Moving to Philippines from California
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from California to Philippines — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from California to Philippines, you would find that Philippines is 74.6% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly ₱1,200,000 in Philippines to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Manila averages 88°F vs 75°F in Los Angeles, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Philippines cheaper than California?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 80.0% less
Groceries
pay 51.5% less
Transportation
pay 57.3% less
Housing
pay 86.9% less
Childcare
pay 84.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 68.0% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Philippines?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → ₱1,200,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Philippines
Calculate with your salary →Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Philippines cost about 68% less than cities in California.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from California to Philippines, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Philippines?
Top countries of origin for Philippines's foreign-born residents.
- 38,269
-
2.37,857
United States
- 14,634
- 11,323
- 7,350
- 6,123
Key Indicator Comparison
How California and Philippines stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Philippines performs significantly better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
California performs better than Philippines across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Philippines generally does better on employment & economy, though California leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
California performs better than Philippines across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Philippines vs California
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Los Angeles | Manila |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/49°F (21°/10°C) | 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/57°F (24°/14°C) | 91°/79°F (33°/26°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/64°F (29°/18°C) | 88°/78°F (31°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 87°/77°F (30°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Los Angeles | Manila |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/48°F (20.1°/8.8°C) | 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.5°C) |
| Feb | 69°/49°F (20.3°/9.6°C) | 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) |
| Mar | 70°/51°F (21.2°/10.6°C) | 90°/77°F (32.1°/24.9°C) |
| Apr | 73°/53°F (22.6°/11.9°C) | 92°/79°F (33.5°/26.2°C) |
| May | 74°/57°F (23.6°/13.9°C) | 92°/80°F (33.2°/26.7°C) |
| Jun | 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.7°C) | 90°/79°F (32.2°/26.2°C) |
| Jul | 83°/64°F (28.4°/17.6°C) | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.8°C) |
| Aug | 84°/64°F (29.1°/17.8°C) | 87°/78°F (30.6°/25.5°C) |
| Sep | 83°/63°F (28.4°/17.3°C) | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 78°/59°F (25.8°/14.8°C) | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 73°/52°F (22.7°/11.1°C) | 87°/77°F (30.7°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C) | 85°/75°F (29.7°/23.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Can you move from California to Philippines?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States and Philippines. To live, work, or study long-term in Philippines, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Philippines's immigration authority.
United States passport holder visiting Philippines
Visa Free
Philippines passport holder visiting United States
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Philippines than California?
Generally yes: Philippines runs about 75% cheaper than California on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Philippines?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around ₱300,000 in Philippines for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Philippines?
Working remotely from Philippines's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in California and Philippines.
How is healthcare in Philippines compared to California?
Philippines performs significantly better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Philippines compared to California?
The average high temperature in Manila is 88°F, compared to 75°F in Los Angeles. Manila receives around 86.7 in of rainfall per year, while Los Angeles gets 14.9 in.
What language do they speak in Philippines?
The official languages in Philippines are English and Filipino. In California, the official language is English.
