeks, 4 weeks, or 2 months, this article will give you a good cost indication for your own trip.

What’s not included in this Philippines travel budget

Flights, travel insurance, and backpacks are not included in this Philippines budget because they vary for everyone and every occasion and we purchased these way in advance. However, you’ll find below how much we’ve spent on these items.

International flights

The first trip, we flew with Cathay Pacific from the Maldives to Manila and paid $290 per person (one-way ticket). The second trip, we flew with Cebu Pacific from Japan to Cebu and paid $127 per person for a one-way ticket.

Travel Insurance 

World Nomads is the go to insurance if you are planning to travel for a longer period.

Travelgear

I used a Deuter Aircontact 75L and my partner a Osprey Aura AG 65L. For the camera gear, we used a Thule EnRoute 25L and a WANDRD PVKE Rolltop.

ALSO READ: 

Food and drinks in the Philippines – 56 days – $1624

(based on two persons)

It can be hard to find vegan food in the Philippines but we were lucky that we could find lots of great vegan places almost everywhere we went.

Although the prices were slightly higher than those at a nearby restaurant, we are more than willing to pay the extra money for a satisfying and nutritious lunch. So, depending on your diet, you may be able to cut these costs.

To give you a proper idea of some general food costs, I listed it down below:

• Eating out – $1438 or $25/day
  • • Drinking water is free in most restaurants
    • Smoothie bowl around PHP 250 ($4,8)
    • Noodles with vegetables in a more popular restaurant around PHP 220 ($4)
    • Vegan burger in a more popular restaurant around PHP 280 ($5,4)
    • Filipino dish in a local restaurant around PHP 150 ($3)
    • Fresh juices around PHP 120 ($2,3)
    • Soft drink around PHP 30 ($0,5)
    • Local beer around PHP 60 ($1,2)
    • Rum & Coke around PHP 80 ($1,5)
    • Small bottle of local rum around PHP 50 ($1)
• Groceries like water, snacks & fruit – $186 or $3/day

Money-saving tip: buy oats and fruits in the local markets and try to prepare your own breakfast. 

Accommodations in the Philippines – 56 days – $1401

(based on two persons)

While we were in the exploring this magnificent country, we decided to stay in cute, trendy, and inexpensive places to stay and during those 56 days, we spent an average of $25 a night on accommodation in the Philippines.

In general, places to stay in the Philippines are slightly more expensive than in other Southeast Asian countries, but you may make it as cheap or expensive as you like.

To make the most of our backpacking trip, we mixed staying in hostels, hotels, and even luxurious glampings. However, there are a few places I would recommend staying at such as Nacpan Beach Glamping in El Nido & Soultribe Beach Retreat in Siargao

12 nights in mid-range hotels – average $37/night
2 nights in a guesthouse – average $ 28/night
10 nights in hostels with a private room – average $24/night
25 nights in hostels – average $21/night
2 nights glamping – average $57/night
2 nights overnight ferries – average $33/ferry
3 nights camping in a tent on the beach, which was included in our Balabac Expedition

READ ALSO: 42 x Best hotels in the Philippines

Transportation in the Philippines – 56 days – $1124

(total for two persons)

The costs of transport in the Philippines can quickly increase because you often have to fly or travel long distances with different types of transport.

The cost of your trip can vary depending on how many islands you wish to explore and whether you want to go fast and comfortably to every destination.

My partner and I visited many Islands such as Coron, Balabac, Siargao, Camiguin, Siquijor, …, which quickly took a large amount from our budget and therefore, we listed down the prices and types of transportation that we used.

TIP: Domestic flights can get pricey if booked at the last minute, so it’s a good idea to buy them in advance.

• 3 domestic flights – all booked with Kiwi
  • • Manila to Coron – $103 per person
    • Puerto Princesa to Cebu – $23 per person
    • Cebu to Siargao – $78 per person
    • Dumaguete to Manila – $68 per person
• 2 overnight ferries – Check 12GoASIA for the best fares
  • • from Cebu to Surigao – PHP 850 per person ($17)
    • from Surigao to Cebu – PHP 850 per person ($17)
• 7 fast boats and ferries – Check 12GoASIA for the best fares
  • • Coron to El Nido – PHP 1800 per person ($35)
    • Bohol to Siquijor – PHP 600 per person ($23)
    • Surigao To Siargao – PHP 220 per person ($4,3)
    • Siargao to Surigao – PHP 350  per person ($7)
• Some buses & minivans
  • • Puerto Princesa to El Nido – PHP 700 ($14)
    • El Nido to Port Barton – PHP 500 per person ($10)
    • Cebu City to Moalboal – PHP 150 per person ($3)
    • Cebu City to Maya (Malapascua) – PHP 250 per person($5)
• Scooter/motorbike rentals – average rental prices are around PHP 350-500 per day ($7-10)
• And we took a Grab taxi from Cebu City to Cebu Airport – PHP 250 ($5)

TIP: We went to Siargao twice, did you catch that one? We couldn’t do anything the first time due to the awful weather, so we decided to return the second visit to the Philippines. So always check the weather in advance.

Excursions & activities in the Philippines – 56 days – $1825

(based on two persons)

It still feels like we missed out on seeing and doing things in the Philippines even though it was our third visit to this amazing country. There are just so many incredible experiences for every type of traveller, which makes this one of my favourite destinations in the world.

The main reason our costs for things to do in the Philippines are so high is because of this. (Somewhat of a FOMO issue?) The activities that we experienced are mentioned below, along with the average cost of each activity.

Based on what you want to do, this will give you a good idea of how much money you will need to plan your trip to the Philippines.

• The Coron Ultimate tour – PHP 1800 per person ($36)
• The island Escapade tour – PHP 1300 per person ($26)
• Wreck diving in Coron with Reggae Divers – PHP 4000 per person for 3 dives ($81)
• Group tour A in El Nido – PHP PHP 1300 per person ($25) + PHP 200 per person/environmental fee ($4)
• Private tour B in El Nido – PHP 4000 per boat + guide ($81) + PHP 200 per person/environmental fee ($4) – No lunch included
• Private tour D in El Nido – PHP 4000 per boat + guide ($81) + PHP 200 per person/environmental fee ($4) – No lunch included
• Island-hopping Expedition  – PHP 16.500 per person ($320) for 4 days
• Diving in Moalboal with Neptune Diving Resort – PHP 3600 per person for 3 dives ($63)
• Snorkeling trip to Pescador Island – PHP 1800 per person ($36)
• Whale shark experience in Oslob – PHP 2300 per person ($45)
• Canyoneering at Kawasan Falls in Cebu – PHP 2100 per person ($44)
• Thresher shark diving in Malapascua with Evolution Divers – PHP 1800 per person for 1 Thresher shark dive ($36)
• Private Boat to Sohoton Cove, Bucas Grande National Park in Siargao – PHP 5000 per boat/4 people ($100)
• Private 3-Islands tour (Daku, Guyam & Naked Island) in Siargao – PHP 1500 per boat ($30) + PHP 50 per person/environmental fee ($1)
• Day trip to Sugba Lagoon in Siargao – PHP 1600 per boat ($30) + PHP 100 per person/environmental fee ($2) + PHP 300 for Kayak rental ($6)
• Surf lessons in Siargao – PHP 500 per person for 1 hour ($10)
• Wakeboard session in Siargao – PHP 900 ($18)
• Diving in Camiguin – PHP 1000 per dive ($19)
• Diving in Apo Island with Bongo Bongo Divers – PHP 1300 per dive ($26)

Save these pins for later!

Discover the Philippines with my favourite travel apps

To plan my adventures, I use these FREE websites and apps as they provide the best information, the best deals, and they are user-friendly. 

• Skyscanner – Flight deals
• Booking.com – Hotels and accommodation
• TourRadar – Group trips
• TripAdvisor – Reviews and activities
• HostelWorld – Hostels
• GetYourGuide – Activities and excursions
• RentalCars – Car rental
• Omio – Transport
• iVisa – Travel documents
• Wise – Money transfer
• InsuredNomads – Travel Insurance

PICTURES AND EDITING

All the pictures on this page are made and owned by me. If you are interested in some pictures to use for your magazine, website, blog, or any other purpose, just send me an email and we’ll figure it out.

Do you like the edits? My Presets will be online soon so you can edit your pictures in just one click!

The camera gear I used for this trip

I never go out without my camera and many people ask me which gear I use. So to make it quite easy, I listed all the gear I used for this trip below.

Most of the time, I travel with the Sony A7III and the Sony 24-105mm/f4 as my primary lens but depending on the location, I change to another setup. However, I love the Tamron 17-28 to shoot in the big cities.

• SONY A7III
• SONY 24-105mm/f4
• TAMRON 17-28mm/f2.8
• TAMRON 70-180mm/f2.8
• SIGMA 24mm/1.4
• DJI MAVIC PRO 2
• WANDRD PRVKE TRAVEL BAG