My name is Dan. This report ranks what I believe are the Best Places to Retire in the Philippines for 2025. I have been going to the Philippines for 15 years. In the last 5 years, I have lived in or visited 21 different cities in the Philippines.
In fact, I was locked down in the Philippines for about 7 months during the pandemic.
I have spent thousands of dollars of my own money putting my feet on the ground in every single one of these paradise locations I will share with you in this video.
As I travel around the Philippines, I gather data about each place such as (1) cost of living, (2) pros and cons, (3) quality of food and life, (4) medical, (5) retirement visas, (6) dating and love overseas, and I have assigned a retirement desirability score for each place in the Philippines.
I will show you my video of each place in the Philippines as I describe it to you.
Best Places to Retire in the Philippines for 2025
I will rank my favorite 10 places to move and retire today in the Philippines, and tell you why they made the top 10. Then I will give you 5 Bonus Places: Different Priorities Than Mine.
I am going to give you my top 10 favorites in reverse order, so my number 1 favorite will be last.
#10: Iloilo City Philippines (Full Report): If you are a medium-sized town lover that likes a well organized safe city that is comparatively clean to other cities in the Philippines, and you don’t need a large population of other expats to entertain you, then Iloilo City is probably right for you. We saw very few expats walking around Iloilo City. This would be a great town to live if you were interested in quietly integrating into the local culture. There is dining, fishing, scuba, swimming, boating, yoga, partying, live music, etc. If you get bored, grab a ferry to any of the thousands of other islands in the Philippines. We ride buses between cities, but the ferries are large enough to transport your motorcycle or car if you prefer. Overall, Iloilo City is a very nice place to live.
#9: Davao, Philippines (Full Report): Davao is a great choice for nature lovers. There are beautiful white sand beaches to explore on the islands just offshore from Davao and gorgeous volcanic mountains surrounded by jungles to explore all within a few hours of Davao. Plus you are just a short flight from some of the most beautiful beaches, jungles, and mountains of the Philippines. You will find live music in the city and a safe nightlife to walk around and enjoy. Make sure to check out the night market and taste the local foods. There are several large malls in Davao where people go to see and be seen, enjoy a movie, or sample the food courts.
#8: Panglao, Bohol, Philippines (Full Report): The one thing that you get in Panglao that we don’t often see in the Philippines is multiple nearby white-sand beaches without driving far away and without getting on a boat or ferry. Having easy access to 4 white-sand beaches with just a scooter, Jeepney, or tricycle meant we could visit beautiful beaches with less time and money. You are going to need a scooter or a small car. The tricycle taxis seem to charge much more here than in other parts of the Philippines. They charge what tourists are willing to pay instead of what locals can afford. For that reason, we would probably decide to live in Tagbilaran City on Bohol Island just 20 km away, and visit Panglao when wanted to see beautiful beaches. Tagbilaran City is walkable and it is on the bigger island called Bohol that has other fun things to see like the chocolate hills, waterfalls, Tarsier primates, and river boats.
#7: Cebu City, Philippines (Full Report): Many of you have told us that you would like to retire in places that have larger fully staffed hospitals. In the Philippines, that means places like Cebu and Metro Manila. People travel to Cebu to visit better-known hospitals. But Cebu City is slightly more expensive than surrounding rural areas. So depending on how far you are willing to be from a major hospital, you may want to consider smaller surrounding communities. But Cebu has other benefits like larger malls with greater selection, more foreign and domestic restaurants, and a larger dating pool if you are single and looking for love in the Philippines.
I also like going on trips to nearby beautiful nature spots at least once a month and Cebu City has a bunch of nearby spots for that. Plus, Cebu City is full of educated young people who speak many languages and have discretionary income. Cebu City has ferries running to other islands, and buses running all over Cebu Island. So you can get to nature when the mood strikes without driving.
#6: Makati, Philippines (Full Report): There is more money on average in the Metro Manila area than around most of the Philippines. That means more food choices, more malls, more live music, and more things to do in terms of city life. Manila is a large sprawling city with traffic troubles, so it takes a long time to get out into nature. But there are 7000 islands in the Philippines with some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. The island of Palawan is just an hour away by air for about $100 per person or less. Thus, it is not very difficult at all to find your way to the most beautiful white sand beaches in the world. BGC is about a 30-minute taxi ride from the central part of Makati. It is literally the cleanest most beautiful modern city in the world as far as I know. It is much more beautiful and clean than Makati but a little sterile and antiseptic in my opinion. So although I don’t think I could live there, you must at least visit there when you are in Manila. Almost all of the food in the world is in the Metro Manila area because it is the capital city of the Philippines. There is a very meat-centric diet in the Philippines in general, but we were surprised how many vegetarian choices were on menus and how many completely vegetarian or Vegan Restaurants were in town.
#5: Siquijor Island, Philippines (Full Report): Siquijor Island is a short ferry ride from Dumaguete in the Philippines. The San Juan area is our favorite area of Siquijor Island because it has the greatest assortment of different kinds of restaurants and nightlife and it has our favorite beaches. This is a small island with white sand beaches, snorkeling, fishing, scuba, swimming, boating, yoga, partying, live music, waterfalls, etc. But if you get bored, grab a ferry over to Dumaguete or Cebu City for some city life. If you are a small-town person who likes rural areas surrounded by nature and beaches, then Siquijor Island is probably right for you. If you like larger cities with more going on, then you might get bored living here. The good news is that Cebu Island and Dumaguete are both a short ferry ride away.
#4: Puerto Galera, Philippines (Full Report): Puerto Galera has some of the most beautiful white sand beaches in the Philippines. Most of the nicest beaches in the Philippines are a long way from hospitals, malls, and modern infrastructure. But Puerto Galera is only a 1-hour ferry ride from the big island of Luzon. That means you will be able to enjoy a small-town life with white sand beaches and amazing beautiful watersports but still have quick and inexpensive access to Metro Manila where there are great hospitals, malls, and every kind of product that you will find in the largest city in the Philippines. If you are thinking of living on or near the beach in the Philippines you should also consider Siquijor Island, Camiguin Island, and El Nido before making a final decision.
#3: Dumaguete, Philippines (Full Report): Dumaguete is a quaint little city that you may not expect to find near the top of the retire early for pennies ranking. But the city has everything you need in terms of a public market, restaurants, and grocery stores with many international foods. Plus, there is a central city area where you could live and walk everywhere. But I would prefer to live up the hill about 8 kilometers in a smaller city called Valencia. There are hot springs, waterfalls, and public markets, but you will need a scooter to get around (or a small car). The real fun starts when you hop on a ferry to one of the beautiful islands nearby like Apo or Siquijor. If you are a diver or love snorkeling, consider living in the suburb of Dumaguete called Dauin. Dauin has an enviable Marine Sanctuary that you can swim to every day from the public beach. The Dumaguete city center has just enough people and businesses to make everyday life a little easier and more diverse without feeling overwhelmed. Plus it is a university town which has influenced the dynamic nature of the city and has one of the best hospitals and medical schools in the islands, especially for a smaller town. Dumaguete has dropped a few notches on our last visit because it is starting to feel a little too Westernized in 2023.
#2: Boracay, Philippines(Full Report): Boracay Island is one of the most gorgeous white sand beach islands in the world. Boracay stands above the other white sand beach locations in the Philippines because it has a huge selection of excellent international restaurants within walking distance of anywhere on the island. Other white sand beaches in the Philippines, like El Nido, Siquijor, or Puerto Galera, are more typically in remote locations, which means your international restaurant choices will be much more limited. Boracay also has a large selection of nightlife entertainment choices all within walking distance. So, we would walk everywhere mostly and jump on tricycle taxis if we were in a hurry or to bring groceries home. We might even purchase bicycles but we would not need a car or scooter. There are only three downsides to Boracay or it would easily make it into our top 5 destinations in the world. First, we might get island fever eventually since it is a fairly small island focused primarily on tourism. Second, we would need to travel to a larger city like Cebu or Iloilo for any healthcare complications, and third, the cost of living in Boracay is at least 30% higher than many other parts of the Philippines, which we cover in detail in the full report.
After I tell you my number one place I would retire in the Philippines, I will give you 5 Bonus Places: Different Priorities Than Mine. Okay, here is my number 1.
#1: Baguio, Philippines (Full Report): One of the first things you will notice about Baguio is that it is never too hot or too cold there. It is a mile high in the sky so it has moderate highland temperatures. The next thing you will notice is the green and beautiful central area of Baguio. The sidewalks are well maintained, and there are plants growing everywhere which are maintained by Baguio City year-round. There is a very large central park full of manicured grass and picnic tables with a lake full of paddle boats you can enjoy with your family and friends. It also is one of the most creative cities in the Philippines, with college students dressing up in Japanese Anima costumes walking around, and drawing chalk characters on Session Road when it is closed to automobiles on Sundays. Because this is a college town, there seems to be a never-ending set of things to do and events to attend that often include cheap street food and fun arts and music. Plus, Baguio is one of the most walkable cities so if you decided to live close in, you would not need a car.
5 Bonus Places: Different Priorities Than Mine
These 5 bonus places are in no particular order but they may be interesting to you personally for the reasons I give for each.
Siargo Island, Philippines (Full Report): Siargo is a surfer’s paradise and it is beautiful for sure. I think everyone should visit, but maybe not retire here. I like the lifestyle and attitudes of the people here, but I think I would get bored if I lived here long term. But if you are a surfer hippy it is worth your consideration. I am a bit of a hippy but I am not a surfer. The cost of living for such a high quality of life is brilliant here. Also, I really seemed to like the kind of ex-pats that are attracted to Siargao. More hurricanes seem to hit this part of the Philippines than almost any other. So if you do move to Siargo pay attention to the weather and take it seriously.
La Union, Philippines (Full Report): This would also be a great place for surfers and you don’t have to worry as much about Typhoons. Most people choose San Juan to live in because of the amazing beach life available there. The reason San Juan stands out as different from most beach areas of the Philippines is that it has a noticeably more western-style beach “feeling” to it with corresponding food and nightlife than almost anywhere in the Philippines. San Juan La Union is easily in the top 3 places in the Philippines for hippie surfer types. You will also find young professionals with discretionary income who come down here on long weekends to blow off steam. Many drive up here but others jump on one of the luxury buses that leave Manila or Baguio every hour or two.
Subic Bay, Philippines (Full Report): The Americans occupied Subic Bay for almost 100 years. Subic Bay is a popular weekend destination for residents of Metro Manila. They come for the beaches, the underwater aquarium, jungle survival tours, and duty-free shopping. The area also includes the Subic Bay Yacht Club. There are many American Veterans in this part of the Philippines. There is a high quality of life in Subic Bay, especially for the cost of living. We noticed how clean the streets were and how friendly the people of Subic Bay were to us. Plus, many of the homes and apartments have been updated. So it is fun to walk around. One Aussie we ran into said that Subic Bay has been adapting to a more Western lifestyle for almost a century because of the American influence from when the Navy Base was here. That made sense to us. We felt very comfortable in Subic Bay. This place would make a carefree friendly retirement spot.
Angeles City, Philippines (Full Report): Angeles City is most famous for its walking street. If you are not familiar with walking streets in SE Asia, they are where tourists go to watch beautiful women dance at all hours of the night. There are already thousands of retired American Veterans in this part of the Philippines. But it is not as crazy as it was 30 years ago when 15,000 young Americans were stationed at Clark Air Force Base. Daily life is fairly easy in Angeles City. There is a great mall, a great public market, and tons of great restaurants both foreign and domestic. In the end, it is just another city in the Philippines with a crazier nightlife and more food choices. But for long-term living or retirement, I would want to be closer to beautiful nature, whether mountains or sea.
El Nido, Philippines (Full Report): El Nido is ranked as one of the most beautiful places in the world. There are not as many retired expats in El Nido as in other parts of the Philippines. It is more of an international hot spot for tourists. But we still found local-style accommodations just a short scooter ride outside the tourist areas. El Nido is known more as a remote location where people go to enjoy island hopping and white sand beaches. So international tourists feel lucky to find a nice pizza when they are here. El Nido has fishing, biking, kayaking, scuba, snorkeling, island hopping, bar hopping, cooking, gym, yoga, restaurants, running, coffee shops, and hiking. You should be able to get basic medical care at various clinics around El Nido, but for more serious problems you will need to fly to Manila. If you would like to spend your final years in one of the most beautiful remote places in the world that costs more than a typical province living in the Philippines, then El Nido may be a great choice for you.