How much does a caregiver cost in Metro Manila? (2026)

It usually starts on a Sunday night. Lola is home from the hospital and can't be alone during the day. Your sister in Dubai wants to chip in. And the family group chat asks the same question: magkano ba talaga? How much does it really cost?

The honest answer is "it depends," but on things you can name and plan for. Below: the legal floors, today's market rates, and how the ways of hiring compare.

Rates here come from public sources checked on 6 October 2026. They vary by caregiver, schedule and location, and they change, so treat them as a planning guide, not a quote. This article isn't legal or medical advice.

First: what does "caregiver cost" actually mean?

Families often compare numbers that measure different things. Check which one you're looking at.

Hourly or on-demand care

You book a block of time (a 4-hour clinic visit, an 8-hour day shift, a 10-hour overnight) and pay per hour. Good for help a few days a week, cover on the regular yaya's day off, or support after a hospital stay.

Live-in care (monthly or per day)

The caregiver lives with you and is usually paid monthly, sometimes per day. Board and lodging come on top of the salary, not out of it. The law also guarantees a live-in caregiver real rest time (more below).

Hospital watcher (bantay)

Someone stays at the bedside so the family can rest or go to work. Usually priced per shift (often 12 hours) or per hour. Hospitals set their own watcher rules — some allow one adult companion and issue a watcher ID — so always check the hospital’s policy first.

What's included, and what's extra

Ask about these before you agree on a number:

• Transport. Live-out caregivers commute. Some agencies charge it separately; others build it in.
• Meals on long shifts.
• Night premiums for overnight or awake-all-night care.
• Extra household work like laundry or cooking for the whole family. Agree on it separately.
• Government contributions and 13th-month pay if you employ someone directly (see below).

The legal floors in Metro Manila (2026)

These are official minimums, not "fair" rates.

Table 1. NCR legal pay floors, 2026 (official sources)

Which floor applies depends on who you hire and how:

• Certified caregivers (RA 11965). The law defines a "caregiver" as someone TESDA-assessed and certified (for example, Caregiving NC II) or a licensed health professional listed with DOLE.
• Household help without that certification generally falls under the Batas Kasambahay (RA 10361).
• If you directly employ someone full-time, both laws expect a written contract, SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG coverage, 13th-month pay, and paid leave after a year.
• Kasambahays are also entitled to 8 hours' rest a day and 24 consecutive hours' rest a week, and must be registered with your barangay.

Not sure which law covers your situation? Ask DOLE.

2026 Metro Manila market ranges

These are market observations, not government statistics. Each is linked so you can check it yourself.

Yaya / household caregiver (monthly)

Table 2. Typical monthly yaya pay in Metro Manila, by experience and setup (source: Pinoyaya, July 2026)

Source: Pinoyaya's Metro Manila yaya guide, updated 25 July 2026. Pinoyaya also suggests budgeting about ₱1,500–₱2,500/month for the employer's share of SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG, plus board and lodging for live-in.

For an elderly parent at home, Helpers.ph puts typical household-caregiver pay at ₱9,000–₱16,000/month as a provincial baseline, with Metro Manila about 20–30% higher. For a TESDA-certified caregiver employed full-time at the current NCR daily minimum, a simple floor works out to ₱19,630/month (₱755 × 26 days) — Helpers.ph rounds a similar figure to about ₱19,600.

Agency caregivers (per 12-hour shift)

Few Metro Manila home-care agencies publish prices. Home Health Care Philippines does:

Table 3. Agency rates per 12-hour shift, Home Health Care Philippines (effective 1 Oct 2026)

That price covers more than the caregiver's pay. The agency says it includes the caregiver's professional fee, a transport allowance, case-manager supervision and a management fee. You also don't choose the caregiver; the agency assigns one.

Hourly and on-demand care on Kalingap

On Kalingap, each caregiver sets their own rate, and it can't go below the platform floor for that service:

Table 4. Kalingap platform rate floors by service (live service pages, 6 Oct 2026)

These are floors, not averages. Experienced caregivers often charge more, and every profile shows the rate before you book. Example: a 12-hour hospital-watcher shift at the ₱110 floor costs at least ₱1,320.

What about hospital watchers?

We couldn't find a reliable published market range for independent hospital watchers in Metro Manila. Most rates are quoted privately in Facebook groups and vary case by case. Our advice: compare per-hour rates over the same shift length, and ask whether meals and transport are included.

What pushes the price up or down

• Experience and specialisation. Dementia, bedridden or post-surgery support, and newborn nights cost more than companionship and errands.
• Credentials. TESDA Caregiving NC II, plus an NBI clearance you can actually check.
• Nights and long shifts. Overnight and awake-all-night care usually cost more, and RA 11965 gives covered caregivers a night-shift differential.
• Live-in vs on-demand. Live-in is cheaper per hour but adds board, lodging and rest-time obligations. On-demand costs more per hour, but you pay only for the hours you need.
• City and commute. Pinoyaya’s Metro Manila yaya guide treats denser, higher-cost areas (including Makati and nearby CBDs) as typically pricier, while cities like Quezon City and Pasig often have a larger nearby pool (Pinoyaya). A long commute can affect both the rate and how reliably someone shows up. Treat city premiums as a planning rule of thumb, not a fixed price list.
• Scope creep. "Bantayan lang si Lola" (just keep an eye on Lola) can quietly become cooking, laundry and cleaning. Write the scope down.

Agency vs marketplace vs Facebook: the real tradeoffs

Table 5. How the three main ways of hiring compare

Agencies make sense if you need a guaranteed reliever or ICU-level support. Facebook can be fast and cheap, but you usually can't confirm who's showing up at your door.

Kalingap sits in between. You browse caregivers and see their rates and checks upfront. Every badge names the check behind it — for example NBI checked, ID matched, Interviewed, or NC II — so you can see which steps that caregiver has completed. Our team reviews documents such as a government ID (front and back); caregivers may also submit an NC II Caregiving certificate and complete a team interview. Not every badge appears on every profile, and approval can complete without a scheduled interview when policy allows. Always read the badges on the profile you’re considering.

You pay the caregiver directly. Kalingap takes 0% commission and holds no money, so caregivers keep 100% of what you agree.

Our caregivers provide non-clinical home help. For medication changes, wound care or any medical decision, involve your doctor or a licensed nurse.

How to budget realistically

1. Write the care plan first. Hours, tasks, nights or not, and whether lifting or mobility support is needed.
2. Pick the arrangement: a few on-demand shifts a week, live-out daily, or live-in.
3. Count the full cost, not just the headline rate: transport, meals, night premiums and, if you employ someone directly, contributions and 13th-month pay.
4. Plan backup for rest days, sickness or a sudden hospital stay.
5. Split it early. If siblings here and abroad share the cost, agree who pays the caregiver before care starts.

Red flags

• A rate far below the legal floors above. It often hides fees or unpaid overtime.
• A "verified" claim with no explanation of what was checked.
• Requests to send a deposit to a third party before you've met or confirmed the caregiver.
• Refusal to put hours and tasks in writing.
• Anyone offering to diagnose, adjust medicines, or do clinical procedures outside their training.

Find care that fits your budget

Rates make more sense next to real profiles. Browse verified caregivers in Metro Manila, compare rates and named checks, and filter by service. It's free, and no account is needed.

Looking for something specific? See elderly care, hospital watcher, childcare, or live-in care. Curious how our checks work? Read how Kalingap verifies caregivers.

---

Kalingap is a marketplace that connects families with independent caregivers. It is not an employment agency or a medical provider. Rates vary by caregiver, schedule and location, and the market figures above are third-party observations that may change. We refresh wage floors and cited market ranges when DOLE/NWPC wage orders change, or at least quarterly — last reviewed 6 October 2026. Check current wage orders with DOLE/NWPC before making employment decisions.

Sources (accessed 6 October 2026)

1. NWPC, NCR current daily minimum wage rates & domestic worker minimum wage (Wage Orders NCR-28, NCR-27, NCR-DW-06): https://nwpc.dole.gov.ph/ncr/
2. NWPC, Kasambahays in NCR to receive P800 monthly minimum wage increase (27 Jan 2026): https://nwpc.dole.gov.ph/kasambahays-in-ncr-to-receive-p800-monthly-minimum-wage-increase/
3. RTWPB-NCR, Wage Order No. NCR-DW-06 (PDF): https://nwpc.dole.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Wage-Order-No.-NCR-DW-06.pdf
4. Philippine News Agency, P60 NCR wage hike in full effect Sept. 26: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1284905
5. Republic Act No. 11965, Caregivers' Welfare Act (Lawphil): https://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2023/ra_11965_2023.html
6. Republic Act No. 10361, Batas Kasambahay / Domestic Workers Act (Lawphil): https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2013/ra_10361_2013.html
7. NWPC, RA 10361 overview: https://nwpc.dole.gov.ph/ra-10361-an-act-instituting-policies-for-the-protection-and-welfare-of-domestic-workers/
8. Pinoyaya, Find a Verified Yaya in Metro Manila: 2026 Guide (updated 25 Jul 2026): https://pinoyaya.com/yaya-manila
9. Pinoyaya, How Much to Pay a Yaya in 2026 (updated 28 May 2026): https://pinoyaya.com/blog/how-much-pay-yaya-2026
10. Helpers.ph, Caregiver salary Philippines 2026 (reviewed 13 Sep 2026): https://helpers.ph/guides/caregiver-salary-philippines
11. Home Health Care Philippines, Caregiver Services – 12-Hour Shifts (rates effective 1 Oct 2026): https://homehealthcare.com.ph/services/private-duty-caregivers
12. Olivarez General Hospital, Patient's Guide: During Your Stay (watcher policy example): https://www.olivarezgeneralhospital.com/during-your-stay
13. Kalingap service pages (platform rate floors): https://www.kalingap.app/services/elderly_care · https://www.kalingap.app/services/hospital_watcher · https://www.kalingap.app/services/childcare · https://www.kalingap.app/services/live_in · https://www.kalingap.app/services/overnight_care · https://www.kalingap.app/services/post_surgery · https://www.kalingap.app/services/appointment_companion
14. Kalingap, How it works (verification checks): https://www.kalingap.app/how-it-works
15. NBI Clearance (official portal): https://clearance.nbi.gov.ph/
16. TESDA (Caregiving NC II): https://www.tesda.gov.ph/