Palawan
Southeast Asia · Philippines · Asia
Postcard archipelago of hidden lagoons, limestone cliffs, and some of the planet's clearest water.
Palawan is the Philippines at its most postcard-perfect: the lagoons of El Nido, Coron's wrecks, and Puerto Princesa's underground river draw travelers from everywhere. Living here means raw, jaw-dropping nature in exchange for thin infrastructure, frequent power and water issues, and limited healthcare. It's affordable and stunning but genuinely remote, so it suits self-reliant people over those needing convenience. Best as a base for divers and nature lovers who'll trade comfort for some of the best scenery on earth.
comfortable monthly budget
1-bed rent, good area
Best for
Not for
Small local communities plus tourists, dive operators, and a thin layer of expats running guesthouses. Friendly but transient and spread out, so a steady social life takes effort outside the dive crowd.
Where to land
The scorecard
Tax in Philippines
Special regime: Resident foreigners taxed only on Philippine-source income
Resident aliens are taxed only on local-source income, so foreign earnings are generally untaxed.
Representative estimate — not tax advice. · source
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Find my placePhoto via Wikimedia Commons · source