---
title: "El Nido (Palawan) vs Puerto Princesa for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/el-nido-vs-puerto-princesa
description: "Under balanced weights El Nido (Palawan) edges it, 53 to 52, winning 2 of the 9 factors. El Nido (Palawan) is stronger on nothing outright; Puerto Princesa on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# El Nido (Palawan) vs Puerto Princesa for digital nomads

Under balanced weights El Nido (Palawan) edges it, 53 to 52, winning 2 of the 9 factors. El Nido (Palawan) is stronger on nothing outright; Puerto Princesa on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | El Nido (Palawan) | Puerto Princesa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 55 | 55 | tie |
| Safety | 47 | 47 | tie |
| Healthcare | 54 | 54 | tie |
| Internet | 59 | 60 | Puerto Princesa |
| Visa ease | 58 | 58 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 21 | 26 | Puerto Princesa |
| Climate | 33 | 25 | El Nido (Palawan) |
| Air quality | 89 | 88 | El Nido (Palawan) |
| Quality of life | 58 | 58 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | El Nido (Palawan) | Puerto Princesa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,150 | $1,150 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | El Nido (Palawan) | Puerto Princesa | 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 | 66.4 yrs | 66.4 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | El Nido (Palawan) | Puerto Princesa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 21.3 Mbps | 20.1 Mbps | El Nido (Palawan) |
| Upload | 8.5 Mbps | 12.8 Mbps | Puerto Princesa |

## Visa

| Metric | El Nido (Palawan) | Puerto Princesa | 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 | El Nido (Palawan) | Puerto Princesa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 5 | 5 | tie |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 | Puerto Princesa |

## Climate and air

| Metric | El Nido (Palawan) | Puerto Princesa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 3 | El Nido (Palawan) |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 9.8 µg/m³ | 10.3 µg/m³ | El Nido (Palawan) |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, El Nido (Palawan) or Puerto Princesa?

Puerto Princesa is cheaper: about $1,150 per month versus $1,150 for one person.

### Is El Nido (Palawan) or Puerto Princesa safer?

El Nido (Palawan) scores higher on safety (47 vs 47), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, El Nido (Palawan) or Puerto Princesa?

El Nido (Palawan): a measured median of 21.3 Mbps versus 20.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [El Nido (Palawan)](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/el-nido) · [Puerto Princesa](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/puerto-princesa). 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); 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.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/el-nido-vs-puerto-princesa