NavoyNostos

Bacolod vs Iloilo City

for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Iloilo City edges it, 52 to 49, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Bacolod is stronger on nothing outright; Iloilo City on getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

Cost of living: 6.1 of 49 points (scores 55/100)Safety: 5.3 of 49 points (scores 47/100)Healthcare: 6.0 of 49 points (scores 54/100)Internet: 5.1 of 49 points (scores 46/100)Visa ease: 6.5 of 49 points (scores 58/100)Getting there & around: 2.9 of 49 points (scores 26/100)Climate: 2.8 of 49 points (scores 25/100)Air quality: 8.2 of 49 points (scores 74/100)Quality of life: 6.4 of 49 points (scores 58/100)49
Bacolod
out of 100

Easy-going sugar city with the MassKara festival and the best chicken inasal

Full Bacolod profile →Where to stay in Bacolod →
Cost of living: 6.1 of 52 points (scores 55/100)Safety: 5.3 of 52 points (scores 47/100)Healthcare: 6.0 of 52 points (scores 54/100)Internet: 5.4 of 52 points (scores 49/100)Visa ease: 6.5 of 52 points (scores 58/100)Getting there & around: 4.4 of 52 points (scores 40/100)Climate: 2.8 of 52 points (scores 25/100)Air quality: 9.1 of 52 points (scores 82/100)Quality of life: 6.4 of 52 points (scores 58/100)52
Iloilo City
out of 100

The Philippines' tidiest mid-size city, with bike lanes

Full Iloilo City profile →Where to stay in Iloilo City →

Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

MetricBacolodIloilo City
Cost of living5555
Safety4747
Healthcare5454
Internet4649 ✓
Visa ease5858
Getting there & around2640 ✓
Climate2525
Air quality7482 ✓
Quality of life5858

Cost

MetricBacolodIloilo City
Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city$1,150$1,150
Central one-bedroom rentno datano data

Safety and health (country-level)

MetricBacolodIloilo City
Homicides per 100k4.314.31
Political stability (0–100)5151
UHC service coverage (0–100)6969
Life expectancy66.4 yrs66.4 yrs

Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

MetricBacolodIloilo City
Download11.6 Mbps12.5 Mbps ✓
Upload2.7 Mbps4.5 Mbps ✓

Visa

MetricBacolodIloilo City
Nomad visaDigital nomad visa (DNV)Digital nomad visa (DNV)
Minimum income for the visano datano data
Entry, US passport30 days30 days
Entry, EU passport30 days30 days
Entry, UK passport30 days30 days

Getting there and around

MetricBacolodIloilo City
Non-stop airport destinations312 ✓
Walkability (1–5, editorial)33
Transit (1–5, editorial)22

Climate and air

MetricBacolodIloilo City
Comfortable months per year33
Annual mean PM2.516.7 µg/m³13.3 µg/m³ ✓

✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper, Bacolod or Iloilo City?
Iloilo City is cheaper: about $1,150 per month versus $1,150 for one person.
Is Bacolod or Iloilo City safer?
Bacolod scores higher on safety (47 vs 47), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
Where is the internet faster, Bacolod or Iloilo City?
Iloilo City: a measured median of 12.5 Mbps versus 11.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

More comparisons

Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.