Manila
PHP
Filipino, English
UTC+8
Daily life
- Climate: Tropical and humid: a dry season from about December to May and a rainy season from June to November, when around 20 typhoons a year hit the country. Baguio and Tagaytay are cooler.
- Safety: High levels of street crime and robbery in big cities, including armed hold-ups on jeepneys and buses; use reputable taxis. The UK advises against all travel to western and central Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago because of terrorism.
- English: widely spoken
- Expat community: large
Sources: UK travel advice: Philippines, safety and security (checked 2026-10-22) · EF EPI 2025 rankings in Asia (Human Resources Online) (checked 2026-10-22) · PAGASA: weather service (checked 2026-10-22)
Cost of living
| Monthly, USD | Metro Manila | Cebu | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | Couple | Single | Couple | |
| Rent | 278 | 468 | 300 | 460 |
| Food | 284 | 511 | 267 | 481 |
| Utilities | 145 | 163 | 147 | 165 |
| Transport | 48 | 81 | 36 | 61 |
| Health cover | 250 | 500 | 250 | 500 |
| Leisure | 80 | 136 | 80 | 136 |
| Total | 1,085 | 1,859 | 1,080 | 1,803 |
Amounts in US dollars. Rent and utilities from Numbeo (Oct 2026); food, transport and leisure from LivingCost (June 2026), both crowdsourced. Rent: a one-bedroom flat outside the centre for one person, between one and three bedrooms for a couple. Health: private insurance at 65–74 (see healthcare). Utilities include internet. SRRV holders can also join PhilHealth for ₱15,000 a year, which pays part of hospital bills.
Sources: Numbeo: cost of living in Manila (rent and utilities, updated Oct 2026) (checked 2026-10-22) · Numbeo: cost of living in Cebu (rent and utilities, updated Oct 2026) (checked 2026-10-22) · LivingCost: cost of living in Manila (food, transport, leisure; updated June 2026) (checked 2026-10-22) · LivingCost: cost of living in Cebu (food, transport, leisure; updated June 2026) (checked 2026-10-22)
Visas and residence
Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV Classic)
Permanent residence with multiple entries and indefinite stay. From age 50: a deposit of US$15,000 with a lifetime pension of at least US$800 a month (US$1,000 with dependants), or US$30,000 without a pension; from 40 to 49, US$25,000 or US$50,000. The deposit can be used for approved investments such as a condo. Processing fee US$1,500, annual fee US$360 (principal and two dependants).
- Minimum income: 800 USD a month
- Or savings: 15,000 USD
- Minimum age: 50
- Permanent: no renewals
- Since 1 September 2025 only SRRV Classic and SRRV Courtesy are open to new applicants (Smile and Human Touch closed). Each dependant beyond two adds US$15,000.
- Spouse can be included
- Official page
Trying it first: United States passport: 30 days without a visa; United Kingdom passport: 30 days without a visa.
Sources: Philippine Retirement Authority: SRRV options and requirements (checked 2026-10-22) · UK travel advice: Philippines, entry requirements (checked 2026-10-22)
Healthcare
Good private hospitals in Metro Manila and Cebu (St. Luke's, Makati Medical Center, Chong Hua), more basic care in the provinces. SRRV holders can join PhilHealth, the national insurer, as voluntary members for a flat ₱15,000 a year, but it pays only part of hospital bills, so most retirees add private insurance.
- Public system: SRRV holders register with PhilHealth as voluntary members (₱15,000 a year for PRA retirees, per guides); the SRRV includes a PhilHealth special rate.
- Private insurance, monthly (USD): age 55-64: 150 · age 65-74: 250 · age 75+: 400
- Pre-existing conditions: varies by insurer
Sources: Philippine Retirement Authority: SRRV options and requirements (checked 2026-10-22) · ClinicFinder PH: can foreigners get PhilHealth (checked 2026-10-22) · Expat Focus: healthcare in the Philippines (checked 2026-10-22)
Taxes
Resident and non-resident foreigners are taxed only on income from Philippine sources, so foreign pensions and investment income are not taxed; SRRV holders are also exempt from tax on pensions and annuities. The Philippines has a 6% estate tax; there is no wealth tax.
- When you become tax resident: Foreigners are taxed only on Philippine-source income whether resident or not; residence for foreigners depends on intent and length of stay rather than a fixed day count.
Coming from United States
For a US retiree the Philippines adds essentially no tax on US income; the US keeps taxing its citizens.
- Tax treaty: yes
- Public pension: Under the US–Philippines treaty (Article 19), US Social Security paid to a Philippine resident is taxable only in the US.
- Private pension: Private pensions are taxable where the work was done (Article 18), so the US taxes them; the Philippines does not tax foreigners' foreign income anyway.
Sources: IRS: US–Philippines tax treaty (checked 2026-10-22)
Coming from United Kingdom
The Philippines has a social security agreement with the UK. Your UK State Pension rises each year while you live there (EEA country or social security agreement).
- Tax treaty: yes
- Public pension: The 1976 treaty has no other income article, so the UK keeps its right to tax (usually covered by the Personal Allowance); the Philippines does not tax foreigners' foreign income.
- Private pension: Taxable only in the Philippines (Article 17), which does not tax them for foreigners. Most UK government pensions (such as civil service pensions) are taxed only in the UK.
Sources: GOV.UK: Philippines tax treaties (checked 2026-10-22) · GOV.UK: countries where the State Pension is increased each year (checked 2026-10-22) · GOV.UK: tax on your UK income if you live abroad (State Pension, Personal Allowance, government pensions) (checked 2026-10-22) · HMRC International Manual INTM343190: pensions and annuities (State Pension under tax treaties) (checked 2026-10-22)
Coming from France
Your French social security pension stays taxed in France. Where France keeps the right to tax, your French pension funds withhold non-resident tax, and France applies minimum rates of 20% (30% above €29,579 for 2025 income) unless you opt for the average rate on your worldwide income.
- Tax treaty: yes
- Public pension: Basic state pension: social security pensions are taxable only in France (Article 18(2)). Civil-service and military pensions are taxed only in France.
- Private pension: Taxable only in the Philippines (Article 18(1)), which does not tax foreigners' foreign income. Check with the tax office whether your supplementary AGIRC-ARRCO pensions count as social security under this treaty.
Sources: UN Treaty Series vol. 1111, no. 17184: France–Philippines tax treaty (1976), Articles 18 and 19 (checked 2026-10-22) · economie.gouv.fr: income tax for residents abroad (minimum rates, non-resident withholding on pensions) (checked 2026-10-22)
Coming from somewhere else? The general rules above apply; check your home country's tax treaty with Philippines or ask a licensed advisor.
Sources: PwC tax summaries: Philippines, taxes on personal income (checked 2026-10-22) · Philippine Retirement Authority: SRRV options and requirements (checked 2026-10-22)
Housing
The buyer usually pays documentary stamp tax (1.5%), transfer tax (0.5–0.75%) and registration (about 0.25%); the seller pays the 6% capital gains tax. The SRRV deposit can be converted into a condo purchase.
- Can foreigners buy? With restrictions: The Constitution bars foreigners from owning land. They can buy condominium units as long as foreign ownership in the project stays at or below 40%; houses are leased (or held through a Filipino spouse).
- Purchase costs: about 3% of the price (taxes and fees)
- Renting: Condos are easy to rent in Metro Manila and Cebu.
Sources: Republic Act 4726 (Condominium Act), Section 5: foreign interest limits (checked 2026-10-22) · Supreme Court of the Philippines, Hulst v. PR Builders (2007): foreigners and condominium units (checked 2026-10-22) · Wise: buying a condo in the Philippines as an American (checked 2026-10-22) · Emerhub: buying property in the Philippines as a foreigner (checked 2026-10-22)
Settling in
Once you choose Philippines, the settling plan takes you through 5 steps, from a year before the move to your first year there. The first ones:
- Gather SRRV documents: Medical certificate and police clearance (less than 6 months old), proof of pension if you use the pensioner deposit; apostilled.
- Remit the visa deposit: Send the deposit from abroad to a PRA-accredited bank (DBP, PNB, BDO and others).
- File the SRRV application: Enter as a tourist, then apply to the PRA (fee US$1,500); keep your tourist visa valid during processing. PRA processing fee US$1,500, plus US$300 per dependant.
- Join PhilHealth: Register as a PRA voluntary member and pay the yearly premium.
The full plan, with costs, delays and official links, is in your personal space (coming soon).
Rules and figures change and we can make mistakes: confirm with the official source or a licensed advisor before acting.