How much does it cost to live in El Nido?
Typical Month (Mid Range)
$939 (₱59,045)
Updated September 2026 · Sources cited: palawandays.com, elnidohotelsranking.com
- Typical Month (Lower End)
- $419 (₱26,345)
- Typical Month (Premium)
- $1,637 (₱102,936)
- Furnished 1-bed rent
- $557 (₱35,000)
El Nido town / Corong Corong
Good to know
Good to Know
- El Nido has very little formal long-term furnished rental inventory listed online — most nomads end up negotiating directly with guesthouses, apartelles, or coliving operators (like the ones in Corong Corong) for a monthly rate rather than finding it pre-listed.
- Corong Corong, just south of El Nido town toward the airport, tends to be a bit cheaper for accommodation than the town center itself while still being a short tricycle ride from the main strip.
- Because El Nido is a remote island town, groceries and imported goods generally cost more than in mainland Philippine cities like Manila or Cebu — fresh produce and eggs are the exception since local supply chains cover those better.
- Watch for the difference between a 'long-term unfurnished' listing (common on local property sites) and a true furnished short-stay rental — the former is much cheaper but comes with no furniture or appliances.
- ATMs in El Nido are limited and frequently run out of cash, especially in peak season — withdraw what you need in Puerto Princesa or Manila before arriving, and carry a cash buffer since many small operators don't take cards.
- There is no monthly transport pass or fixed public transit — tricycles are the main way to get around town and fares are negotiable, so agree the price before getting in.
- Coworking options are limited to a handful of hostel/hotel-based spaces (e.g. Lexias Hostel and Workspace, Neighbors & Nomads); most rely on Starlink for internet since fixed fiber is patchy, and speeds can vary during peak hours.
- There's no cinema or standalone commercial gym documented in El Nido itself — for those, the nearest options are in Puerto Princesa, several hours away by road.
- If staying past 30 days, plan your visa extension a week or so before it's due — waiting until the exact expiry date can trigger a penalty, and BI fee schedules can change without much notice.
Monthly Totals
- Mid-range month
- ₱59,045
Includes 5 estimated components
1 component missing
- Lean month
- ₱26,345
Includes 4 estimated components
- Comfortable month
- ₱102,936
Includes 6 estimated components
1 component missing
Living Costs
- Where nomads live
- El Nido has no large formal 'digital nomad district' — rental listings and guesthouse/apartment stock cluster in two spots: El Nido town center (Poblacion/Buena Suerte, right on Bacuit Bay) and Corong Corong, a slightly cheaper strip a few minutes south toward the airport where several coliving/guesthouse operators (e.g. Bamboo Jungle Villas) and budget apartments are based. Figures below are grounded in these two areas.
Housing (per month)
- Mid-range 1-bed
- ₱35,000
Estimated
No single listing stated an exact monthly figure for a mid-tier 1BR; estimate reflects the general pricing tier seen across El Nido apartment/apartelle and coliving listings (e.g. Namal Apartelle, Bamboo Jungle Villas) that advertise furnished units with AC, WiFi and kitchenette but do not publish a specific rate online.
- Budget studio / 1-bed
- ₱20,000
Estimated
Anchored on a real El Nido listing (unfurnished studio, Brgy. Maligaya, El Nido town) priced at ₱16,500/month plus a garbage fee and electricity; estimate adds a furnishing premium since that specific listing was unfurnished and our target tier is furnished.
- Premium apartment
- ₱70,000
Estimated
No specific listing price found for a premium furnished apartment/villa in El Nido; estimate reflects the upper end of the local short-term rental market (private villas with pool access, beachfront or near-beach location) inferred from villa/coliving listings that market these features without publishing monthly rates.
- Private room in a shared home
- ₱9,000
Estimated
No single live listing with an explicit monthly price for a private room in a shared house was found for El Nido; figure is an informed estimate based on typical guesthouse/homestay room rates observed in the area (e.g. shared guesthouse listings in Corong Corong/town referencing included utilities but no stated price).
Groceries
- Groceries for one (month)
- ₱10,000
Estimated
No El Nido-specific grocery total was available on Numbeo (page had no contributed food-price data for this town); figure is an estimate based on general Philippine provincial supermarket pricing adjusted upward for El Nido's remote-island logistics.
Sample prices
1L Fresh Milk
- 1L Fresh Milk
- ₱110
Estimated
Estimated from general Philippine provincial supermarket pricing; no El Nido-specific price data was found.
Dozen Eggs
- Dozen Eggs
- ₱180
Estimated
Estimated; no El Nido-specific price data was found.
1kg Local Rice
- 1kg Local Rice
- ₱65
Estimated
Estimated from typical Philippine provincial rice pricing; no El Nido-specific figure found.
Loaf of Bread
- Loaf Of Bread
- ₱90
Estimated
Estimated; no El Nido-specific price data was found.
1.5L Bottled Water (Store, Not Restaurant)
- 1.5L Bottled Water (Store, Not Restaurant)
- ₱35
Estimated
Estimated from typical Philippine convenience-store bottled water pricing; no El Nido-specific figure found.
Eating out
- Cheap meal
- ₱113
Estimated
Derived from a budget-travel blog's turo-turo/canteen breakfast price of ₱60 for rice, egg and coffee; a fuller cheap lunch/dinner at the same type of local eatery is estimated slightly higher. [Adjusted 2026-09-18: the source's 150 PHP reduced by 25%; see "adjusted".]
- High-end meal
- ₱1,500
Estimated
No specific source stated a high-end per-person figure for El Nido; estimated based on general knowledge of upscale resort/beachfront restaurant pricing in this tourist town.
- Mid-range meal
- ₱450
Estimated
Midpoint of the blog's stated ₱500–₱700 range for a mid-range seafood restaurant dinner for a mid-tier traveler; since this is a midpoint picked from a range, basis is estimated rather than “Survey / cost-of-living site”. [Adjusted 2026-09-18: the source's 600 PHP reduced by 25%; see "adjusted".]
Work, Transport & Essentials
Coworking
- Venue
- Lexias Hostel and Workspace, Corong-Corong, El Nido (also: Neighbors & Nomads at Townsquare, El Nido town, opened 2025)
- Day pass
- ₱350
Operator's own price
Lexias Hostel and Workspace (Corong-Corong, El Nido) lists walk-in coworking rates: Daily P350.00, Weekly P1,500.00, Monthly P4,000.00.
- Monthly hot desk
- ₱4,000
Operator's own price
Same Lexias Hostel and Workspace pricing page lists a Monthly hot-desk rate of P4,000.00 for walk-in guests (free for in-house hostel guests).
Transport
- How to get there
- tricycle
- About monthly passes
- No monthly transit pass exists — El Nido has no bus/metro network. Local movement is by tricycle (motorbike-sidecar), habal-habal, or rented scooter, all paid per-trip or per-day.
- Single ride
- ₱50
Survey / cost-of-living site
Travel blog reports tricycle drivers typically charge tourists ₱50 for a quick ride into town, with locals sometimes negotiating down to ₱10; fares rise for longer distances (e.g. ₱150 to Las Cabanas).
Mobile & data
- Carrier
- Smart or Globe (local tourist SIM) / Airalo-style e-SIM
- Monthly plan
- ₱1,415
Estimated
Blended midpoint of a cited eSIM range of $16–$29 for a 40GB/30-day plan; the source also notes a physical tourist SIM at the airport runs ₱550–₱1,000 (~$9.37–$18).
Published in USD
- Data allowance
- ~40GB / 30 days
Short Stays (per night)
- Seasonal pricing
- Yes
- Why
- Dry season (December–May) drives 40–50% higher accommodation rates than rainy season (June–October); peak pricing December–April, lowest in June–September.
Low season
- Budget
- ₱1,200
El Nido Paradise budget guide ($12–27/night); Raescape travel guide ($12–27); verified 2-star budget rates June–September ~40–50% lower than high season
- Luxury
- ₱22,330
5-star luxury approximately 50% of peak ($400–450 estimated); El Nido Paradise confirms 50% accommodation discount June–October vs December–April; island resorts scale proportionally
- Premium
- ₱8,400
4-star hotels low season approximately 45–50% of high season ($150–160 estimated from $303 high season baseline and confirmed 40–50% seasonal discount pattern)
- Standard
- ₱2,470
3-star rates June–October: approximately 40% of high season ($40 mid-range average per BudgetYourTrip); Skyscanner/Booking data June–September ~$40–50
High season
- Budget
- ₱2,400
Hotel booking data from KAYAK/Booking.com: 2-star basic rooms, verified December–April rates
- Luxury
- ₱44,660
5-star resort pricing from Trip.com ($802 weekday) and Booking.com ($348 'luxury hotel' average—conservative proxy); Seda Lio peak rates observed ~$260–270; island resorts (Lagen, Pangulasian, Cauayan) run $500–1000+ nightly December–April
- Premium
- ₱16,800
4-star hotel: Seda Lio and comparable properties listed $267–303 per night high season; Skyscanner reports $114 4-star average
- Standard
- ₱5,180
3-star hotel average from BudgetYourTrip ($74 high season) and Skyscanner ($64 average); multiple listing sites confirm $70–100 range January–April
Low-season months
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
High-season months
- December
- January
- February
- March
- April
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this cost of living research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About El Nido
Data last updated September 2026 · Verify anything important.