Most Anilao budget guides give you a single price range, but a barkada that only wants to swim and a friend taking a scuba license will spend very different amounts on the same weekend. This guide breaks down the cost of an Anilao, Batangas trip by type of traveler: the non-diving day-tripper, the snorkeler, the first-timer trying Discover Scuba, the student getting certified, and the licensed diver doing fun dives. It also covers the costs that often get left out, like tolls, gear rental, conservation fees, and the boat to Sombrero Island. If you just want a quick itemized plan for a standard weekend, see our Anilao 3-day travel budget.
What you spend in Anilao depends on what you plan to do there: about ₱1,500–₱2,500 for a non-diver's day trip, ₱6,000–₱9,000 for a first-time Discover Scuba weekend, and ₱28,000–₱35,000 all-in for a full Open Water certification trip.
- A non-diving day trip by public transport can stay under ₱2,000 per person, including a ₱1,000 resort day-use pass
- Discover Scuba Diving (your first try with no license) costs about ₱4,000–₱4,150 per person
- A PADI Open Water certification course in Anilao runs about ₱22,000–₱26,650, and the price drops when 2–3 people enroll together
- Driving from Manila costs about ₱379 one way in SLEX + STAR Tollway tolls for a regular car (Class 1)
- Every diver pays ₱150 per day to Mabini, plus another ₱150 per day if the dives also go into Tingloy waters
Step 1: Figure Out Which Kind of Anilao Traveler You Are
Before adding up numbers, decide what you will actually do in Anilao, because that one choice changes your budget more than anything else. Anilao is a group of coastal barangays in the town of Mabini, Batangas, about 110–130 km south of Metro Manila. It is famous for macro diving (looking at tiny sea creatures like nudibranchs, the colorful sea slugs that underwater photographers love).
Most visitors fall into one of five groups:
- Day-tripper / non-diver: leaves Manila early, swims at a resort, goes home the same night. Cheapest option.
- Snorkeler or island hopper: stays overnight, rents a boat to Sombrero Island or Masasa Beach in Tingloy.
- First-time diver: tries Discover Scuba Diving (DSD), a supervised one-day intro with no license needed.
- Certification student: takes the PADI Open Water course (PADI stands for Professional Association of Diving Instructors, the largest scuba training agency) over 3–4 days.
- Licensed diver: already certified and pays per boat dive.
Find your group in the sections below, then use the sample budgets near the end to get your total.
Step 2: Choose Your Transport (Commute vs. Driving vs. Resort Van)
Commuting is cheapest. Take a Batangas City–bound bus from Buendia or Cubao (about ₱157–₱220 one way), then a jeepney from the Batangas City Grand Terminal to Mabini or Anilao Port (about ₱40), then a tricycle to your resort (about ₱60–₱100). That adds up to about ₱260–₱360 one way, or ₱520–₱720 round trip per person, with 3–4 hours of travel each way.
Driving your own car means paying tolls. For a regular car or SUV (Class 1), the SLEX and STAR Tollway combined cost about ₱379 one way from Manila to Batangas, after the STAR rate increase on July 1, 2026 (see the current Manila–Batangas toll breakdown). Round-trip tolls are about ₱758. Add fuel for the roughly 230–260 km round trip, which is often ₱1,100–₱1,600 for a small car depending on current pump prices. Split four ways, driving costs about ₱470–₱590 per person round trip, close to commuting but much faster.
A private van booked through your resort runs about ₱5,000–₱7,000 one way. That is only worth it for groups of 8 or more, or for divers carrying heavy camera gear.
Step 3: Budget for the Day-Tripper (No Overnight, No Diving)
If you only want sea, sun, and a swim, you do not have to book a room. Many Anilao resorts sell a day-use pass. Eagle Point Resort's day-use package costs about ₱1,000 and includes an hour of guided snorkeling in its saltwater reef pool. Anilao Awari Bay's day tour costs about ₱1,880 per adult (₱990 for kids aged 4–7).
Sample day-trip budget per person, commuting:
- Round-trip bus + jeepney + tricycle: ₱520–₱720
- Resort day-use pass: ₱1,000–₱1,880
- Lunch and snacks at a carinderia (small local eatery) or the resort: ₱150–₱400
- Total: about ₱1,670–₱3,000
The catch: with 6–8 hours of round-trip travel, you only get about 4–5 hours at the beach. Leave Manila by 5:00 AM to make it worthwhile.
Step 4: Budget for Snorkeling and Island Hopping to Sombrero Island
The most popular non-diving activity is a boat trip across the water to Tingloy, the island town facing Anilao. Stops usually include Sombrero Island (named for its hat shape) and Masasa Beach.
- Private boat charter from Anilao: about ₱5,000–₱6,000 per boat, up to 10 people. That is ₱500–₱600 per person if the boat is full.
- Sombrero Island entrance fee: about ₱200 per person. Some boatmen also ask an extra ₱500 per boat to add this stop, so agree on the full route before you leave the shore.
- Public boat to Tingloy (if you go on your own): about ₱70–₱100 one way from Anilao Port or Talaga Pier.
- Snorkel set rental: usually ₱150–₱300 per day if you don't bring your own.
For a group of 8–10, island hopping usually costs ₱900–₱1,300 per person including boat, entrance fee, and snorkel rental. Prices go up quickly for small groups: a couple renting a whole boat could pay ₱2,500–₱3,000 each.
Step 5: Budget for Your First Dive with Discover Scuba Diving (DSD)
Discover Scuba Diving is a supervised intro for people with no license and no experience. An instructor gives you a short briefing, has you practice basic skills in shallow water, then takes you on a guided dive, usually to a maximum of 12 meters (about 40 feet).
In Anilao, DSD costs about ₱4,000 per person at operators like Anilao Diving, and about ₱4,150 at Buceo Anilao. The price normally includes the instructor and full gear rental. Ask whether it also covers the boat and the ₱150 Mabini conservation fee, because some operators charge these separately.
Sample overnight DSD budget per person (sharing a room for 2, commuting):
- Transport: ₱520–₱720
- One night in a budget-to-mid room, shared: ₱600–₱3,300
- DSD: ₱4,000–₱4,150
- Mabini dive fee: ₱150
- Food: ₱500–₱1,000
- Total: about ₱5,770–₱9,320
Not ready for scuba? A guided intro to freediving session (diving on one breath, no tank) costs about ₱2,495 at Mabini Freediving Club, with resort and dive fees included.
Step 6: Budget for a PADI Open Water Certification Trip
The PADI Open Water Diver course is the first full scuba license. With it you can dive to 18 meters (60 feet) with a buddy anywhere in the world without an instructor. It usually takes 3–4 days: e-learning or classroom theory, pool or shallow-water practice, and 4 open-water training dives.
Course fees in Anilao for 2026:
- About ₱25,000–₱26,650 for one student, usually including gear rental, the license card, and learning materials
- About ₱23,000 per person for 2 students, or ₱22,000 per person for 3 or more, at operators with group pricing
On top of the course, budget for:
- 3 nights' accommodation, shared: ₱1,800–₱9,900
- Mabini dive fee for 2–3 training days: ₱300–₱450
- Food for 4 days: ₱1,500–₱3,000
- Transport: ₱520–₱1,500
That puts the full Open Water trip at about ₱26,000–₱41,000 per person. Enrolling with 2–3 friends is the easiest way to save, often ₱3,000–₱4,000 each. The next level, Advanced Open Water (deeper dives to 30 meters, plus night and navigation dives), costs about ₱20,000–₱23,000 over 2 days.
Step 7: Budget for Licensed Divers (Fun Dives, Gear, and Nitrox)
If you're already certified, you pay per boat dive, and the price per person drops as more divers share the boat. At Anilao Diving Resort, one diver alone pays about ₱3,450 per dive, a pair pays about ₱2,400 each, and 3–4 divers pay about ₱1,750 each.
Common add-ons, using Blue Ribbon Divers' 2026 price list as a reference:
- Full gear rental (BCD, the vest that controls floating and sinking; regulator; wetsuit; mask; fins): about ₱1,200 per day
- Nitrox (enriched-air tanks that give you longer bottom time; you need a separate Nitrox certification): about ₱850 per day
- Conservation fee: ₱150 per day in Mabini waters, plus ₱150 more if you also dive Tingloy sites the same day
A typical licensed diver doing 3 dives a day, sharing a boat with 3 others and renting gear, spends about ₱6,600–₱7,000 per day on diving alone (₱5,250 for dives + ₱1,200 gear + ₱150–₱300 fees). Bringing your own gear saves ₱1,200 a day, which adds up fast if you dive in Anilao often.
Step 8: Don't Forget the Hidden and Easy-to-Miss Costs
These small charges often push a trip ₱500–₱2,000 over budget:
- Two separate dive fees: since January 2026, Mabini and Tingloy each collect their own ₱150 per diver per day. Mabini now gives a waterproof wristband instead of a paper ticket, so keep it on for your whole stay.
- Private boat surcharge: some dive resorts add a fee when your group is too small to fill a shared boat.
- Dive computer rental: often not included in "full gear". Expect a few hundred pesos more per day.
- Tips: giving boat crew and dive guides ₱100–₱300 per diver per day is common and appreciated.
- Parking: some resorts charge day visitors for parking, so ask before you arrive.
- Underwater photos: photo or video packages from guides are usually extra unless bundled, like Mabini Freediving Club's intro session.
- Cash: ATMs in Anilao proper are limited and many small resorts and boatmen take cash only, so withdraw in Batangas City or Lipa on the way.
Step 9: Compare Sample Total Budgets Side by Side
Here are realistic per-person totals by traveler type, assuming you commute and share rooms where relevant:
- Day-tripper (no diving, no overnight): ₱1,670–₱3,000
- Overnight snorkeler + island hopping (group of 8–10): ₱3,000–₱6,000
- First-timer with Discover Scuba (1 night): ₱5,770–₱9,320
- Freediving intro instead of scuba (1 night): ₱4,300–₱7,600
- PADI Open Water course trip (3 nights): ₱26,000–₱41,000
- Licensed diver, 2 dive days with rented gear (2 nights): ₱16,000–₱24,000
To lower any of these: travel on weekdays, when many resorts charge less and boats are easier to share; go with a group so boat and car costs are split; and visit from November to May, Anilao's main diving season, when calm seas mean fewer canceled dives you would otherwise have to rebook.
Frequently Asked Questions
Commuting, a non-diver's day trip costs about ₱1,670–₱3,000 per person: ₱520–₱720 for the round-trip bus, jeepney, and tricycle, ₱1,000–₱1,880 for a resort day-use pass, and ₱150–₱400 for food. Leave Manila before 5:00 AM, since round-trip travel takes 6–8 hours and you want enough time at the beach.
Yes. Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) is made for people with no license and no experience. An instructor briefs you, practices basic skills with you in shallow water, and then guides you on a supervised dive, usually no deeper than 12 meters. In Anilao it costs about ₱4,000–₱4,150 per person, normally including gear. Ask whether the ₱150 Mabini dive fee and the boat are included.
A PADI Open Water Diver course in Anilao costs about ₱25,000–₱26,650 for one student, usually including gear rental, the license card, and learning materials. Some operators drop the price to about ₱23,000 each for two students or ₱22,000 each for three or more. Counting accommodation, food, transport, and dive fees, expect about ₱26,000–₱41,000 for the full trip.
For a regular car or SUV (Class 1), the combined SLEX and STAR Tollway toll from Manila to Batangas is about ₱379 one way, or about ₱758 round trip, after the STAR Tollway rate increase on July 1, 2026. Add roughly ₱1,100–₱1,600 in fuel for the 230–260 km round trip, depending on your car and current pump prices.
The ₱150 per day conservation fee that Mabini and Tingloy each collect is aimed at scuba divers, and it is not clearly confirmed that snorkel-only visitors pay the same amount. Rules can differ by resort and boat operator, so ask when you book. Island hoppers should still budget about ₱200 for the separate Sombrero Island entrance fee.
A private boat from Anilao usually costs about ₱5,000–₱6,000 for up to 10 people, plus about ₱200 per person to enter Sombrero Island. Some boatmen ask an extra ₱500 per boat to include the Sombrero stop. For a full group of 8–10, the total is roughly ₱900–₱1,300 per person, including snorkel rental.
Usually yes, if you dive more than a few days a year. Full gear rental costs about ₱1,200 per day at operators like Blue Ribbon Divers, so a 2-day trip adds ₱2,400 and four weekend trips a year add almost ₱10,000. Owning a mask, fins, and a dive computer first gives you the biggest savings and comfort, even if you still rent the BCD and regulator.
A guided intro to freediving or a snorkeling day pass is the cheapest way. Mabini Freediving Club's open-water intro session costs about ₱2,495 with resort and dive fees included, and Eagle Point's ₱1,000 day-use package includes an hour of guided snorkeling. Both cost far less than scuba but still show you Anilao's reefs and marine life.
Conclusion
An Anilao trip can cost less than ₱2,000 or more than ₱35,000. The difference comes from your activity: swimming and snorkeling are cheap, Discover Scuba is a mid-range splurge, and a full Open Water license is the biggest cost but leaves you with a lifetime certification. Pick your traveler type, add the hidden costs from Step 8, and travel with a group to split boats and tolls. For an itemized standard weekend plan, see our Anilao 3-day travel budget. Confirm prices directly with your resort or dive shop before you go, because rates change by season.
