In planning mode - how much budget should I keep in mind for Philippines - any experiences?
I spent a month backpacking in the Philippines earlier this year and kept it super budget. Stayed in dorms and hostels for around 10 dollars a night and ate street food almost every day. Ferries and public transport are really cheap. I skipped most flights and used buses and boats where I could. Spent around 30 dollars a day on average including everything. It’s totally doable if you don’t mind going basic. Just make sure to carry cash because a lot of places don’t take cards.
I travelled with my partner across Siargao, Dumaguete and Coron and our budget for both of us was around 120 dollars a day. That covered private rooms in boutique hostels or Airbnbs, meals at nice restaurants and some island hopping tours. The tours in Palawan can get pricey but they’re worth it. We paid cash for almost everything since most places didn’t take cards outside the cities. ATMs sometimes ran out of cash on weekends so we always kept extra. If you want to be comfortable and do activities, budget at least 60 per day solo or more for two people.
Just got back from a two week solo trip and I spent roughly 1000 dollars in total including flights between Manila, Bohol and Palawan. I stayed at private rooms in guesthouses and some hostels. Food is super cheap unless you go for Western places. I used Grab for most transport in Manila and tricycles or jeepneys in smaller towns which cost almost nothing. I withdrew pesos using my Revolut card from BPI ATMs which had a decent rate. For a mid-range trip I’d budget around 50 to 60 dollars a day comfortably.
I spent three weeks in the Philippines this March and averaged around 40 to 50 dollars a day. I stayed in dorms and budget hostels like Mad Monkey in Cebu and Spin Hostel in El Nido which cost about 10 to 20 dollars a night. Meals were cheap if you stuck to local eateries or carinderias where you can eat for 2 to 3 dollars. Ferries and buses between islands were affordable but flights added up. I used my Wise card for most payments but always kept cash for transport and food.