Philippines Expat Guide
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About the author
Hi, That's me. I'm Marco Sison. I worked in corporate finance for 15 years before retiring early at 41 years old. I have been an expat for over 10 years, living in over 50 countries to show you the best ways to save, invest, and live in amazing countries outside the USA. I am a trust resource on personal finance and overseas retirement for US News & World Reports, HuffPost, MSN Money, USA Today, ABC Network, Yahoo Finance, Best Life, Association of MBAs, and the iTunes documentary Seeking FIRE.
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Philippines EXPAT STATISTICS AND QUICK FACTS
QUICK FACTS
| Philippines | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Facts | Capital City | Manila | |
| Facts | Population Size | 110,705,000 | |
| Facts | # US Citizens Living In Country | 300,000 | |
| Facts | Retirement Ranking (Out of 85) | 27 | |
| Facts | Exchange Rate of $1 USD as of Tue, 06/25 | 58.72 PHP | |
| Facts | Safety Score (Out of 100) | 85 | |
| Facts | Safest City | Davao | |
| Costs | Capital City Cost of Living Ranking (Out of 227 cities) | 133 | |
| Costs | Monthly Budget Upper-Middle Class(1-person Capital city) | $1,485 | |
| Costs | Housing As % of Monthly Cost | 36% | |
| Costs | Cost of A Movie Ticket (Capital City) | $6 | |
| Costs | Cost of A Beer (Captial City) | $1 | |
| Costs | Average Monthly Salary (USD) | $607 | |
| Costs | Cheapest City (Single Person Upper Middle Class) | Dumagette- $967/mo | |
| Health | Healthcare System Ranking | 60 | |
| Health | Average Cost of Health Insurance (Single Person) | $4,428 per year | |
| Health | Average Cost of One Night In The Hospital | $42 | |
| Health | Number of Hospitals | 1,295 | |
| Health | Drinkable Tap Water | Not Safe To Drink | |
| Health | Number of Doctors Per 10000 People | 7.8 | |
| Health | Air Pollution Level | Moderate (Exceeds Guidelines by 2-3X) | |
| Life | Quality of Life Ranking (Out of 84) | 78 | |
| Life | Main Languages | Tagalog and English | |
| Life | English Speak % | 58.20% | |
| Life | English Ranking (Out of 111 countries) | 23 | |
| Life | Traffic (Time To Drive ~6 miles/10 Km) | 27 minutes | |
| Life | Language Difficulty | Category III- 44 weeks (1100 class hours) | |
| Life | Public Holidays | 18 | |
| City With The Most Expats | Makati |
COST STATISTICS
| Philippines | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Facts | Capital City | Manila | |
| Facts | Population Size | 110,705,000 | |
| Facts | # US Citizens Living In Country | 300,000 | |
| Facts | Retirement Ranking (Out of 85) | 27 | |
| Facts | Exchange Rate of $1 USD as of Tue, 06/25 | 58.72 PHP | |
| Facts | Safety Score (Out of 100) | 85 | |
| Facts | Safest City | Davao | |
| Costs | Capital City Cost of Living Ranking (Out of 227 cities) | 133 | |
| Costs | Monthly Budget Upper-Middle Class(1-person Capital city) | $1,485 | |
| Costs | Housing As % of Monthly Cost | 36% | |
| Costs | Cost of A Movie Ticket (Capital City) | $6 | |
| Costs | Cost of A Beer (Captial City) | $1 | |
| Costs | Average Monthly Salary (USD) | $607 | |
| Costs | Cheapest City (Single Person Upper Middle Class) | Dumagette- $967/mo | |
| Health | Healthcare System Ranking | 60 | |
| Health | Average Cost of Health Insurance (Single Person) | $4,428 per year | |
| Health | Average Cost of One Night In The Hospital | $42 | |
| Health | Number of Hospitals | 1,295 | |
| Health | Drinkable Tap Water | Not Safe To Drink | |
| Health | Number of Doctors Per 10000 People | 7.8 | |
| Health | Air Pollution Level | Moderate (Exceeds Guidelines by 2-3X) | |
| Life | Quality of Life Ranking (Out of 84) | 78 | |
| Life | Main Languages | Tagalog and English | |
| Life | English Speak % | 58.20% | |
| Life | English Ranking (Out of 111 countries) | 23 | |
| Life | Traffic (Time To Drive ~6 miles/10 Km) | 27 minutes | |
| Life | Language Difficulty | Category III- 44 weeks (1100 class hours) | |
| Life | Public Holidays | 18 | |
| City With The Most Expats | Makati |
HEALTHCARE STATISTICS
| Philippines | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Facts | Capital City | Manila | |
| Facts | Population Size | 110,705,000 | |
| Facts | # US Citizens Living In Country | 300,000 | |
| Facts | Retirement Ranking (Out of 85) | 27 | |
| Facts | Exchange Rate of $1 USD as of Tue, 06/25 | 58.72 PHP | |
| Facts | Safety Score (Out of 100) | 85 | |
| Facts | Safest City | Davao | |
| Costs | Capital City Cost of Living Ranking (Out of 227 cities) | 133 | |
| Costs | Monthly Budget Upper-Middle Class(1-person Capital city) | $1,485 | |
| Costs | Housing As % of Monthly Cost | 36% | |
| Costs | Cost of A Movie Ticket (Capital City) | $6 | |
| Costs | Cost of A Beer (Captial City) | $1 | |
| Costs | Average Monthly Salary (USD) | $607 | |
| Costs | Cheapest City (Single Person Upper Middle Class) | Dumagette- $967/mo | |
| Health | Healthcare System Ranking | 60 | |
| Health | Average Cost of Health Insurance (Single Person) | $4,428 per year | |
| Health | Average Cost of One Night In The Hospital | $42 | |
| Health | Number of Hospitals | 1,295 | |
| Health | Drinkable Tap Water | Not Safe To Drink | |
| Health | Number of Doctors Per 10000 People | 7.8 | |
| Health | Air Pollution Level | Moderate (Exceeds Guidelines by 2-3X) | |
| Life | Quality of Life Ranking (Out of 84) | 78 | |
| Life | Main Languages | Tagalog and English | |
| Life | English Speak % | 58.20% | |
| Life | English Ranking (Out of 111 countries) | 23 | |
| Life | Traffic (Time To Drive ~6 miles/10 Km) | 27 minutes | |
| Life | Language Difficulty | Category III- 44 weeks (1100 class hours) | |
| Life | Public Holidays | 18 | |
| City With The Most Expats | Makati |
QUALITY OF LIFE
| Philippines | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Facts | Capital City | Manila | |
| Facts | Population Size | 110,705,000 | |
| Facts | # US Citizens Living In Country | 300,000 | |
| Facts | Retirement Ranking (Out of 85) | 27 | |
| Facts | Exchange Rate of $1 USD as of Tue, 06/25 | 58.72 PHP | |
| Facts | Safety Score (Out of 100) | 85 | |
| Facts | Safest City | Davao | |
| Costs | Capital City Cost of Living Ranking (Out of 227 cities) | 133 | |
| Costs | Monthly Budget Upper-Middle Class(1-person Capital city) | $1,485 | |
| Costs | Housing As % of Monthly Cost | 36% | |
| Costs | Cost of A Movie Ticket (Capital City) | $6 | |
| Costs | Cost of A Beer (Captial City) | $1 | |
| Costs | Average Monthly Salary (USD) | $607 | |
| Costs | Cheapest City (Single Person Upper Middle Class) | Dumagette- $967/mo | |
| Health | Healthcare System Ranking | 60 | |
| Health | Average Cost of Health Insurance (Single Person) | $4,428 per year | |
| Health | Average Cost of One Night In The Hospital | $42 | |
| Health | Number of Hospitals | 1,295 | |
| Health | Drinkable Tap Water | Not Safe To Drink | |
| Health | Number of Doctors Per 10000 People | 7.8 | |
| Health | Air Pollution Level | Moderate (Exceeds Guidelines by 2-3X) | |
| Life | Quality of Life Ranking (Out of 84) | 78 | |
| Life | Main Languages | Tagalog and English | |
| Life | English Speak % | 58.20% | |
| Life | English Ranking (Out of 111 countries) | 23 | |
| Life | Traffic (Time To Drive ~6 miles/10 Km) | 27 minutes | |
| Life | Language Difficulty | Category III- 44 weeks (1100 class hours) | |
| Life | Public Holidays | 18 | |
| City With The Most Expats | Makati |