One of the questions I had before moving to the Philippines was how much healthcare would actually cost me.

There are plenty of averages and estimates online, but those numbers only tell you so much. What matters more is what happens when you actually walk into a hospital, see a specialist, get tests done, and pay the bill yourself.

I have now done all of those things in the Philippines.

My experience has shown me two different sides of healthcare costs here: routine medical care can be surprisingly affordable, but prescriptions, specialist needs, and more serious medical problems can change the picture quickly.

What I Paid for Bloodwork, an Ultrasound, an X-Ray, and Urinalysis

While living in Ormoc City, my doctor ordered several routine diagnostic tests at OSPA-Farmers’ Medical Center.

I needed:

• bloodwork;
• a urinalysis;
• an ultrasound;
• a chest X-ray.

The total bill was ₱8,675.

At the exchange rate at the time, that worked out to approximately US$141.95.

I paid the entire amount out of pocket. There was no insurance involved.

The process was straightforward. My doctor had written the orders for the tests, I went to the hospital, paid first, and then moved through the different testing areas. The bloodwork, ultrasound, and X-ray were handled in adjoining areas of the hospital’s diagnostic section.

OSPA-Farmers’ Medical Center currently lists diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, specialist care, pharmacy services, and emergency care among its medical services.

What surprised me most was not simply that the bill was lower than it would have been in the United States. It was that ₱8,675 was less than I had sometimes paid in the U.S. even after insurance copays for comparable types of testing.

That does not mean every medical procedure in the Philippines is inexpensive. But it was a very real example of how different routine healthcare costs can be.

Specialist Visits Have Also Been Relatively Affordable

I have needed ongoing specialist care since moving to the Philippines, so my experience has not been limited to one hospital visit.

In Ormoc, I established care with a neurologist based at OSPA-Farmers’ Medical Center who also saw patients one day a week at the Gatchalian Medical Center satellite clinic inside SM Center Ormoc.

My consultation cost approximately ₱1,000.

Gatchalian Medical Center currently operates a satellite clinic at SM Center Ormoc offering diagnostic services and specialist consultations.

I also saw an endocrinologist in Ormoc. That consultation was approximately ₱700.

Those prices are based on what I personally paid. They should not be treated as standard rates across the Philippines. Doctors, hospitals, cities, and specialties can all charge differently.

Still, those visits give you a useful example of what routine specialist care can cost outside Manila or Cebu.

Prescriptions Are Where My Costs Become Much More Significant

Cheap doctor visits do not necessarily mean your total healthcare costs will be cheap.

For me, prescriptions are a much larger monthly expense.

I currently spend approximately US$300 per month out of pocket on my regular medications.

The bigger issue has not just been price. It has also been availability.

One medication I had been taking in the United States simply was not available here, so my doctor had to switch me to something else.

Another medication I use can be difficult to find. I have sometimes needed to check several pharmacies before locating what I need. In some cases, pharmacies can order medications, and certain products may need to come from Cebu or Manila.

That is something I would strongly recommend researching if you take important maintenance medications.

Do not assume that because a medication is common in your home country, the exact drug, dosage, or formulation will be readily available in the Philippines.

If you are considering moving here, bring a complete medication list and discuss possible alternatives with your doctor before you relocate.

The ₱8,675 Hospital Bill Does Not Tell the Whole Story

This is where people can get the wrong impression.

Someone could look at my ₱8,675 diagnostic bill and conclude that healthcare in the Philippines is cheap and there is not much need to worry about medical expenses.

I would not make that assumption.

My bill was for a specific set of routine outpatient diagnostic tests. It tells you what those services cost me, at that hospital, at that point in time.

It does not tell you what you would pay for:

• a major hospitalization;
• surgery;
• intensive care;
• cancer treatment;
• a serious accident;
• extended rehabilitation;
• long-term specialist care;
• or a complicated emergency.

Those are completely different financial situations.

The useful takeaway from my experience is narrower:

Routine consultations and diagnostics can be much less expensive than many Americans are accustomed to paying.

That is very different from saying all healthcare in the Philippines is inexpensive.

Where You Live Matters More if You Have Health Problems

Healthcare was one of the factors I considered when deciding where to live.

If you are relatively healthy and mainly need routine care, you may have much more flexibility.

If you have serious or complicated medical conditions, I would treat hospital and specialist access as a major part of your city-selection process.

Do not choose a place simply because the rent is cheap, the beach is beautiful, or somebody online says it is the best retirement destination.

Ask a different question:

If something goes wrong medically, where am I going?

That matters.

My own experience in the Philippines has been that healthcare has generally been fairly easy to access. But the level of care and the services available can vary substantially depending on where you live.

That was one reason Dumaguete appealed to me when we were considering our move there. I wanted reasonable access to hospitals and specialists rather than treating medical care as an afterthought.

I also learned firsthand after being involved in a serious traffic accident outside a major city that healthcare planning is about more than cost. Location and access matter too.

What I Would Tell Someone Planning a Move

After actually using healthcare here, I would separate the issue into three questions.

What does routine care cost?

In my experience, office visits and routine diagnostic testing have been very affordable compared with what I was accustomed to in the United States.

Can you get the medications and specialists you need?

That requires more research. Some medications may be harder to obtain, and specialist availability depends heavily on location.

What happens if something serious goes wrong?

That is where you need to think beyond inexpensive office visits and routine testing.

Your age, medical needs, medications, insurance situation, and the healthcare infrastructure of the city you choose should all be part of your relocation planning.

For me, the biggest lesson has been that Philippine healthcare is not simply “cheap” or “expensive.”

Routine care can be remarkably affordable.

Prescriptions can be costly.

Medication availability can be inconvenient.

And your choice of location becomes much more important as your medical needs become more complicated.

That is a much more useful way to think about healthcare costs than relying on a single national average—or even my ₱8,675 hospital bill.

Next: Do You Need Health Insurance in the Philippines?

Knowing what routine healthcare can cost is only part of the decision.

The next question is whether paying out of pocket makes sense for you or whether you need protection against a much larger medical bill.

Read next: Do You Need Health Insurance to Live in the Philippines?