🇵🇭 How Much Does It Cost to Travel in the Philippines: Real Prices and Daily Budget

How much does it cost to travel in the Philippines? Less than Europe, but not as little as people think. Compared to Thailand, Vietnam or Bali, accommodation costs more and gives you less, and on the famous islands prices climb fast.

In this guide you'll find real prices for accommodation, food, transport, tours and extras, plus three daily budgets so you can work out what a trip to the Philippines will actually cost you.

All prices are in Philippine pesos (PHP), with the rough equivalent in euro. They're indicative: they change a lot from one island to another, and between high and low season.

💱 Currency and exchange rate

The currency is the Philippine peso (PHP). As a reference, 1 euro is worth around 60-65 PHP. Check the current rate before you leave.

• Coins: 1, 5, 10 and 20 pesos
• Banknotes: 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 PHP

Cards are accepted in decent hotels, mall chains and some city restaurants. Everywhere else you need cash or the local e-wallets, GCash and Maya. Withdrawals and fees deserve an article of their own:

👉 How to withdraw cash from ATMs in the Philippines and avoid the 250 PHP fee

🛏️ How much accommodation costs in the Philippines

This is the one that surprises anyone arriving from other Asian countries. The average standard is lower than in the rest of Southeast Asia, and even so prices are higher, often by 35-50%. That said, there's no shortage of cheap options and genuinely lovely places to stay: wooden and nipa huts on the beach in dream spots.

A few things worth knowing before you book:

• Boracay, El Nido and Siargao are the most expensive islands. Puerto Princesa, Camiguin, Siquijor and Port Barton are far cheaper.
• Under 2,000 PHP a night the shower is often cold and low on pressure. It's hot here, it's not the end of the world.
• Blackouts are common on the islands: if air conditioning matters to you, ask whether the place has a generator.
• Book ahead between December and February and during Holy Week. In low season you can haggle in person.

🍜 How much food costs in the Philippines

Eating is cheap if you eat local. Carinderia, the small canteens with the pots on display, are the cheapest and most authentic way to do it. Tourist restaurants on the famous islands charge almost European prices.

Watch out for the service charge: many restaurants add up to 10% to the bill, and it isn't written in the menu. Check the receipt before you leave a tip.

✈️ Transport in the Philippines: domestic flights, ferries, vans and scooters

Domestic flights

With more than 7,000 islands, sooner or later you have to fly. The main airlines are Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and AirAsia.

• Manila - Cebu, Palawan or Siargao: 1,500 - 3,500 PHP (24 - 60 €) if you book ahead
• At the last minute prices can double or triple
• Checked baggage costs extra on the low-cost carriers: add it when you book, at the airport it costs a lot more

Ferries

• Fast ferries between the Visayas islands (Cebu - Bohol, for example): 500 - 1,000 PHP (8 - 16 €)
• Bangka, the local outrigger boats, for short hops: 100 - 500 PHP
• Almost everywhere there's also a small terminal fee at the port, usually between 20 and 100 PHP, in cash

Vans and buses

• Shared van Puerto Princesa - El Nido or Port Barton: 600 - 800 PHP (10 - 13 €)
• Van from Busuanga airport to Coron town: 250 PHP (4 €)
• Local buses: next to nothing, but slow and often overbooked. Turn up at least an hour early.

Taxis, Grab and tricycles

• Short taxi ride in the city: 150 - 300 PHP (2.5 - 5 €)
• Grab (the Uber-style app) from Manila airport to the centre: 350 - 500 PHP (6 - 8.5 €). Use Grab instead of a taxi: fixed price and no arguments.
• Tricycle for short rides: 20 - 100 PHP. Always agree the price before you get in: tourists get quoted double as a matter of routine.
• Jeepney in the city: 13 - 20 PHP, the cheapest ride there is

Scooters and cars

• Scooter rental: 300 - 500 PHP a day (5 - 8.5 €), less if you keep it for a week
• Car rental: 1,500 - 2,500 PHP a day (25 - 42 €)
• Petrol: 65 - 75 PHP a litre (about 1 - 1.2 €). On small islands you'll find it sold in bottles at roadside stalls, a bit more expensive.

A scooter is the best way to get around islands like Siquijor, Camiguin, Bohol and Siargao. Bring your international driving licence and check that a helmet is included.

🏝️ Tour and activity prices: island hopping, diving, surfing

The hidden costs of tours

The price the agencies advertise is rarely the final one. When it's time to pay, up come:

• the island's or town's environmental fee, sometimes paid once on arrival
• entrance fees for lagoons, islands and private beaches
• compulsory kayak rental in some lagoons
• lunch, mask and fins, when they're not included

In the end a tour can cost 50% more than the advertised price. Always ask "all in?" before booking, and get them to list what's excluded.

If there are four or more of you, a private tour often costs almost the same as the group one and lets you pick your times and your spots, skipping the busiest bays.

📱 Other costs: SIM, laundry, visa

For the SIM and the visa, the detailed guides are here:

• 👉 Which is the best SIM in the Philippines
• 👉 Extending your tourist visa in the Philippines

One tip: medicines, sunscreen and mosquito repellent cost more than in Europe. Buy them before you leave.

💡 Daily budget for a trip to the Philippines

Here are three rough profiles. They cover accommodation, food, local transport and a few tours. They don't cover the international flight or domestic flights.

A concrete example for two weeks as a mid-range traveller:

• 14 days x 4,500 PHP = 63,000 PHP, around 1,000 €
• plus 3 domestic flights at around 2,500 PHP = 7,500 PHP, around 120 €
• plus the international flight

Total on the ground: around 1,100 - 1,200 € per person. As a couple you spend less, because accommodation and private tours get split.

💰 How to save money travelling in the Philippines

• Travel in shoulder or low season: from May to November accommodation can cost 30-40% less. Read 👉 When to go to the Philippines.
• Book domestic flights weeks ahead: this is where the gap between booking early and last minute is biggest.
• Eat in carinderia at least once a day: you spend a third as much and eat better.
• Get a local SIM and use Grab in the cities instead of taxis.
• Haggle over tricycles and tours, with a smile. The first price for a tourist is never the real one.
• Use GCash or Maya to pay and withdraw: you save the 250 PHP fee on every withdrawal.
• Pick the less famous islands: Port Barton, Siquijor or Camiguin cost half what El Nido or Boracay do, and feel more real.
• Rent the scooter by the week instead of by the day.

✅ Philippines travel costs, in short

• The Philippines is cheap for food, local transport and activities, less so for accommodation.
• On 30 - 55 € a day you travel backpacker style, on 55 - 85 € you're comfortable, above 100 € you get resorts and private tours.
• The famous islands (Boracay, El Nido, Siargao) cost far more than the off-the-beaten-track ones.
• Always carry cash: cards only work in hotels, malls and a handful of restaurants.
• Budget for the hidden costs of tours: environmental fees, entrance fees and rentals can add up to 50%.