Philippines
Manila/Cebu · Palawan · island hop
Philippines is at its best for beach, nature, adventure. Typically strongest from November through April.
Who this fits
Philippines scores highest with us on adventure, beach, hidden gems, nature. It suits solo travellers, groups of friends, couples, families best.
- Trip length12–21 days
- Mid-range, per day$85–$150 pp
- Getting aroundMore effort
These are My Travel Choices model scores and modelled estimates, not live prices, availability or popularity data.
Answer the eight questions to see how well this destination fits your budget, dates and travel style.
Find My TripWhen to go
Typically strongest from November through April.
Best time to visit
The best time to visit Philippines is November to April, based on recorded month-by-month travel suitability. June, July, August and September are the weakest months to plan around.
The highest seasonal price levels in our model fall in December. Compare the month-by-month conditions and pricing below before choosing dates.
See the month-by-month guide for Philippines →Sensible trip length
Plan at least 8 days; ideal 12–21 days.
Route shape
Manila/Cebu → Palawan → island hop
Daily cost bands (per person)
- Budget: $35–$60
- Mid-range: $85–$150
- Luxury: $270–$800
How much does a trip to Philippines cost?
These figures cover being there — stay, food, activities, local transport and extras. Flights depend on where you fly from, so they are handled separately.
Daily cost per person, on the ground
Model estimate for the trip assumptions shown here; separate from the dated research sample.
- Budget$35–$60
- Mid-range$85–$150
- Luxury$270–$800
Worked example: 12 days for two people
$2,250–$3,500
About 2,250–3,500 US dollars in total, flights excluded.
Assumes 12 days, two people sharing one room, a mid-range travel style, and travel in May (Seasonal price level: Shoulder pricing). Change any of these in the calculator.
When it costs least
On the same 12-day trip, June is the cheapest month at roughly 2,100–3,350 US dollars on the ground, while December is the most expensive — about 19% higher.
What about flights?
Airfare to Philippines depends entirely on where you depart from, so no honest single number exists for it here. Add your country in the calculator to get a personalised total including flights.
Calculate my trip cost to PhilippinesCommon questions about Philippines costs
- How much does a trip to Philippines cost per day?
- Per person per day on the ground, plan roughly 35–60 US dollars on a budget style, 85–150 at a mid-range style and 270–800 at a luxury style. Flights are not included.
- What does a 12-day trip to Philippines cost for two people?
- Excluding flights, a 12-day trip to Philippines for two people at a mid-range style in May works out at roughly 2,250–3,500 US dollars in total, covering stay, food, activities, local transport and extras.
- When is Philippines cheapest to visit?
- On the ground, June is the cheapest month: about 2,100–3,350 US dollars for a 12-day trip for two, roughly 19% below the most expensive month, December.
- Are flights to Philippines included in these costs?
- No. Airfare depends on where you fly from, so these figures cover on-the-ground costs only. Use the trip cost calculator to add flights from your own country.
What it is strongest for
Philippines rates highest for adventure, beach, hidden gems, nature, relaxation in our dataset.
- Adventure
- Beach
- Hidden Gems
- Nature
- Relaxation
In feel, this one leans sociable, unfamiliar in a good way, easy to improvise in.
Good to know
- Getting around takes longer here — expect transfers or several internal legs.
- Estimated travel costs based on typical travel expenses. Actual costs vary by dates, availability and booking choices.
Who it tends to suit
Recorded as a strong fit for solo travellers, groups of friends, couples, families.
Planning context
At the mid-range band, 12 days on the ground work out around $1,000–$1,800 per person. That is an estimate for day-to-day spending only — flights, insurance and seasonal price pressure are added in your personal result.
Logistics take real effort here: long distances, several internal legs or slow transfers.
Month by month
- JanStrong
- FebStrong
- MarStrong
- AprStrong
- MayMixed
- JunWeak
- JulWeak
- AugWeak
- SepWeak
- OctMixed
- NovStrong
- DecStrong
Bands come from the recorded seasonality for this destination, not from live weather or pricing.
You may also want to explore
Similar destinations by recorded interests, cost level and region.
Bali & LombokAlso strong for adventure and beachest. $70–$135 / day mid-rangeCompare Philippines with Bali & Lombok →
ThailandAlso strong for adventure and beachest. $80–$130 / day mid-rangeCompare Philippines with Thailand →
BaliAlso strong for adventure and beachest. $87.59–$95.3 / day mid-rangeCompare Philippines with Bali →
MalaysiaAlso strong for adventure and beachest. $80–$155 / day mid-rangeCompare Philippines with Malaysia →
Similar and cheaper than Philippines
Similar destinations
- ThailandAlso strong on adventure and beach$80–$130 pp
- Bali & LombokAlso strong on adventure and beach$70–$135 pp
- MalaysiaAlso strong on adventure and beach$80–$155 pp
Cheaper alternatives
- ThailandAbout 11% lower daily cost on our mid-range estimate$80–$130 pp
- Bali & LombokAbout 13% lower daily cost on our mid-range estimate$70–$135 pp
- AlbaniaAbout 32% lower daily cost on our mid-range estimate$60–$100 pp
Comparisons use our own recorded scores and mid-range daily estimates. Airfare depends on where you start — use the trip cost calculator for that.
Spend a little more for a better fit?
Philippines costs about 52% more than Kerala & Goa (roughly 40 more per person on our mid-range estimate), and scores higher on fit. Whether that is worth it depends on your budget, not on our model.
Kerala & Goa: lower costPhilippines: better fit
Comparison uses our own fit scores and mid-range cost estimates. It says nothing about popularity, availability or live prices.
Compared with
- Philippines or Argentina?
- Philippines or Cambodia?
- Philippines or Colombia?
- Philippines or Hungary?
- Philippines or Laos?
- Philippines or Malaysia?
- Philippines or Montenegro?
- Philippines or Nepal?
- Philippines or Czechia?
- Philippines or Singapore?
- Philippines or South Africa?
- Philippines or South Korea?
- Philippines or Taiwan?
- Philippines or Thailand?
- Philippines or Vietnam?
Not sure about Philippines?
Explore Southeast Asia
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Answered for your party
Whole-party totals with rooms at one per two travellers. No child age or child discount is modelled.
Month by month
Each month below is answered on its own recorded suitability and its own modelled cost, so you can see which months are worth it and which to skip.