Match your skills
Choose a role you can qualify for. Check language, licensing and experience before paying for training.
YOUR NEXT CHAPTER
Work Abroad
Compare places to work, what life could cost and the steps to get there. Find a destination that fits your skills and your plans.
13 destinations to compareHover, tap or choose a country
Pay is a city-wide benchmark, not an expected Filipino starting salary. Read the dates and definitions below.
SIDE BY SIDE
13 destinationsWhere could you work?
| TaiwanTaipei cost example | ₱105,700TWD 52,843 net | ₱30,4001 bed · outside centre | Occupation-specificManufacturing · Technology | Convenient cities · dorm options | 93/100Free | 5.0/5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JapanTokyo cost example | ₱161,200JPY 402,957 net | ₱41,1001 bed · outside centre | Language and skills preparationManufacturing · Hospitality | Strong transit · language barrier | 96/100Free | 4.4/5 |
| EstoniaTallinn cost example | ₱139,400EUR 1,967 net | ₱36,4001 bed · outside centre | Route, salary and quota checksTechnology · Manufacturing | Digital services · cold winters | 96/100Free | 4.4/5 |
| GermanyBerlin cost example | ₱211,600EUR 2,985 net | ₱66,6001 bed · outside centre | Qualifications and recognitionHealthcare · Technology | Public services · housing search | 95/100Free | 4.2/5 |
| LatviaRiga cost example | ₱95,800EUR 1,352 net | ₱25,1001 bed · outside centre | Employer and language requirementsManufacturing · Construction | Compact cities · winter heating costs | 89/100Free | 4.1/5 |
| CanadaToronto cost example | ₱220,900CAD 5,014 net | ₱88,9001 bed · outside centre | Employer and permit checksHealthcare · Trades | Large community · high rent | 97/100Free | 3.9/5 |
| AustraliaSydney cost example | ₱260,200AUD 5,955 net | ₱104,7001 bed · outside centre | Skills and sponsorship checksHealthcare · Trades | High services · housing pressure | 94/100Free | 3.8/5 |
| RomaniaBucharest cost example | ₱88,200RON 6,539 net | ₱29,0001 bed · outside centre | Check current processing restrictionsAdvisory check | Varied city costs · employer housing | 83/100Free | 3.6/5 |
| United KingdomLondon cost example | ₱291,500GBP 3,525 net | ₱140,8001 bed · outside centre | Sponsor and eligible occupationHealthcare · Technology | Public services · high rent | 92/100Free | 3.3/5 |
| SingaporeSingapore cost example | ₱270,700SGD 5,534 net | ₱129,1001 bed · outside centre | Salary and employer checksTechnology · Healthcare | Strong transit · very high rent | 48/100Partly Free | 2.3/5 |
| United Arab EmiratesDubai cost example | ₱257,400AED 15,139 net | ₱90,5001 bed · outside centre | Employer-ledAdvisory check | Modern services · high rent | 18/100Not Free | 1.4/5 |
| QatarDoha cost example | ₱183,600QAR 10,800 net | ₱82,1001 bed · outside centre | Employer-ledAdvisory check | Metro access · costly rent | 25/100Not Free | 1.4/5 |
| Saudi ArabiaRiyadh cost example | ₱149,300SAR 8,781 net | ₱54,2001 bed · outside centre | Employer-ledAdvisory check | Package matters · car costs | 9/100Not Free | 1.0/5 |
No destinations match those choices. Try another field or clear the filters.
Salary and rent are crowd-reported city examples from May to September 2026. They cover different workers, not only Filipinos. Rights is the Freedom House 2026 political rights and civil liberties score.
Check deployment advice before committing
DMW issued a Middle East safety advisory in March 2026 covering the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar among other destinations. This guide does not establish today’s deployment clearance. Check the latest DMW and DFA advice before paying recruitment costs or booking travel.
FROM AN IDEA TO A REAL OFFER
Start with the job, then the move
Check the offer
Verify the employer and recruitment channel. Compare basic pay, deductions, housing and working hours.
Get the right permission
Complete the country’s work and residence process and the Philippine departure requirements.
Plan your first months
Allow for deposits and the wait until payday. Keep funds for emergencies and returning home.
Before leaving the Philippines
Your destination’s visa and Philippine overseas-employment processing are separate. Start the correct DMW process while the employer prepares the work permission.
Use your own DMW account
Create or update your eRegistration record. Use the DMW portal to identify whether your case is an agency hire, direct hire, government placement or returning worker. Keep control of your login and document copies.
Verify the employment
Check a recruiting agency’s current licence and the employer’s job order. For direct hiring, obtain the required assessment or exemption and contract verification. Contact the relevant Migrant Workers Office for the checklist that applies to your destination and occupation.
Complete the required preparation
Follow your processing checklist for medical clearance, insurance, OWWA requirements and orientation. PEOS introduces overseas employment, while pre-departure orientation addresses preparation for leaving. They serve different purposes.
Confirm departure clearance
Obtain and verify the applicable Overseas Employment Certificate or exit clearance through DMW. Returning-worker exemptions have conditions. Check your name, employer, jobsite and travel validity before buying a non-refundable ticket.
How to read the comparison
Pay and living costs
Numbeo city-wide crowd-reported average monthly net salaries. These are not Filipino, occupation-specific or remote-worker averages. Cost snapshots are dated May to September 2026.
Private one-bedroom apartment outside the city centre, monthly. Not a shared room or employer dormitory.
What the stars mean
Relative comparison across the destinations listed here. We first combine political rights and civil liberties (40%), the city rent-to-pay balance (30%) and entry preparation (30%). The highest combined score becomes 5.0 and the lowest 1.0, with the others spaced proportionally between them. A 5.0 means strongest in this selection under these criteria, not a perfect destination. Ratings can change when data or the selection changes. They do not measure job availability or predict visa approval. Entry preparation is an editorial assessment, so compare the actual visa route and your own job offer as well.
Conversion rates and coverage
Fixed planning conversions. EUR 70.89, GBP 82.705, AUD 43.695, CAD 44.05, SGD 48.915 and JPY 0.40 pesos per unit use HSBC buy/sell midpoints on 30 September 2026. AED 17, SAR 17, QAR 17 and TWD 2 are rounded budgeting assumptions, not live exchange quotes. RON 13.4887 uses the ECB reference cross-rate of PHP 71.204 and RON 5.2788 per euro on 30 September 2026.
Thirteen starting destinations with employment routes to investigate. Inclusion is not a current deployment clearance. Check destination processing, DMW and DFA advice, the employer and your visa route. The comparison includes destinations with current restrictions so you can see their trade-offs.
Questions about working abroad
Which country is best for Filipino workers?
Start with your occupation, qualifications and an actual offer. Higher pay can come with higher rent, harder entry requirements or fewer freedoms. The ratings help shortlist destinations, while the country guides explain the trade-offs.
Are these countries open to every Filipino applicant?
No. A country can have a legal work route without every occupation, employer or applicant qualifying. Philippine deployment rules and current travel advice are separate checks.
Do the salary figures describe remote workers?
No. They are city-wide net-pay benchmarks. Remote salaries depend on the employer, role and hiring location. Working for an overseas company from the Philippines is different from relocating, which these guides focus on.
Can I find a job directly without an agency?
You can research and contact employers directly, but Philippine direct-hire processing has rules and exemptions. Use the DMW process appropriate to your case before departing. A foreign visa does not replace that step.
How do I spot a suspicious recruitment offer?
Verify the agency licence, employer and job order through official channels. Request a written contract and receipts. Be wary of paid visa guarantees, unexplained fees, pressure to travel as a tourist and interviews conducted only through anonymous messages.
Should I borrow money to move?
First establish the verified job, total upfront costs and realistic take-home budget. A loan adds repayments before you know how the job will work out. Employer-paid relocation and saving a buffer can reduce that pressure.