Trip planningBy Clever Tourists · Published
A 12-day trip to the Philippines costs roughly $360 to $600 per person on the ground on a budget and $720 to $1,200 mid-range, plus the flight. That is about $30 to $50 a day budget and $60 to $100 mid-range, the same bands as our daily travel budget by country. Food and local transport are cheap; the islands are not, because boat tours, domestic flights and environmental fees are charged per day or per trip. We spent 29 days in the Philippines from 8 November to 7 December 2022: Manila, Sabang, Port Barton, El Nido, Coron, Oslob, Moalboal and Cebu City, so the route below follows ground we covered. The country uses the peso (about 64 PHP to the dollar in late October 2026). The figures are typical 2026 prices from operators and travel-cost sources, not what we spent.
Free toolConvert to your own currency at live rates →Live mid-market rates for all 17 currencies we used, so you can see what a price actually costs.The totals assume 12 days on the ground, per person, with two people splitting a room at mid-range. Daily bands are the same as our daily travel budget by country: $30 to $50 budget and $60 to $100 mid-range.
• Budget: about $360 to $600 on the ground, split roughly as accommodation $130 to $210; food and drink $110 to $180; getting around $50 to $90; sights and activities $40 to $70; extras (SIM, tips, fees) $30 to $50. Dorm beds or fan rooms, local eateries, vans and buses, with one or two group boat tours.
• Mid-range: about $720 to $1,200 on the ground, split roughly as accommodation $320 to $540; food and drink $180 to $300; getting around $90 to $140; sights and activities $90 to $140; extras (SIM, tips, fees) $40 to $70. Air-conditioned rooms or resort stays, restaurant dinners, a domestic flight and several island-hopping days.
• With a return flight from the US ($720 to $1,085 in our fare snapshot): budget about $1,100 to $1,700, mid-range about $1,450 to $2,300.
The category split is our own approximation of how a daily band divides, not a measured spend. Manila dorm beds averaged about $10 to $15 a night in the one cost guide behind our calculator. Domestic flights between islands sit on top of the daily band if your route needs them.
Our site's fare snapshot, taken from travellers' searches around 30 October 2026, shows Philippines round trips averaging about $840 from the US (middle half $720 to $1,085), $873 from the UK, $887 from Australia (middle half $548 to $1,540), $1,012 from Canada and $855 from New Zealand. Regional fares are far lower: about $296 from Japan, $322 from South Korea and $303 from Singapore. The snapshot leans low, so use it as a floor.
If you are already in Asia, the Philippines is a short, cheap hop; from the West the long-haul fare often outweighs the daily costs. Timing matters, and our best time to visit the Philippines and El Nido and Coron dry season guide show when the weather and prices line up. See how far in advance to book international flights. From Manila airport into town, see the Manila airport guide. Visitors also complete eTravel registration: see the eTravel guide.
Manila and Cebu City are cheap; El Nido and Coron cost more for the same standard, and rooms fill in the dry season. Our where to stay in El Nido compares areas, and Coron vs El Nido compares cost and style. Quieter spots such as Port Barton, Sabang and Moalboal cost less than El Nido town.
Shared vans are the budget default. Puerto Princesa to El Nido takes about 5 to 6 hours for roughly ₱650 to ₱900 (≈ $10.2–14.1) in 2026, with fuel surcharges possible; see the Puerto Princesa to El Nido guide. El Nido to Coron by ferry costs roughly ₱2,200 to ₱2,800 (≈ $35–44) one way (about $35 to $45), against a flight that is considerably dearer; see El Nido to Coron: ferry vs flight.
In Cebu, the Ceres bus from Cebu South Bus Terminal to Oslob takes about 4 hours for roughly ₱269 (≈ $4.2) non-aircon to ₱330 (≈ $5.2) aircon; see the Cebu City to Oslob and Moalboal guide.
Tours are the large daily cost. Joiner tours for El Nido Tour A were selling for roughly ₱1,200 to ₱1,500 (≈ $18.8–24) per person in 2026, Tour B ₱1,300 to ₱1,600 (≈ $20–25), Tour C ₱1,400 to ₱1,800 (≈ $22–28) and Tour D ₱1,200 to ₱1,500 (≈ $18.8–24). Add the Eco-Tourism Development Fee of ₱400 (≈ $6.3) per person, paid once per stay, the ₱200 (≈ $3.1) lagoon fee and optional kayak rentals; see the El Nido tour guide. Private outrigger boats for two were quoted around ₱13,000 to ₱14,000 (≈ $204–220). Over four tour days, tours and fees alone come to roughly $95 to $115 per person.
Food stays cheap: carinderia meals and local grills are a few dollars; see what to buy at a grocery store in the Philippines and tipping in the Philippines. Drinking water can add a line to the budget; see can you drink tap water in the Philippines.
Check is the Philippines safe to visit and tourist scams in the Philippines, the visa guide, and price travel insurance for boat-heavy trips.
• Join group tours, not private boats. Joiner seats cost a fraction of a charter.
• Take the ferry or van between towns instead of flying.
• Space out the paid days. Mix a tour day with a free beach day; our own route spent 6 nights in El Nido, 4 in Coron and 7 in Moalboal.
• Pick the right season. Peak season costs more. See what to pack for Palawan.
• Plan the route first. See our 2-week Palawan itinerary and our 4-week route from Palawan to Cebu, and things to know before visiting the Philippines.
To price your own dates, group size and style, try the Philippines trip cost calculator.
A week on the ground is roughly $210 to $350 budget at $30 to $50 a day or $420 to $700 mid-range at $60 to $100, before the flight and any domestic flights.
Food and local transport are cheap, but island-hopping tours, domestic flights and environmental fees make resort islands cost more than the mainland.
Joiner Tours A to D sold for roughly ₱1,200 to ₱1,800 (≈ $18.8–28) per person in 2026, plus a ₱400 (≈ $6.3) eco-tourism fee paid once and a ₱200 (≈ $3.1) lagoon fee.
Roughly ₱2,200 to ₱2,800 (≈ $35–44) one way, about $35 to $45.
The Philippine peso, about 64 PHP to the US dollar in late October 2026.
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