Baguio vs Jakarta
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Baguio edges it, 54 to 53, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Baguio is stronger on air quality, quality of life; Jakarta on safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Cool mountain city of the Philippine highlands
Full Baguio profile →Where to stay in Baguio →Indonesia's megacity, cheap and chaotic
Full Jakarta profile →Where to stay in Jakarta →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Baguio | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 55 | 55 ✓ |
| Safety | 47 | 67 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 54 | 56 ✓ |
| Internet | 63 ✓ | 54 |
| Visa ease | 58 ✓ | 54 |
| Getting there & around | 47 | 56 ✓ |
| Climate | 50 | 50 |
| Air quality | 50 ✓ | 36 |
| Quality of life | 58 ✓ | 45 |
Cost
| Metric | Baguio | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,150 | $1,127 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $550 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Baguio | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 4.31 | 0.41 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 51 | 52.7 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 69 ✓ | 67 |
| Life expectancy | 66.4 yrs | 68.3 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Baguio | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 23.1 Mbps ✓ | 15.8 Mbps |
| Upload | 18.7 Mbps ✓ | 8.3 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Baguio | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa (DNV) | Remote worker visa (E33G) |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $5,000/mo |
| Entry, US passport | 30 days | visa on arrival ✓ |
| Entry, EU passport | 30 days | visa on arrival ✓ |
| Entry, UK passport | 30 days | visa on arrival ✓ |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Baguio | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 24 | 98 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 1 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Baguio | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 6 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 27.3 µg/m³ ✓ | 33.8 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Baguio or Jakarta?
- Jakarta is cheaper: about $1,127 per month versus $1,150 for one person.
- Is Baguio or Jakarta safer?
- Jakarta scores higher on safety (67 vs 47), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Baguio or Jakarta?
- Baguio: a measured median of 23.1 Mbps versus 15.8 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); 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); 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.