Moving to Philippines from Zimbabwe

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Zimbabwe to Philippines — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Zimbabwe to Philippines, you would find that Philippines is 17.3% cheaper than Zimbabwe overall. A ZWL24,000,000 salary in Zimbabwe would need to be roughly ₱3,880,000 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 78°F in Harare, making it significantly warmer.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

Is Philippines cheaper than Zimbabwe?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 38.9% less

Groceries

pay 3.9% more

Transportation

pay 49.8% less

Housing

pay 10.2% less

Childcare

pay 23.6% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 21.2% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 ZWL = 0.1956 PHP (October 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.

What salary do you need in Philippines?

What does your salary buy?

ZWL24,000,000 → ₱3,880,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Philippines

Calculate with your salary →

Get free moving quotes to Philippines

We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

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Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Zimbabwe to Philippines.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

ZW
6.8
PH
4.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

ZW
29.9
PH
9.7

Philippines performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

ZW
$103
PH
$560
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

ZW
1.4
PH
7.9

Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe 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

ZW
56.0
PH
92.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

ZW
0.8t
PH
1.5t

Zimbabwe performs better than Philippines across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

ZW
1.9
PH
7.1
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

ZW
46.1%
PH
27.8%

Philippines performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

ZW
9.3%
PH
2.2%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

ZW
$3,021
PH
$4,171

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

ZW
63.1 yrs
PH
70.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

ZW
62.4
PH
21.7

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

Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (2016), Bureau of Internal Revenue (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Weather in Philippines vs Zimbabwe

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Harare Rain: 33.1 in/yr (841 mm)
78° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Harare Manila
Jan–Mar 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) 87°/75°F (31°/24°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) 91°/79°F (33°/26°C)
Jul–Sep 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) 88°/78°F (31°/26°C)
Oct–Dec 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) 87°/77°F (30°/25°C)
View all months
Month Harare Manila
Jan 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.5°C)
Feb 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C)
Mar 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) 90°/77°F (32.1°/24.9°C)
Apr 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) 92°/79°F (33.5°/26.2°C)
May 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) 92°/80°F (33.2°/26.7°C)
Jun 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) 90°/79°F (32.2°/26.2°C)
Jul 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.8°C)
Aug 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) 87°/78°F (30.6°/25.5°C)
Sep 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C)
Oct 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C)
Nov 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) 87°/77°F (30.7°/24.9°C)
Dec 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) 85°/75°F (29.7°/23.9°C)

Data: Meteorological Services Department Meteorological Services Department, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration

Can you move from Zimbabwe to Philippines?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zimbabwe 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.

Zimbabwe passport

Zimbabwe passport holder visiting Philippines

Visa Free
Zimbabwe passport holders can enter Philippines without a visa.
Philippines passport

Philippines passport holder visiting Zimbabwe

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Philippines passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Zimbabwe.

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 Zimbabwe?

Yes — Philippines is on average about 17% cheaper than Zimbabwe. 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 ₱970,000 in Philippines on a ZWL24,000,000 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 7.1 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?

Philippines performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Philippines is 4.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Zimbabwe.

How is healthcare in Philippines compared to Zimbabwe?

Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Philippines, compared to 1.4 in Zimbabwe. Philippines scores 58 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zimbabwe: 55).

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

The average high temperature in Manila is 88°F, compared to 78°F in Harare. Manila receives around 86.7 in of rainfall per year, while Harare gets 33.1 in.

What language do they speak in Philippines?

The official languages in Philippines are English and Filipino. In Zimbabwe, the official languages are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language.

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At a Glance

ZW PH
Population 16,950,795 116,786,962
Currency Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) Philippine Peso (₱)
Languages Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language English, Filipino
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +263 +63
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 999 911