The total cost of studying in the Philippines is tuition and housing, plus registration and local fees. Using the official fee tables of Target in Cebu and HELP in Clark, we worked out totals for 4 weeks (about a month), 12 weeks (about three months) and 24 weeks (about six months) by room size. Checked on 29 October 2026.
In short
In the two schools’ tables, a shared room comes to about USD 1,800 for 4 weeks, USD 4,900 to 5,200 for 12 weeks and USD 9,400 to 10,100 for 24 weeks. A single room takes 12 weeks above USD 6,400. Flights, insurance and personal spending are extra, so add them for your own plans.
How the totals are worked out
Each total adds up three items from the schools’ official fee tables. Local fees in pesos are converted to US dollars at the European Central Bank reference rate of 28 October 2026 (1 peso = USD 0.015627).
Local fees are added up the same way as in our article on local fees by length of stay, without the deposit that is returned when you leave.
- Tuition and housing: Target’s TARGET 4 course (tuition and housing); HELP’s ESL tuition plus housing
- Registration: USD 150 at Target (HELP’s fee page does not list one)
- Local fees: SSP, visa extensions, ACR I-Card, utilities, books and more
Total for 4 weeks (about a month)
At four weeks you do not yet need a visa extension or the ACR I-Card. Local fees are mostly the SSP, utilities and books.
| School and room | Total for 4 weeks |
|---|---|
| Target, six-person room | about USD 1,795 |
| Target, single room | about USD 2,295 |
| HELP, four-person room | about USD 1,778 |
| HELP, single room | about USD 2,208 |
Total for 12 weeks (about three months)
At 12 weeks, the second visa extension and the ACR I-Card are added. Target’s local fees rise from 19,500 pesos for 4 weeks to 47,750 pesos for 12 weeks.
| School and room | Total for 12 weeks |
|---|---|
| Target, six-person room | about USD 4,916 |
| Target, single room | about USD 6,416 |
| HELP, four-person room | about USD 5,181 |
| HELP, single room | about USD 6,471 |
Total for 24 weeks (about six months)
At 24 weeks, tuition and housing are six times the four-week amount, and local fees grow with each extension. For stays over six months, HELP lists a long-stay permit (1,410 pesos) and an Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC, 500 pesos).
| School and room | Total for 24 weeks |
|---|---|
| Target, six-person room | about USD 9,435 |
| Target, single room | about USD 12,435 |
| HELP, four-person room | about USD 10,128 |
| HELP, single room | about USD 12,708 |
What the totals leave out
Costs outside the schools’ fee tables vary a lot from person to person. Add them to your own total.
- Return flights to the Philippines
- Travel insurance
- Airport pickup (Target charges 1,200 pesos one way from the airport to the school)
- Weekend outings, shopping and extra laundry (Target charges 150 pesos a load)
- Mobile data (an eSIM or a local SIM)
Conditions that lower the total
Room size changes the total a lot, even at the same school. For 12 weeks at Target, a single room costs USD 1,500 more than a six-person room.
Target’s table shows prices before its campaign discount of USD 120 for 4 weeks, USD 420 for 12 weeks and USD 840 for 24 weeks. The discount does not apply to peak-season weeks, and bookings shorter than eight weeks in the summer 2027 peak season pay USD 40 more per week.
Beyond eight weeks, visa extensions and the ACR I-Card are both added, so local fees jump. For how to line up quotes, see reading a quote for English school in Cebu.
Next step: estimate your own total
The total depends on the school, room, length and season. If you have a quote, check it with the Study Abroad Quote Check.
For the whole process, see our guide to studying English in the Philippines, and compare schools in the list of schools in the Philippines.
