Is The Philippines Right For Me?

Is The Philippines Right For Me? guide cover

Updated October 2026

Thinking about retiring to the Philippines? This 45-page guide and calculator walk you through the big questions, one step at a time, so you can decide with real numbers instead of guesses.

What’s inside

  • Can I afford it? Your income, a monthly budget, what a month costs city by city, smaller-town rents, and the money to have before you go.
  • Do I qualify? The visa routes for retirees and how to check which one fits you.
  • Can I stay covered? Health coverage options, plus a section for veterans.
  • Where should I live? A fit scorecard to compare and score towns.
  • Before you go and year one. Common mistakes, a countdown, papers to prepare, and what to do in your first year and every year after.
  • Your later years. Health at 65, 75 and 85, serious illness and care, what happens if one of you dies, and going home.

See inside: sample pages

Click any page to see it full size.

Sample page 3: How to use this guide and the calculatorPage 3Sample page 6: A month, city by city - cost chart for five Philippine citiesPage 6Sample page 11: Visa routes decision chart and SRRV deposits and feesPage 11Sample page 21: Scoring your towns scorecardPage 21Sample page 28: Every year - yearly deadlines timelinePage 28
Calculator sample (example figures): Part 1, Can I afford it? income and budget tabCalculator sample (example figures)Calculator sample (example figures): My verdict results tab with chartCalculator sample (example figures)Calculator sample (example figures): Part 4, Fit scorecard tab with town scores and chartCalculator sample (example figures)

What you get

  • The 45-page guide (PDF)
  • The Philippines calculator spreadsheet (works in Excel, Apple Numbers and Google Sheets)
$19

One-time payment. Instant download.

Buy Now
Scroll to Top