Moving to Illinois from Philippines

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Philippines to Illinois — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Philippines to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 3.7 times more expensive than Philippines overall. A ₱4,607,663 salary in Philippines would need to be roughly $148,112 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Springfield averages 63°F vs 88°F in Manila, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Philippines to Illinois.

What does your salary buy?

₱4,607,663 $148,112

To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 4.0 times more

Groceries

pay 70.2% more

Transportation

pay 3.5 times more

Housing

pay 4.2 times more

Childcare

pay 7.7 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 3.0 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 PHP = 0.0163 USD (July 2026)

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 Illinois cost about 84% more than cities in Philippines.

Philippines

Angeles 41%

Illinois

Chicago 76%
Champaign 53%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Philippines to Illinois, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
48,690 ↑ 34% vs 2022

people moved from Philippines to United States · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United States?

Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Philippines and Illinois stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

PH
6.4%
IL
34.6%

Philippines performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

PH
53.0%
IL
89.6%

Illinois performs significantly better than Philippines across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

PH
2.2%
IL
4.8%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

PH
$9,700
IL
$70,691

Illinois generally does better on employment & economy, though Philippines leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

PH
70.1 yrs
IL
76.8 yrs

Illinois performs significantly better than Philippines across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Manila Rain: 86.7 in/yr (2201 mm)
88° / 77°F

Avg. annual high / low

Springfield Rain: 37.4 in/yr (951 mm)
63° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Manila Springfield
Jan–Mar 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 91°/79°F (33°/26°C) 74°/52°F (23°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 88°/78°F (31°/26°C) 83°/61°F (29°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/77°F (30°/25°C) 52°/33°F (11°/1°C)
View all months
Month Manila Springfield
Jan 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.5°C) 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C)
Feb 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C)
Mar 90°/77°F (32.1°/24.9°C) 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C)
Apr 92°/79°F (33.5°/26.2°C) 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C)
May 92°/80°F (33.2°/26.7°C) 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C)
Jun 90°/79°F (32.2°/26.2°C) 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C)
Jul 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.8°C) 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C)
Aug 87°/78°F (30.6°/25.5°C) 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C)
Sep 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C)
Oct 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C)
Nov 87°/77°F (30.7°/24.9°C) 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C)
Dec 85°/75°F (29.7°/23.9°C) 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C)

Data: Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Philippines and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.

Philippines passport

Philippines passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Philippines passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Philippines

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Philippines without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Illinois than Philippines?

Day-to-day costs in Illinois run about 97% higher than Philippines on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Illinois?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ₱4,607,663 comparable salary, that's around $37,028 in Illinois for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Illinois?

Working remotely from Illinois's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Philippines and Illinois.

How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Philippines?

Philippines performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Philippines?

The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 88°F in Manila. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Manila gets 86.7 in.

What language do they speak in Illinois?

The official language in Illinois is English. In Philippines, the official languages are English and Filipino.

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At a Glance

PH
Population 114,597,229 12,830,632
Currency Philippine Peso (₱) United States Dollar ($)
Languages English, Filipino English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +63 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 911 911