💰 This page covers the street-level details of spending money in Boracay: the port fees and cashless iPass, airport transfers, e-trikes, White Beach prices, boat trips, ATMs and tipping. For Philippines-wide ATM tips, DCC warnings, tipping norms, and exchange rate advice:
Read the Philippines Money Guide →🎧 Order Pesos Before You Fly
Land with pesos for e-trikes, beach vendors and boat trips. Insured delivery, 2–5 days.
Order PHP → CEI Currency ExchangeDo You Need Cash in Boracay?
Yes. Resorts, dive centres, the bigger restaurants on White Beach and the shops in D'Mall take cards. But the e-trike, the beach massage, the mango shake stall, the boatmen, the island-hopping extras and the tips are all cash, and the island's machines are busy. Carry PHP 2,000 to 4,000 a day in small notes. The Philippines money guide explains the national ATM fees and limits.
Where You Will Need Cash
E-trikes. Beach vendors and massages on the sand. Island-hopping and snorkel extras. Small restaurants off the beach. Tips.
Where Cards Work Fine
Resorts and hotels. Dive shops, often with a surcharge. Restaurants and bars on the beachfront. D'Mall shops. The port fees, now paid cashless.
The Port Fees and the Cashless iPass
Three charges to cross. Every visitor arriving at Caticlan jetty port pays the province's environmental fee, about PHP 300 for foreign visitors (less for Filipinos), a terminal fee, and the boat fare of about PHP 50 for the 15-minute crossing. Children aged 5 and under are exempt from the fees.
Cashless since 2025. Payment at the port moved to a cashless system, the Boracay iPass, which ties your fees to a QR code alongside your hotel booking, with a small convenience fee. Pay online by card or e-wallet before you travel, or at the port by card. Older guides quote lower terminal fees in cash; budget for the current, higher figures.
Your hotel booking. Since the island's six-month closure and clean-up in 2018, every visitor must show a confirmed booking at an accredited hotel or resort to cross. Book before you arrive at the port.
Getting There: Caticlan and Kalibo
Caticlan (MPH). The closest airport, about 10 minutes by tricycle or van from the jetty port. Fares are higher than to Kalibo, but the transfer is quick.
Kalibo (KLO). An international airport about 1.5 hours away by road, with more flights and cheaper fares. Vans run to the Caticlan port.
Transfer packages. Operators sell combined transfers that include the van or tricycle, the boat, the fees and the e-trike to your hotel. From Caticlan, budget transfers cost about PHP 700 to 800 plus fees; standard packages for foreign visitors around PHP 1,100 including fees. Book online by card.
Getting Around: E-Trikes
Electric tricycles run up and down the island's main road. Shared rides charge per person, roughly PHP 20 to 50 depending on distance; a private e-trike costs more, and drivers quote high to new arrivals, so agree the price first. Pay in cash with small notes.
Walking. White Beach is about 4 kilometres long and divided into Stations 1, 2 and 3. Most of what you need is walking distance along the beach path.
White Beach, Boat Trips and Sunset Sailing
The beach. White Beach's restaurants and bars price for visitors: a beachfront cocktail costs roughly PHP 250 to 400, a seafood dinner PHP 800 to 1,500 per person. One street back, local restaurants and the market at D'Talipapa, where you buy seafood and pay a restaurant to cook it, cost far less.
Island hopping. Boat tours visit Crystal Cove, Magic Island and snorkelling spots around the island. Group tours and private boats are sold along the beach; ask whether the entrance fees at Crystal Cove and other stops, typically a few hundred pesos per person in cash, are included.
Paraw sailing. The traditional outrigger sailboats run sunset trips from White Beach, priced per boat and negotiated. Agree the price, the time on the water and the number of passengers before you board, and pay at the end.
ATMs on Boracay
Look for these logos. The big Philippine banks have machines along the main road and in D'Mall.
BDO
BPI
MetrobankATM Locations
BDO, BPI and Metrobank machines along the main road and in and around D'Mall near Station 2, with fewer at Stations 1 and 3. On holiday weekends and over Easter and Christmas, queues are long and machines run out. Withdraw on the mainland as well, in Kalibo or Caticlan, before you cross. There is no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner in the Philippines.
⚠ The PHP 250 Fee, Every Time
Most Philippine banks charge foreign cards about ₱250 per withdrawal, and many machines cap each withdrawal at ₱10,000 to 20,000. Withdraw the maximum each time to pay the fee fewer times, and decline any offer to convert the withdrawal into dollars. A card that refunds ATM fees pays for itself here; see our guide to withdrawal limits.
Tipping in Boracay
Many restaurants and resorts add a 10 percent service charge; otherwise leave 5 to 10 percent. Tip boat crews, dive guides and massage therapists PHP 100 to 200, and round up for e-trike drivers.
Prices in Boracay
Boracay costs more than most of the Philippines, especially on the beachfront.
| Item | Price (PHP) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental fee, foreign visitor | about ₱300 | about $5.20 |
| Boat, Caticlan to Boracay | about ₱50 | about $0.86 |
| Transfer package from Caticlan, with fees | ₱1,100 | $19 |
| Shared e-trike ride | ₱20–50 | $0.35–0.86 |
| Mango shake | ₱100–180 | $1.70–3.10 |
| Cocktail on White Beach | ₱250–400 | $4.30–6.90 |
| Seafood dinner on the beach | ₱800–1,500 | $14–26 |
| Massage on the beach, 1 hour | ₱500–800 | $8.60–14 |
| ATM fee, foreign card | ₱250 | $4.30 |
USD estimates use approximately ₱58 = $1. Rates fluctuate.
Boracay Quick Reference
| Destination | Cards? | Cash Needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port fees | ✅ Cashless iPass | Environmental fee about ₱300 | Plus terminal fee and boat |
| Hotel booking | Required | Accredited hotels only | Shown at the port |
| E-trikes | ❌ Cash | ₱20–50 shared | Agree private fares first |
| Beachfront restaurants | ✅ Yes | Service charge 10% | Cheaper one street back |
| Boat trips | Mixed | Entrance fees extra | Ask what is included |
| ATMs | BDO, BPI, Metrobank | ₱250 per withdrawal | Queues on holidays |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much are the Boracay entry fees?
Foreign visitors pay an environmental fee of about PHP 300, a terminal fee at Caticlan jetty port, and the boat fare, plus a small convenience fee when paid through the Boracay iPass system. Since 2025, payment at the Caticlan port has been cashless. Children under 5 are exempt from the fees.
Do I need a hotel booking to enter Boracay?
Yes. Since the island reopened in 2018, visitors must show a confirmed booking at an accredited hotel or resort to cross from Caticlan. The iPass QR code links your booking and your fees.
How do I get to Boracay from the airport?
From Caticlan airport (MPH), a tricycle or van takes about 10 minutes to the jetty port, then a 15-minute boat. From Kalibo (KLO), vans take about 1.5 hours. Combined transfer packages including the fees cost roughly PHP 700 to 1,100 per person.
How much is an e-trike on Boracay?
Shared e-trikes along the main road charge per person, roughly PHP 20 to 50 depending on distance. A private e-trike costs more; agree the price first. Pay in cash with small notes.
Are there ATMs on Boracay?
Yes, BDO, BPI, Metrobank and others along the main road and in D'Mall near Station 2. They charge foreign cards about PHP 250 per withdrawal, and can run out of cash or have long queues on holiday weekends. Withdraw on the mainland too, in Kalibo or Caticlan.
Do I need cash in Boracay?
Yes, for e-trikes, beach vendors, massages on the sand, island-hopping extras, small restaurants and tips. Resorts, dive shops and the larger restaurants take cards. Carry PHP 2,000 to 4,000 a day.
Pay Smart in Boracay
The Wise card converts at the real mid-market rate, pays the port fees, resorts and dive shops without a markup, and withdraws pesos on the mainland before you cross.
Get the Wise Card →Hero photo: White Beach, Boracay, by Angelo Juan Ramos, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.