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 60.9% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly ₱1,844,286 in Philippines to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Manila averages 88°F vs 74°F in Sacramento, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from California to Philippines.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → ₱1,844,286
To maintain the same standard of living in Philippines
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 78.4% less
Groceries
pay 38.6% less
Transportation
pay 49.8% less
Housing
pay 73.4% less
Childcare
pay 86.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 67.4% 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.
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 60% 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
California generally does better on employment & economy, though Philippines leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
California performs better than Philippines across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sacramento | Manila |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) | 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) | 91°/79°F (33°/26°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) | 88°/78°F (31°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) | 87°/77°F (30°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sacramento | Manila |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) | 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.5°C) |
| Feb | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) | 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) | 90°/77°F (32.1°/24.9°C) |
| Apr | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) | 92°/79°F (33.5°/26.2°C) |
| May | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) | 92°/80°F (33.2°/26.7°C) |
| Jun | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) | 90°/79°F (32.2°/26.2°C) |
| Jul | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.8°C) |
| Aug | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) | 87°/78°F (30.6°/25.5°C) |
| Sep | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) | 87°/77°F (30.7°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) | 85°/75°F (29.7°/23.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
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 60% 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 ₱461,072 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 74°F in Sacramento. Manila receives around 86.7 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.
What language do they speak in Philippines?
The official languages in Philippines are English and Filipino. In California, the official language is English.
