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Cebu City vs Iloilo City

for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Iloilo City edges it, 52 to 51, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Cebu City is stronger on internet; Iloilo City on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

Cost of living: 6.1 of 51 points (scores 55/100)Safety: 5.3 of 51 points (scores 47/100)Healthcare: 6.0 of 51 points (scores 54/100)Internet: 6.6 of 51 points (scores 59/100)Visa ease: 6.5 of 51 points (scores 58/100)Getting there & around: 4.1 of 51 points (scores 37/100)Climate: 1.9 of 51 points (scores 17/100)Air quality: 8.1 of 51 points (scores 73/100)Quality of life: 6.4 of 51 points (scores 58/100)51
Cebu City
out of 100

Island base with English everywhere

Full Cebu City profile →Where to stay in Cebu City →
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)

MetricCebu CityIloilo City
Cost of living5555
Safety4747
Healthcare5454
Internet59 ✓49
Visa ease5858
Getting there & around3740 ✓
Climate1725 ✓
Air quality7382 ✓
Quality of life5858

Cost

MetricCebu CityIloilo 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)

MetricCebu CityIloilo 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)

MetricCebu CityIloilo City
Download22.4 Mbps ✓12.5 Mbps
Upload7.3 Mbps ✓4.5 Mbps

Visa

MetricCebu CityIloilo 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

MetricCebu CityIloilo City
Non-stop airport destinations43 ✓12
Walkability (1–5, editorial)13 ✓
Transit (1–5, editorial)12 ✓

Climate and air

MetricCebu CityIloilo City
Comfortable months per year23 ✓
Annual mean PM2.517.1 µg/m³13.3 µg/m³ ✓

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

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper, Cebu City or Iloilo City?
Iloilo City is cheaper: about $1,150 per month versus $1,150 for one person.
Is Cebu City or Iloilo City safer?
Cebu City scores higher on safety (47 vs 47), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
Where is the internet faster, Cebu City or Iloilo City?
Cebu City: a measured median of 22.4 Mbps versus 12.5 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); 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.