Tips and cost of living in Moalboal, Philippines
Living in Moalboal.
Tips and cost of living in Moalboal, Philippines
The cost of living in Moalboal still remains low compared to other places in Philippines. In this guide you can find prices of different services and goods, as well as tips of what to bring for your trip here and what to do in you spare time during your PADI Divemaster course.
What budget should I have for a month of living in Moalboal, Philippines?
During your PADI Divemaster course, there is not much to spend on. The main costs of living is accommodation, food and optional transportation. Here are the rough estimations of expenses, depending on your budget:
| Spending level | Description | Est. cost per month incl. accommodation (PHP) |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | Local meals (bread for breakfast, street food for lunch and dinner), mainly drinking water, a couple of drinks and/or beers per day. Basic accommodation. No scooter rental. | 20.000 |
| Medium | Local breakfast, lunch and dinner in local restaurants, several drinks and/or beers per day. Basic accommodation. Basic scooter rental. | 33.000 scooter rental: + 5.000 |
| High | High end meals and snacks, mainly in restaurants, both local and western cousine, a couple of cocktails/beers/glasses of wine per day. Private accommodation. Comfortable scooter rental. | 50.000 scooter rental: + 7.000 |
Cost of food
Cost of food varies depends on the type of meals you prefer. General rules in Philippines is that all imported products are expensive since import taxes are quiet high. Having local food can help to save money, but also enables you to try local dishes and immerse yourself in the culture of Philippines.
Below we gathered information about prices of different food products in Moalboal:
| Item | Low-end price (PHP) | High-end price (PHP) |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 50 | 250 |
| Lunch | 60 | 300 |
| Dinner | 80 | 450 |
| Soda | 30 | 60 |
| Beer | 50 | 80 |
| Cocktail | 80 | 250 |
| Cup noodles | 50 | 150 |
| Shake | 80 | 150 |
| Snack (cookies, crisps) | 60 | 120 |
Transportation
Getting around Moalboal is very easy, most of the places like restaurants, bars, night clubs are in the walking distance. If you plan to deiscover the area around the town – there are three options: tricycle (local 3-wheel bike), jeepney or rent a scooter.
Tricycle: prices for tricycles rides vary depending on the distance, but usually is no more than 250 PHP for one way trip.
Scooter: daily scooter rental price is around 250 PHP, but you can get your own scooter for month for around 5.000 PHP. Having your own means of transportation gives a lot of flexibility to discover interesting places nearby. Driving around Moalboal is very easy, people drive here very slowly and there is not much of the traffic during the day.
Jeepney: local small “buses”. Very cheap means of transportations. They run along main roads, stop on request whenever you need to. Can be quiet crowded during rush hours.
Practical information
What to bring
Philippines climate is war all year round, there is no need to bring a lot clothes. Essential things to bring include:
Internet
Internet in Moalboal is fast and reliable. Most of the places provide free and broadband wifi. IT’s a good idea though to get your own SIM card with Internet. You can buy it at the airport or local store. Monthly prices for Internet is around 200 PHP for 8GB. Main operatores are Globe and Smart, both provide great coverage and fast connection speeds.
Medical
There is a couple of medical clinics in town, both public and private with different level of services. It’s a good idea to have travel medical insurance, just in case you’ll need more serious treatment.
Local pharmacies are well supplied in both daily usage medications and drugs like antibiotics, needed for more serious conditions.
Visa
You’ll get 30 days visa on arrival at the airport. It can be easily extended online for another 30 days or even longer if you’ll decide to stay.
Electronics
The electric supply in Philippines is 220V with US style 2-pin plugs.
What to do in your spare time?
Moalboal is not only diving destinations, there are a lot of land based activities around that can be an amazing adventures on your days out of water. Below you can find the list of the most popular ones.
Kawasan Falls Canyoneering
Your Content Goes Here
Osmena Peak
Archery
Mini Golf
Beautiful sunsets