Living in Manila, Philippines
Manila is a major coastal city in National Capital Region, the Philippines (over 5 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 27°C over the year with about 2,339 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,438 a month to live centrally, and the Philippines sits in our low to medium tax tier. For foreigners, long-term residency in the Philippines is comparatively open, with a self-funded route from about $800 a month in income.
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- Est. cost
- €2,438
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 27°C
- 2,339 mm rain a year
- Size
- Major
- over 5 million people
- Safety
- 52/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~100 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Comparatively open
- for most foreigners
What stands out about Manila
- Warmer than 94% of the cities we track
- Self-funded residency from about $800 a month in income
- Wet: about 2,339 mm of rain a year
- On or near the sea
Residency and visas
Comparatively open. Long-term residency is realistic chiefly via the SRRV retiree visa (open from age 40 through either a refundable bank deposit or a modest lifetime pension) or the SIRV investor visa, with employer-sponsored work visas as the main non-capital alternative.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for the Philippines:
- Income: about $800 a month (Philippines SRRV Classic pensioner route, USD 800/mo lifetime pension for a single applicant plus a USD 15,000 PRA bank deposit; as of June 2026)
- Investment: about $30k (Philippines SRRV Classic non-pensioner deposit (age 50+), USD 30,000 refundable PRA bank deposit with no income test; the SIRV investor visa alternative requires USD 75,000; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 159 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 39 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Climate
Manila averages 27°C across the year with about 2,339 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 94% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Healthcare
The Philippines scores 55 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 15% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in the Philippines.
Safety and stability
The Philippines scores 52 out of 100 on safety, safer than 20% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 6.5 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in the Philippines. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,438 a month to live centrally in Manila, 11% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 71% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Language and culture
Main languages: Filipino, English. English proficiency: some. Social openness scores 55 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Taxes
The Philippines sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Manila in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in the Philippines runs at about 100 Mbps, faster than 40% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Questions couples ask about Manila
Is Manila a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Manila scores well on affordability. It is weaker on safety and healthcare. Expect a warm, very wet climate (27°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Manila and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Manila?
We estimate about €2,438 a month for a couple living centrally, 11% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Manila?
The Philippines is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Manila in their results.
Can foreigners live in the Philippines long term?
Our assessment: comparatively open. Long-term residency is realistic chiefly via the SRRV retiree visa (open from age 40 through either a refundable bank deposit or a modest lifetime pension) or the SIRV investor visa, with employer-sponsored work visas as the main non-capital alternative. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $800 a month (as of 2026-06); investment, about $30k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Manila?
Manila averages 27°C across the year with about 2,339 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 94% of the cities we track.
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Entry, residency, taxes and costs for a couple who both hold one of these passports.