A few weeks ago, my daughter Sellah was born.
It's been the most surreal experience of my life. You guys have watched me go from a young kid starting a YouTube channel to now holding my baby girl for the first time. I can't put that into words.
But since a lot of you are coming to the Philippines to build a life, find a partner, and maybe even start a family, I figured I'd document the entire experience and give you a real, honest breakdown of what it actually costs to have a baby here.
No sugarcoating. Just the numbers.
Where We Had Her
We ended up at Makati Medical Center, one of the top hospitals in the Philippines. We initially started our checkups at St. Luke's Medical Center in BGC, but switched over after finding a doctor through a referral who we felt much more comfortable with.
Both hospitals are world class. If you're deciding between BGC and Makati for any medical procedures, St. Luke's is newer and the infrastructure is slightly more modern. But the care we received at Makati Medical Center was absolutely exceptional from start to finish.
The Birthing Room
The birthing room runs at 1,500 pesos per hour, roughly $28 to $30 per hour depending on the exchange rate.
Because Sellah was overdue and had to be induced, we ended up in the birthing room for close to two days. That alone came out to around $2,000 or 100,000 pesos.
The room itself felt more like a hotel than a hospital. Private, peaceful, meals included, and nurses checking in constantly throughout the night. You can have guests, order food, and the staff genuinely makes you feel taken care of.
The Birth Itself
The delivery required forceps, which came out to 140,000 pesos, roughly $2,500 out of pocket.
For reference, a similar procedure in the States without insurance can run anywhere from $3,000 to $8,000 or more. So for a birth at one of the best hospitals in the country, $2,500 is genuinely impressive.
The Post-Birth Room
After delivery we moved into a premium private room at around 9,400 to 10,000 pesos per night, roughly $180 to $200 per night. Three full meals and two snacks included daily. All Filipino food, and they just keep it coming.
We stayed for a total of five days.
The Final Bill
Here is the full breakdown of what everything cost over five days at Makati Medical Center:
Birthing room: approximately $2,000. The procedure itself: $2,500. Anesthesiologist: around $1,400. Medications and additional charges: approximately $2,800. Doctor fees, baby fees, mother fees, and everything else combined brought the total to roughly $9,000 to $10,000 for the entire five day stay, paid completely out of pocket.
Is that cheap? Not exactly. But for five days in one of the top hospitals in the Philippines, with world class doctors, private rooms, and round the clock care, it is absolutely on par with or better than what you would pay in the States, especially without insurance.
What This Means for Expats
One of the biggest concerns people have about moving to the Philippines is healthcare. What happens if something goes wrong? What does a major procedure actually cost?
The answer is that world class care exists here, and it is significantly more accessible than back home. The doctors are professional, the hospitals are well equipped, and the cost of even a major medical event is manageable.
This is part of what makes the Philippines one of the best places in the world to build a life and yes, start a family.
If you're thinking about making the move and want to set yourself up the right way from day one, we handle everything for you. Housing, visas, banking, healthcare setup and more.
Travel Well,
Evan Lorezca
The Savvy Expat