How much I spent backpacking for three weeks in the Philippines
The Philippines is an amazing country, full of natural wonders: reefs and beaches, hills and waterfalls.
It’s therefore no surprise that the Philippines is popular with backpackers. But when planning a trip, it’s useful to have a good idea of how much it will cost. How else can you make sure you can afford it, or know how much to save up?
During my backpacking trip to the Philippines, I kept a record of everything I purchased, from big things like flights and accommodation, to small things like snacks and port fees – it’s a massive habit! I’ve pulled all the numbers together to show you exactly how much it cost. It was an interesting analysis, and I’m excited to share it here.
My itinerary and travel style
Before we jump in, I thought it’d be best to give you an overview of my trip, so you know how the costs fit in context.
I headed to the Philippines in May 2023, and spent a total of 22 days there (excluding my flights in and out). My itinerary was:
- Night 1: Dumaguete, Negros Oriental
- Night 2: Apo Island
- Nights 3 to 4: Siquijor
- Nights 5 to 8: Loboc, Bohol
- Night 9: Puerto Princesa, Palawan
- Nights 10 to 12: Daracotan Island, off Palawan
- Nights 13 to 16: El Nido, Palawan
- Nights 17 to 20: Coron
- Night 21: Manila
The itinerary was a mix of larger islands and tourist destinations, plus some smaller islands, with the aim of having some time to relax and do nothing, and others to explore to the max of my abilities. I was backpacking, so I was mainly staying in hostels and guesthouses, but I wasn’t scrimping: I did a lot of activities, ate out every day, and had a few splurge moments. It was a good way to travel!
I travelled with my sister, so all the costs I present are for two people. Where I bought things in Philippine peso, I have converted it into GBP for ease.
How much I spent by category: flights
To get to the Philippines, I flew from Manchester to Manila. When looking, I found ridiculously cheap flights from Paris to Manila with China Eastern, so our exact route was: Manchester to Paris (with Ryanair), Paris to Guangzhou, and Guangzhou to Manila. Of course I just had to stop for a few days in Paris on the way, but I have taken the costs from Paris out of this article, to keep it Philippines only.
As an island nation, I had to fly to get around the Philippines. I ended up booking four extra flights – Manila to Dumaguete, Cebu City to Puerto Princesa, El Nido to Busuanga, and Busuanga to Manila. We took ferries to get between the other islands. I should say, the flight from El Nido to Busuanga was our biggest flight splurge, which we chose due to stormy weather causing lots of ferries between El Nido and Coron to be cancelled.
We didn’t buy any extras like bags (we travelled with hand luggage only), and we just took whatever seats we were allocated.
My exact costs for two people:
- Liverpool to Paris: £104
- Paris to Manila (return): £577
- Manila to Dumaguete: £172
- Cebu City to Puerto Princesa: £73
- El Nido to Busuanga: £133
- Busuanga to Manila: £242
- Paris to Manchester: £133
- Total cost: £1,434 (£717 per person)
How much I spent by category: accommodation
In the Philippines, I stayed at eleven different hotels and hostels. Three nights were spent in dorm rooms; nine were spent in lodges at various guesthouses; and six were spent at hotels or rooms within a larger guesthouse.
The remaining two nights were one of our biggest expenses of the whole trip: a stay at Paolyn Houseboats. This was a hut on a floating platform in the middle of the ocean, just off Coron Island. It was a quiet and unique experience, but at £358 for two nights, it didn’t come cheap!
My exact costs for two people:
- Dorm bed in Dumaguete (1 night): £10
- Dorm bed in Apo Island (1 night): £10
- Lodge in Siquijor (2 nights): £38
- Ecolodge in Loboc, Bohol (4 nights): £114
- Room at a guesthouse in Puerto Princesa (1 night): £17
- Hut on Daracotan Island (3 nights): £75
- Hotel room in El Nido (3 nights): £117
- Room at a guesthouse in El Nido (1 night): £16
- Room at a guesthouse in Busuanga (2 nights): £22 (I got £20 off this cost due to a Booking.com voucher)
- Houseboats off Coron Island (2 nights): £358
- Dorm bed in Manila (1 night): £15
- Total cost: £792 (£396 per person)
How much I spent by category: transport
I moved around the Philippines a lot by various transport methods, including ferry, motortaxi, taxi, tricycle, bus, boat and moped rental.
This was a fairly hefty expense! However, it was non-negotiable: I had to get from the airport or ferry terminal to my accommodation, and without paying these costs I wouldn’t have been able to see everything I did.
My exact costs for two people:
- Taxis: £72
- Tricycle: £73
- Bus: £22
- Boat to Apo Island: £23
- Ferries between islands: £37
- Scooter rental and fuel for three days: £19
- Total cost: £246 (£133 per person)
How much I spent by category: activities
I did so many cool things during my three weeks in the Philippines. I went snorkelling with turtles off Apo Island; paddle boarded to see fireflies on the Loboc river; and went on two boat trips around the islands off El Nido. I also did lots of random things, such as bowling in Manila.
Really, it’s these things you’re in the Philippines for, anyway!
My exact costs for two people:
- Snorkelling with turtles on Apo Island: £9
- Day tour of Siquijor, including tricycle, entry fees to waterfalls and snorkelling at Barracuda Beach: £32
- Entry fee to Chocolate Hills on Bohol: £3
- Entry fee to Pangas Falls on Bohol: £1
- Entry fee for swimming at Hinagdanan Cave on Panglao: £4
- Trip to a tarsier sanctuary on Bohol: £4
- Tour of Kangkaramel Cave on Bohol: £5
- Paddleboarding to see fireflies on Bohol: £34
- Aquarium in Cebu City: £17
- Two boat trips from El Nido, including snorkelling gear and kayak rental: £100
- Private boat tour at Coron Island, including entry fees: £73
- Entry fees for hot springs on Busuanga: £9
- Bowling in Manila: £8
- Total cost: £298 (£149 per person)
How much I spent by category: food
I loved the food in the Philippines. Anything containing ube (a purple vegetable similar to yam) made my day, and halo halo was the best dessert ever! Not to mention, the Philippines was a great place to indulge in my love of bubble tea…
During our trip to the Philippines, I didn’t cook once, so these costs are entirely for restaurants, snacks, drinks and other things. We didn’t go fancy, but some places, such as Daracotan Island, Apo Island and the Paolyn Houseboats, had a monopoly on where you could eat, which drove the prices up. That being said, we found thing like pastries to be insanely cheap in the Philippines, so it was easy to snack!
My exact costs for two people:
- Main meals, such as lunch and dinner: £386
- Snacks, mainly pastries and ice cream: £21
- Separate drinks to fuel our boba obsession: £13
- Total cost: £420 (£210 per person)
How much I spent by category: souvenirs
This isn’t really a necessary category, but here it is: how much I spent on souvenirs.
I wouldn’t say I bought that many souvenirs in the Philippines, but I guess they add up: I bought two t-shirts, a bottle of calamancello (limoncello, but made from calamansi, a Filipino citrus fruit), a couple of books, a postcard and three magnets.
- Total cost: £48
How much I spent by category: others
There were also a couple of things that didn’t fit neatly into the other categories.
Several of the islands had environmental fees, whereas most ports had a fee to use them, which you had to pay separately. I also had an unfortunate run in with a cat and ended up getting my rabies shots, which pushed up my personal cost a bit.
My exact costs for two people:
- Environmental fee at Apo Island: £3
- Terminal fees: £1.70
- Environmental fee at our lodge in Bohol: £0.30
- Rabies jabs at El Nido and Tagbilaran: £76 (just me)
- Environmental fee at Busuanga: £6
- Total cost: £86 (£10 excluding rabies jab, which is £5 per person)
How much did I spend using cash?
Something else to consider is how much I spent using a card, vs cash. I used a Starling debit card throughout my travels, which doesn’t have any international fees, but sometimes you just have to pay by cash; there’s no other option.
In total, I made nine cash withdrawals, which worked out at £1280, or 40% of the cost of my trip. This paid for a large proportion of my food, transport, activity and accommodation throughout my trip. There was no option but cash on several islands, such as Apo Island and Daracotan Island, and many places were cash-only.
Total costs
In total, Lou and I spent £3284, or £1642 each, during our three week trip to the Philippines, including our bargain flights, all accommodation, food, activities and other unexpected costs. I think this is pretty reasonable! We weren’t staying at all glamourous hotels or eating ultra fancy, but it was comfortable and we did all the activities we wanted to do.
How does this compare to other regions? I actually found the costs in the Philippines to be higher than other countries in South-East Asia – Indonesia, for example, was much cheaper in terms of food and transport. Still, it’s a steal when compared to the cost of travel in Western countries. I can’t believe I thought some of these costs were expensive when I was there!
What do you think to these costs? Does it seem more or less than what you were expecting? Let me know in the comments.
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