Moving to Philippines from Spain
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Spain to Philippines — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Spain to Philippines, you would find that Philippines is 44.1% cheaper than Spain overall. A €65,700 salary in Spain would need to be roughly ₱2,470,813 in Philippines to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Filipino. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Manila averages 88°F vs 68°F in Madrid, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Spain to Philippines.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → ₱2,470,813
To maintain the same standard of living in Philippines
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 73.5% less
Groceries
pay 5.1% less
Transportation
pay 54.8% less
Housing
pay 47.4% less
Childcare
pay 52.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 40.5% 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 36% less than cities in Spain.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Spain to Philippines, based on official data.
Who's moving to Philippines?
Top countries of origin for Philippines's foreign-born residents.
- 38,269
- 37,857
- 14,634
- 11,323
- 7,350
- 6,123
- · · ·
-
13.1,388
Spain
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Spain to Philippines.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Spain performs better than Philippines across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Spain leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Spain generally does better on environment, though Philippines leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Spain generally does better on infrastructure, though Philippines leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Philippines generally does better on employment & economy, though Spain leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Spain performs better than Philippines across all family life metrics.
Data: Agencia Tributaria, Spain, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Madrid | Manila |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) | 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 91°/79°F (33°/26°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 88°/78°F (31°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) | 87°/77°F (30°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madrid | Manila |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) | 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.5°C) |
| Feb | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) | 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) |
| Mar | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) | 90°/77°F (32.1°/24.9°C) |
| Apr | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) | 92°/79°F (33.5°/26.2°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) | 92°/80°F (33.2°/26.7°C) |
| Jun | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) | 90°/79°F (32.2°/26.2°C) |
| Jul | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.8°C) |
| Aug | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) | 87°/78°F (30.6°/25.5°C) |
| Sep | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) | 87°/77°F (30.7°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) | 85°/75°F (29.7°/23.9°C) |
Data:
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología,
Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Spain 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.
Spain passport holder visiting Philippines
Visa Free
Philippines passport holder visiting Spain
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 Spain?
Yes — Philippines is on average about 46% cheaper than Spain. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Philippines?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ₱617,703 in Philippines on a €65,700 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Philippines?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Philippines has 7.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Philippines safe for expats?
Spain performs better than Philippines across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Philippines is 4.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Spain.
How is healthcare in Philippines compared to Spain?
Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Spain leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Philippines, compared to 44.8 in Spain. Philippines scores 58 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Spain: 85).
What's the weather like in Philippines compared to Spain?
The average high temperature in Manila is 88°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Manila receives around 86.7 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.
What language do they speak in Philippines?
The official languages in Philippines are English and Filipino. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
