The cost of traveling around the Philippines, as in all the other countries of the world, is largely dependent on your travel style.

Transportation

In general, it is very cheap to get around, with the minimum fare on land being around $0.16.

But, because the Philippines is made up of more than 7,500 islands, transportation may also be your biggest expense. Ferries that will take you from one island to another generally costs $10-$20 per person and flights to popular tourist destinations can cost around $60 during off-peak season.

Accommodations

Another huge expense that will take up a majority of your travel budget is accommodations. There are a lot of options here, from luxury resorts to budget inns. There are also Airbnb accommodations in between.

In the most popular areas such as Boracay, a standard room can set you back $200 a night. It can even go as expensive as $400 a night for more high-end places. Budget inns can be found all throughout the country and can go as low as $10 a night – but you do get what you pay for so do not expect much.

On average, a good accommodation in the country can cost around $60 a night and would already include a beautiful room, breakfast and WiFi.

Food and Drinks

If you do not have a lot of strict diet requirements, then you wouldn’t have any problem looking for food in the country. Typical meals can cost around $1-$2 and already includes rice and a viand or two. In restaurants, expect to pay around $10 for a good meal for one person, with drinks.

A bottle of beer in the Philippines runs around $1-$2 and could even last you more than a night.

If you are vegan, for example, you will have to expect to pay a bit more for each of your meals. You may have to visit vegan-friendly restaurants and expect to pay maybe $10-$15 per meal. You can also go visit the local market and buy fruits and vegetables for very cheap, to save on costs.

Attractions

There are a lot of attractions dotting the entire country. A few cheap or free options that you can do would be to visit local parks and plazas. If you are lucky enough, you might just stumble yourself into one with lots of trees – unfortunately, these are far and few between.

The Philippines has all sorts of attractions, depending on your preferences. Among the most popular, of course, are those that have to do with nature: hiking, camping, spelunking, and so on. The prices on these activities vary but you will have to prepare at least $20 on these.

You can also head out to local theme parks, especially if you have kids with you. Expect to start paying around $16 per person to get inside these places.

If water activities are your thing, the Philippines does not have a shortage of it, considering that it is an archipelago. In fact, many foreigners visit the country not only because of its beauty but also because of the cheap price tags that it has, compared to many foreign places. You can go snorkeling, diving, kitesurfing, ziplining and so on. For the basic water activities, prepare at least $40 per person but for diving, $400 might be a good place to start.

Is the Philippines Expensive?

The Philippines is such a wonderful place to visit, complete with mountains, beaches and modern cities, that it is definitely well worth putting it into your bucket list. It’s easy on the budget, too!

What did you think? Do you think the Philippines is an expensive place to travel to?

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About the Author: Pam is an outdoors-loving millennial momma who loves to hike, trek and camp in the beaches and mountains with her partner and their kiddos.