How I Budget My Money While In The Philippines -

One thing I have always said about The Philippines is that it’s an easy place to spend no money at all but it’s just as easy to spend a lot.

The Philippines still carries a reputation as being one of the best budget holiday destinations in the world. Due to it’s reputation I often find my self having this false sense of security thinking that I don’t need to think about my spending habits while I’m there.

Everything is so reasonably priced, what do I need to worry about?

This is until I check my bank statement, I’m quickly reminded that all those small purchases add up to something more substantial.

Once you account for dining out for meals, multiple taxi rides each day, maybe even sampling the local street food for a snack in between meals – It all adds up to a significant amount of money. Especially for those wishing to travel on a budget.

So in the article, I will talk you through some of the lessons I’ve learnt from my years spent travelling throughout the Philippines.

Philippines budget travel — Manila is a sprawling urban environment which may be intimidating to commute through for the uninitiated tourist.

Budget transport in the Philippines

Jeepneys

For public transport, I usually try to avoid jeepneys as they are extremely uncomfortable due to me being almost a foot taller than your average Filipino. But if I want to make my money go further I don’t think twice about using a Jeepney.

When you could potentially be paying hundreds of pesos for a taxi ride around the city; paying a handful of pesos for a Jeepney ride seems like a fantastic deal for the budget traveller.

A word of warning – if you’re going to try jeepneys make sure you know where you are going, and ensure you’re taking the correct jeepney. Personally I feel if you are an inexperienced traveller in the Philippines I would stick to taxis or rideshare but if you want to save some cash jeepneys are always an option.

Click here to read about the origins of jeepneys in the Philippines

Taxis or rideshare

A habit I developed was always checking the local ride-share provider Grab before using any taxis. After being in a certain city for a while, you become familiar with what certain taxi rides should cost. You can then check Grab to see of the prices are more competitive, as Grabs prices do rise with demand, they can sometimes be more expensive than taxis.

Though, from personal experience, I have found their prices are significantly lower than what you would expect in a standard taxi ride. Also, Grab offers promos and referral bonuses, which can make your rides even cheaper.

Although now that Grab has a monopoly in the country, it is still good to have an alternative to using taxis. Having a variety of services to choose from is always a bonus for the consumer.

Another trade off with taking taxis is that you lose the security of using ride-share. With Grab you have a fixed price, and your journey is also recorded. When using a taxi, it is a good practice to note the details of the vehicle and ensure you decide on how you will be paying before the journey begins.

Domestic Airlines

Travelling domestically in the Philippines is generally quite affordable. There are flights between all the countries major cities throughout the day all at reasonable prices.

For those flying domestically you have the choice between the countries two main airlines – Philippines Airlines or Cebu Pacific. Cebu Pacific is seen as the more affordable airline but both airlines are usually quite affordable for economy travellers.

All in all air travel in the Philippines is quite straightforward. If you’re someone travelling on a budget I would suggest to look at Cebu Pacific. Although the airline does have a reputation for having significant delays which I have experienced first hand quite a few times.

Ferrys

For travellers serious about sticking to a budget, there is another alternative to travel the country. Ferrys are an extremely common means used by the locals to travel between the major islands.

There are ferries leaving daily from various major ports within the country which can take you to all the tourists hot spots, and at a fraction of the price of a plane ticket.

The major trade off with ferries is the time. Most flights within the country last ~1 hour whereas a ferry ride can take as long as 24 hours depending on where you are going. So for thoe visiting the country for a limited amount of time planes may be the better option.

Click here to book a ferry ride with 2Go Travel.

budget travel, Philippines — This is a traditional Filipino food – Shrimp Sinigang. Filipino food is often quite simple but often very healthy and also tasty.

Budget for food in the Philippines

When it comes to buying food I can get a bit crazy, as I love to eat. I usually prioritize buying healthy food when dining out somewhere, which so far hasn’t really been a challenge. Traditional Filipino food is extremely healthy, and it is widely available at many different price points across the country.

The fact is the Philippines is full of so many cheap food options which won’t break your budget. The streets are filled with bakeries and BBQ stands where you can buy products for a few pesos. There are also lots of markets and srestaurants offering good quality food at a reasonable price.

Then you have the local favourite, the carinderia. This is a small eatery often ran out of somebodies home. Here you can find delicious, affordable filipino food, and BBQ. When visiting the Philippines dining at a Carinderia is an essential part of experiencing the local culture.

A warning about cheap FIlipino food

Although it may be tempting to always seek out the cheapest option you have to be aware that sometimes you’re getting exactly what you pay for. Occasionally food can be burnt or served in a very simple manner.

Some of the food may also be dangerous to eat, as some food is being sold out on the street you can not guarantee that the vendor has been meeting safe standards for handling their food.

Sometimes it may be safer to pay a little bit extra and go to the larger more wekll known restaurants where you can have a bit more faith that the food is safe to eat.

Budget accomodation in the Philippines

When it comes to accommodation I tend to gravitate towards mid-range hotels. I think a lot of people assume hotels in The Philippines cost a lot more than what they actually do. I tried renting a condo but when you factor in all the work to maintain it, plus buying all the products normally supplied by a hotel; it ends up costing about the same amount as staying in a hotel except it requires a lot more upkeep.

Really the Philippines has accomodation to suit every price point, it just depends on how comfortable you want to be. The Philippines is also completely covered by hotels, especially in the larger cities.

Due to the amount of hotels, it is quite easy for you to shop around for good deals. In some smaller cities you can turn up and negotiate a rate. Though, I recommend booking online in advance, especially in cities such as Manila, and Cebu. The Philippines is quite popular these days so to get accomodation in a good location you need to plan ahead.

So what should a budget traveller aim for?

If you really want to avoid breaking the bank your best option would be some of the new hostels popping up around Manila. Places such as Z Hostel offer clean, spacious accomodation, and all the modern ammenities you have come to expect such as hot water, wifi, 24 hours cafe, co-working space.

Click here to book at Z Hostel

Z Hostel is very much suited to the more sociable, party going travellers. For a more relaxed stay I would look at Lub D in Makati. Lub D offers something for every kind of traveller, with modern, private rooms located in the heart of Makati.

The hostel has many different spacces to accomodate its guests. Theres a cafe where guests can relax with a coffee and something to eat. It also features a coworking space for the digital nomads, and a rooftop bar where you can socialise with locals and other guests while enjoying the amazing view over Makati.

Click here to book at Lub D Makati

Personally I love to book at the mid-tier hotels around Manila. A quick search on sites like Agoda.com will show you hundreds of quality, affordable hotels around the major cities of the Philippines.

I feel like the mid-tier hotels are still extremely affordable for your average traveller, but they still offer a comfortable experiencce for there guests in good quality rooms. I feel as if this suites travellers who still like their privacy and their own space.

I think as long as you avoid the older, extremely cheap places you cant go wrong. Older budget hotels and hostels tend to be unclean, you may find cockroaches and mosquitoes in your room etc. It really does pay to go for the better quality accomodation when visiting the Philippines.

Accessing your money in the Philippines

The Philippines is still very much a cashed based society. When you are in major cities such as Manila or Cebu you can get away with paying for things by card but once you leave these cities, you need cash.

Fortunately this isn’t very difficult as there are literally money changers, atms, and banks everywhere. You will not struggle to access your cash in the Philippines. My only advice would be to limit the amount of withdrawals you make as the fees can add up fast,

If you plan on visiting any isolated locations, you need to plan ahead. You will not have access to any banks so you will need to plan for how much cash you need and stick to a budget.