Moving to Philippines from United Kingdom
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from United Kingdom to Philippines — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from United Kingdom to Philippines, you would find that Philippines is 56.3% cheaper than United Kingdom overall. A £55,958 salary in United Kingdom would need to be roughly ₱2,066,936 in Philippines to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Manila averages 88°F vs 60°F in London, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from United Kingdom to Philippines.
What does your salary buy?
£55,958 → ₱2,066,936
To maintain the same standard of living in Philippines
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 73.8% less
Groceries
pay 8.4% less
Transportation
pay 62.5% less
Housing
pay 66.0% less
Childcare
pay 81.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 63.2% 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 45% less than cities in United Kingdom.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from United Kingdom 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
- 37,857
- 14,634
- 11,323
- 7,350
- 6,123
- · · ·
-
8.4,556
United Kingdom
Key Indicator Comparison
How United Kingdom and Philippines stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom 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
United Kingdom 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
United Kingdom 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
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Philippines generally does better on employment & economy, though United Kingdom 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
United Kingdom performs better than Philippines across all family life metrics.
Data: HM Revenue & Customs, 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 | London | Manila |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/38°F (9°/3°C) | 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/48°F (18°/9°C) | 91°/79°F (33°/26°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 88°/78°F (31°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/43°F (12°/6°C) | 87°/77°F (30°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | London | Manila |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/38°F (8.1°/3.1°C) | 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.5°C) |
| Feb | 47°/37°F (8.6°/2.7°C) | 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) |
| Mar | 53°/40°F (11.6°/4.6°C) | 90°/77°F (32.1°/24.9°C) |
| Apr | 58°/43°F (14.6°/5.9°C) | 92°/79°F (33.5°/26.2°C) |
| May | 65°/48°F (18.1°/8.9°C) | 92°/80°F (33.2°/26.7°C) |
| Jun | 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) | 90°/79°F (32.2°/26.2°C) |
| Jul | 74°/57°F (23.4°/13.7°C) | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.8°C) |
| Aug | 74°/57°F (23.1°/13.8°C) | 87°/78°F (30.6°/25.5°C) |
| Sep | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.4°C) | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 60°/48°F (15.5°/8.8°C) | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 52°/42°F (11.3°/5.8°C) | 87°/77°F (30.7°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 47°/38°F (8.4°/3.4°C) | 85°/75°F (29.7°/23.9°C) |
Data:
Met Office,
Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United Kingdom 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 Kingdom passport holder visiting Philippines
Visa Free
Philippines passport holder visiting United Kingdom
Visa Online (e-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 Philippines than United Kingdom?
Generally yes: Philippines runs about 55% cheaper than United Kingdom 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 £55,958 comparable salary, that's around ₱516,734 in Philippines for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
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 United Kingdom and Philippines.
Is Philippines safe for expats?
United Kingdom performs better than Philippines across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Philippines is 4.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.0 in United Kingdom.
How is healthcare in Philippines compared to United Kingdom?
Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Kingdom leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Philippines, compared to 31.7 in United Kingdom. Philippines scores 58 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United Kingdom: 88).
What's the weather like in Philippines compared to United Kingdom?
The average high temperature in Manila is 88°F, compared to 60°F in London. Manila receives around 86.7 in of rainfall per year, while London gets 22.0 in.
What language do they speak in Philippines?
The official languages in Philippines are English and Filipino. In United Kingdom, the official language is English.
