---
title: "Cebu City vs Tacloban for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cebu-vs-tacloban
description: "Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 50. Cebu City is stronger on internet; Tacloban on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Cebu City vs Tacloban for digital nomads

Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 50. Cebu City is stronger on internet; Tacloban on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Internet.** Cebu City leads on internet, 59 to 49, against Tacloban. Measured download: 22.4 Mbps vs 11.8 Mbps.
- **Getting there & around.** Tacloban leads on getting there & around, 16 to 6, against Cebu City. Non-stop airport destinations: 44 vs 4.
- **Climate.** Cebu City leads on climate, 17 to 8, against Tacloban. Comfortable months: 2 vs 1.

Where they are close: within five points on air quality, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.

**Pick Cebu City if you want** faster internet (22.4 Mbps measured).

**Pick Tacloban if you want** no clear edge over Cebu City in the data.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Cebu City | Tacloban | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 67 | 67 | tie |
| Safety | 47 | 47 | tie |
| Healthcare | 63 | 63 | tie |
| Internet | 59 | 49 | Cebu City |
| Visa ease | 58 | 58 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 6 | 16 | Tacloban |
| Climate | 17 | 8 | Cebu City |
| Air quality | 73 | 77 | Tacloban |
| Quality of life | 61 | 61 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Cebu City | Tacloban | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,150 | $1,150 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $589 | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Cebu City | Tacloban | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 4.31 | 4.31 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 51 | 51 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 69 | 69 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 70.4 yrs | 70.4 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Cebu City | Tacloban | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 22.4 Mbps | 11.8 Mbps | Cebu City |
| Upload | 7.3 Mbps | 6.1 Mbps | Cebu City |

## Visa

| Metric | Cebu City | Tacloban | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa (DNV) | Digital nomad visa (DNV) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | 30 days | 30 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 30 days | 30 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 30 days | 30 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Cebu City | Tacloban | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 44 | 4 | Cebu City |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 3 | Tacloban |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 | Tacloban |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Cebu City | Tacloban | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 2 | 1 | Cebu City |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 17.1 µg/m³ | 15.5 µg/m³ | Tacloban |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Cebu City or Tacloban?

Cebu City and Tacloban cost about the same: roughly $1,150 per month for one person.

### Is Cebu City or Tacloban safer?

Cebu City and Tacloban score the same on safety (47), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Cebu City or Tacloban?

Cebu City: a measured median of 22.4 Mbps versus 11.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Cebu City](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/cebu) · [Tacloban](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/tacloban). 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cebu-vs-tacloban