Moving to Philippines from Tonga

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Tonga to Philippines. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.

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Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

per 100,000 people per year

TO
0.9
PH
4.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

TO
8.5
PH
9.7

Tonga performs better than Philippines across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

TO
$512
PH
$560
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

TO
10.1
PH
7.9

Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Tonga leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

TO
24.0
PH
92.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

TO
1.6t
PH
1.5t

Tonga generally does better on environment, though Philippines leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

TO
8.0
PH
7.6
Internet access The World Factbook, 2021

share of households with internet

TO
67.0%
PH
53.0%

Tonga performs better than Philippines across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

TO
2.3%
PH
2.2%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

TO
$6,600
PH
$9,700

Philippines performs significantly better than Tonga across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

TO
77.5 yrs
PH
70.1 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

TO
12.4
PH
22.2

Tonga performs better than Philippines across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Tonga 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.

Tonga passport

Tonga passport holder visiting Philippines

Visa Required
Tonga passport holders need a visa to enter Philippines.
Philippines passport

Philippines passport holder visiting Tonga

Visa Required
Philippines passport holders need a visa to enter Tonga.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Philippines?

With 7.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Philippines can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Tonga and Philippines.

Is Philippines safe for expats?

Tonga performs better than Philippines across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Philippines is 4.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Tonga.

How is healthcare in Philippines compared to Tonga?

Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Tonga leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Philippines, compared to 10.1 in Tonga. Philippines scores 58 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Tonga: 57).

What language do they speak in Philippines?

The official languages in Philippines are English and Filipino. In Tonga, the official languages are English and Tongan.

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At a Glance

TO PH
Population 105,517 114,597,229
Currency Tongan Paʻanga (TOP) Philippine Peso (₱)
Languages English, Tongan English, Filipino
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +676 +63
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911