Investment property in the Philippines: what to buy and what it costs
One-bedroom condominium apartment in Mindanao
$53,000
A one-bedroom condominium apartment: a living room with a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom and a balcony. Metro Mindanao covers the Davao and Cagayan de Oro urban areas in the south of the country. Davao is the largest city of Mindanao, with an international airport, a port and Mount Apo, the highest peak of the Philippines, and typhoons barely touch it; Cagayan de Oro is the business centre of the north of the island. A typical condominium apartment here costs about $53,000, the most affordable entry among the country's large urban areas, and housing prices rose by 2.1% over the year.
One-bedroom apartment in the suburbs of Manila
$55,000
A one-bedroom condominium apartment: a living room with a kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom. The provinces around the capital region - Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Bulacan, Pampanga and Rizal - are the suburbs of Manila, with industrial zones, universities and residential districts along the expressways to the capital. A typical condominium apartment here costs about $55,000, a third less than in Metro Manila itself. After growth of 13.2% a year earlier, housing prices in the provinces corrected by 3% over the year.
One-bedroom apartment in a regional city
$62,000
A one-bedroom condominium apartment in a regional city: a living room with a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom and a balcony. This covers cities outside Metro Manila, the suburban provinces, Metro Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro, such as Iloilo on Panay island, Bacolod on Negros and Baguio in the mountains of Luzon. A typical condominium apartment here costs about $62,000, and housing prices fell by 5.3% over the year, so the entry price is now lower than a year ago.
One-bedroom condominium apartment in Metro Cebu
$63,000
A one-bedroom condominium apartment: a living room with a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom and a balcony. Metro Cebu is one of the country's largest urban areas: Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and neighbouring cities, with Mactan-Cebu International Airport, a port and business districts with offices of international companies. A typical condominium apartment here costs about $63,000, and housing prices stayed at last year's level.
One-bedroom apartment in the Metro Manila capital region
$82,000
A one-bedroom condominium apartment: a living room with a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom and a balcony. Metro Manila is the capital region of 16 cities and the municipality of Pateros, with the government, the country's main business centres, universities and Ninoy Aquino International Airport. A typical condominium apartment here costs about $82,000, and over the year apartments in the capital region rose in price by 7.4%, faster than in the rest of the country.
What investors buy in the Philippines
Above are the most interesting offers selected by our experts. A manager will find a property for your requirements.
Apartments for sale in five regions of the country - Metro Manila, the provinces around Manila, Metro Cebu, Mindanao and regional cities, apartment prices by region, taxes on buying, letting and selling, rules for foreigners and the retirement visa.
The Philippines is an island country in Southeast Asia with a population of over 110 million, where English is the second official language and contracts and deal documents are drawn up in English. According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the central bank of the Philippines, in the second quarter of 2026 a typical condominium apartment costs about $65,000 nationwide (PHP 4.13 million) and about $82,000 in the Metro Manila capital region (PHP 5.18 million), and apartments in the capital region rose in price by 7.4% over the year. A one-bedroom apartment in Mindanao costs $53,000, in the suburbs of Manila $55,000, in Metro Cebu $63,000, and a foreigner buys a condominium apartment as an owner as long as foreigners own no more than 40% of the units in the building.
This page covers condominium apartments in five regions of the country, prices by region, taxes on buying, letting and selling, and the retirement visa. A manager will confirm what is for sale today and the exact price.
The market in brief
Prices and rules as of 2026.
Prices are based on the median price of a condominium apartment in the region for the second quarter of 2026, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas; $1 = PHP 63.64.
How much does an apartment in the Philippines cost in 2026
Apartments are most expensive in the capital region: a typical condominium apartment in Metro Manila costs about $82,000, and over the year apartments here rose in price by 7.4%. In Metro Cebu and regional cities an apartment costs about $62,000-63,000, in the provinces around Manila about $55,000, and it is cheapest in Mindanao, in Davao and Cagayan de Oro: about $53,000. Nationwide a condominium apartment costs about $65,000 on average (a median of PHP 4.13 million), and over the year apartments rose in price by 6%, faster than houses. A house with land is closed to foreigners: land is owned only by Filipino citizens and companies with at least 60% Filipino capital.
| Region | Median price of a condominium apartment | Housing price growth over the year |
|---|---|---|
| Metro Manila, capital region | ~$82,000 | +5.2% |
| Metro Cebu | ~$63,000 | −0.2% |
| Regional cities | ~$62,000 | −5.3% |
| Provinces around Manila | ~$55,000 | −3.0% |
| Metro Mindanao: Davao and Cagayan de Oro | ~$53,000 | +2.1% |
| Philippines on average | ~$65,000 | +0.4% |
Data of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas: median price of a condominium apartment by region for the second quarter of 2026; price growth is the index of housing prices of all types, the second quarter of 2026 against the second quarter of 2025. Dollars at $1 = PHP 63.64, rounded up.
What taxes are paid on letting, owning and selling
Income from letting an apartment in the Philippines is subject to income tax. A non-resident foreigner who has spent no more than 180 days in the country in a calendar year pays 25% on the full rent without deductions, while a tax resident and a foreigner who has stayed in the country for more than 180 days pay at graduated rates from 0 to 35%, with the first PHP 250,000 (about $4,000) of income a year tax-free. A manager will calculate the rental income of a specific apartment after tax in the chat.
| Tax | Rate |
|---|---|
| Rent, non-resident | 25% on the full rent |
| Rent, resident or more than 180 days in the country in a year | 0-35% at graduated rates, the first PHP 250,000 a year tax-free |
| Real property tax | up to 2% a year in Metro Manila and up to 1% in the provinces of the assessed value, plus 1% for the education fund |
| Sale | capital gains tax of 6% of the highest of the sale price, the tax authority's zonal value or the market valuation |
Data for 2026: taxes - the Tax Code of the Philippines and the Local Government Code; countries are compared in the rental yield table.
How to bring in the money for the purchase is on the page how to send money to the Philippines, and the rules for foreigners, the building checks and the steps of the deal are covered on the page property in the Philippines for foreigners.
What costs to add to the price
| Payment | Amount |
|---|---|
| Documentary stamp tax | 1.5% of the sale price or of the valuation, if higher |
| Transfer tax | up to 0.75% in the cities of Metro Manila, up to 0.5% in the provinces |
| Title registration | at the scale of the Land Registration Authority |
| Capital gains tax of 6% | paid by the seller unless the contract shifts it to the buyer |
| Foreign share in the building | no more than 40% of the units, a certificate from the developer or the condominium corporation is taken before the deposit |
Data for 2026. The buyer becomes the owner when the title to the apartment is transferred in the registry of deeds, and the tax authority issues the certificate authorising registration after the taxes on the deal are paid. The contract can be signed in person or by a special power of attorney with an apostille. The manager calculates the total for a specific property.
In the Philippines the foreign share in the building and the apartment's title are checked before the deposit
Mistakes cost more than the taxes: a building where foreigners already own 40% of the units and the purchase cannot be registered to a foreigner, a developer without a licence to sell, a title with an encumbrance, real property tax and building dues debts that pass to the buyer, a contract that shifts the seller's 6% tax to the buyer. Murblz support removes these risks: we find an apartment for the budget and goal, check the developer, the title and the foreign share, prepare payment and take the deal through to the title transfer, and help with the retirement visa and letting.
The cost of support depends on the purchase budget and the goal - investment, relocation or a home for yourself; the manager calculates it in the chat.
Does the purchase give residence
Buying an apartment does not by itself give a visa in the Philippines: status is arranged separately. Buyers aged 50 and over qualify for the retirement visa: a deposit of $15,000 in an accredited bank with a pension of $800 a month or more, $1,000 for a couple, $30,000 without a pension, and at ages 40 to 49 $25,000 with a pension and $50,000 without one. With the approval of the Philippine Retirement Authority the deposit can be used to buy a condominium apartment worth $50,000 or more registered to the retiree, and every apartment in the selection is above this threshold. The visa terms are covered on the page retiring in the Philippines.
An apartment can be bought without any status: a Russian citizen enters the Philippines without a visa for 30 days, and the deal is done by a special power of attorney. Land is owned only by Filipino citizens and companies with at least 60% Filipino capital, so a foreigner registers a condominium apartment in their own name, not a house with land. Payments for the deal are made in pesos, and the money arrives by bank transfer from abroad. Life in the capital is described on the page Manila, and on the islands on the page Cebu. A manager will find an apartment for a family move in the chat.
How we select a property
- Budget and goal: rental income, capital preservation, relocation, the retirement visa or a home for yourself. The manager clarifies the region - the Metro Manila capital region, the provinces around Manila, Cebu, Davao or regional cities.
- A selection of real properties: condominium apartments with the seller's price, area, building year, floor and a rental income calculation.
- Checks: a foreign share in the building of up to 40%, the developer's licence to sell from the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, a clean title to the apartment in the registry, and certificates of no debts for real property tax and building dues.
- A remote deal by a special power of attorney with an apostille: a notarised purchase contract, payment by transfer, payment of the taxes, the tax authority's certificate authorising registration and transfer of the title to the buyer.
The manager sends the selection to the chat, with sellers' prices as of the selection date.
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More on buying in this country:
- Property in the Philippines for foreigners: rules, taxes and the deal
- How to send money to the Philippines
- Retiring in the Philippines: the retirement visa
- Manila: whether to move there
- Cebu: whether to move there
All countries and budgets compared - on the page Investment property abroad.
FAQ
How much does an apartment in the Philippines cost in 2026?
Can foreigners buy property in the Philippines?
Does buying property give residence in the Philippines?
What taxes are paid when buying an apartment in the Philippines?
What taxes does an apartment owner pay in the Philippines?
Where to buy an apartment for investment in the Philippines?
Can an apartment in the Philippines be bought remotely?
How to pay for an apartment in the Philippines from abroad?
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