๐ต๐ญ Philippines
Moving to Manila
On paper the Philippines is one of the easier markets in Asia: English is an official language, leases are written in it, and a foreigner may sign one freely. The market itself is the hard part. Almost every rental condo is owned by an individual investor rather than a management company, so two identical units in the same tower differ wildly in condition, price and how quickly anyone answers the phone โ and the portals are full of stale listings, the same unit posted at three prices, and brokers who do not control the flat they are advertising.
- Visit
- โฌ49
- Starter
- โฌ499
- Premium
- โฌ1,200
Contracts are in English and nothing bars a foreigner from signing. The difficulty is the payment convention, not the law.
Where to live
Neighbourhoods in Manila
Makati CBD
Professionals, first arrivalsLegazpi and Salcedo are walkable villages inside the old business core, with the deepest condo stock in the city. Older buildings are where the value is.
BGC & Taguig
Families, premium seekersThe newest and most planned district โ wide pavements, international schools, retail on High Street. You pay for all of it.
Ortigas
Value seekersA second business district with noticeably softer rents. Excellent if you work there and punishing if you commute to Makati.
Alabang
FamiliesGated villages and a business park in the south. More space per peso, built around having a car.
Quezon City
Long-stayers, budgetHuge and varied, from leafy Teachers Village to the Eastwood and Vertis North hubs. Check the commute honestly before committing.
What it costs to rent
Indicative rents
Monthly, for a semi-furnished condo unit, excluding electricity and association dues.
- One-bed, BGCโฑ45,000 โ โฑ90,000
- One-bed, Makati CBDโฑ35,000 โ โฑ70,000
- One-bed, Ortigas or Quezon Cityโฑ18,000 โ โฑ45,000
Indicative only ยท last checked ยท your Insider confirms before you commit.
What catches people out
The post-dated cheque ritual
Many landlords want the year's rent as twelve dated cheques on a Philippine bank account, handed over at signing โ awkward when opening that account takes weeks and an ACR I-Card. It is a convention, not a law: transfers and quarterly payments are negotiable if raised before you sign.
Association dues pushed onto the tenant
Building dues run roughly โฑ60โ120 per square metre per month and are normally the owner's. Plenty of leases quietly move them. On a 50 mยฒ unit that is โฑ3,000โ6,000 a month you did not budget for.
The expatriate price
The same BGC unit is routinely quoted 20โ30% higher to a foreigner in a Facebook group than through a local broker. Benchmark against comparable units in the same tower before offering.
A deposit clause that says nothing
Two months is a lot of money to leave undefined. The lease needs a stated deduction basis and a return deadline โ sixty days after move-out is a reasonable ask โ with a move-in inventory signed by both sides.
After the keys
The admin that follows a move
On Premium, your Insider does this with you rather than sending you a checklist.
How long a move to Manila takes. Two to four weeks, plus however long a local bank account takes if you need one.
- Step 1
Pick the district before the flat
Metro Manila is sixteen cities and traffic, not distance, defines the day. EDSA at rush hour turns 10 km into ninety minutes, so a smaller unit in the right district beats a larger one across the metro.
- Step 2
Establish what furnished means
Bare, semi-furnished and fully furnished separate the same one-bed by โฑ10,000โ15,000 a month, and fully furnished ranges from hotel-grade to a mattress and one air-conditioner.
- Step 3
Budget the electricity
Meralco rates are among the highest in Asia. Running air conditioning freely adds โฑ3,000โ8,000 a month on top of rent.
- Step 4
Verify the right to lease
Listings on Facebook Marketplace are a known scam vector. Nothing should move until the lessor's title, or written authority to lease that specific unit, has been seen.
LanguageEnglish throughout, including contracts. Filipino helps in negotiation and with older owners. Your Insider works with you in English and negotiates on your behalf in whatever the lease is written in.
Relocation tools
Plan the move to Manila
Small tools built on this guide: what a month costs, the steps in order, what to pack and what to do when you land. Indicative figures, in the local currency.
- Cost calculatorA month in the city, three ways, in the local currency.Open
- Visa timelineYour route, step by step, with how long each part takes.Open
- Neighbourhood matchmakerFour questions, one neighbourhood, and what a one-bed costs there.Open
- Packing listA checklist for this city and the season you land in.Open
- First 48 hoursWhat to do first after landing, in the order that works.Open
- Local appsThe phone setup that runs daily life, and what each replaces.Open
- Speak localUseful phrases for taxis, cafรฉs and the flat, read aloud.Open
- Dish finderWhat to order, by time of day, and what it is called.Open
- Weekend getawaysEasy escapes, by travel time and how you get there.Open
Pricing for Manila
What a move to Manila costs
These are the fees in Manila, published before you start, in euros. No commission on your rent, no percentage of the lease, no success fee.
Visit
Your Insider visits for youโฌ49single ยท โฌ99 pack of 3- In-person visit by a local Insider
- Video walkthrough
- Area report
- Scam check
- Most popular
Starter
Full home searchโฌ499flat fee ยท Manila- Personal shortlist
- Viewings with video
- Lease negotiation & review
- Handover & keys
- 50% to start, 50% at the keys
Premium
Home search + full setupโฌ1,200flat fee ยท Manila- Everything in Starter
- Bank, SIM & registration
- Utilities & internet
- Healthcare & school search
- First-week orientation
The full guide
Five deep dives for someone arriving, not visiting
- Housing A condominium market conducted in English, where the difficulty is not understanding the deal but finding out what the deal should cost.
- Paperwork An immigration category that depends entirely on why you are here, and a registration card that follows it.
- Healthcare Excellent private hospitals in the metro, a national scheme that covers a fraction of the bill, and insurance that does the real work.
- Schools A strong international sector concentrated in BGC, Alabang and the south, taught in English, priced at the top end.
- Getting around Three light rail lines that do not go where most foreign residents live, and traffic that makes proximity to work the only real transport strategy.
On the ground
Alfred, Antoine, Capu, Eva, Nico โ the people behind Insidoor.
Every Insider lives in their city and holds a verified ID. We match you on language and on who is coming with you.
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