---
title: "Lucena vs Manila for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/lucena-vs-manila
description: "Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 54. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. 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
---

# Lucena vs Manila for digital nomads

Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 54. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Climate.** Manila leads on climate, 25 to 17, against Lucena. Comfortable months: 2 vs 3.

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

**Pick Lucena if you want** no clear edge over Manila in the data.

**Pick Manila if you want** to spend about $49 less a month.

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

| Metric | Lucena | Manila | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 67 | 70 | Manila |
| Safety | 47 | 47 | tie |
| Healthcare | 63 | 63 | tie |
| Internet | 65 | 62 | Lucena |
| Visa ease | 58 | 58 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 23 | 23 | tie |
| Climate | 17 | 25 | Manila |
| Air quality | 81 | 77 | Lucena |
| Quality of life | 61 | 61 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Lucena | Manila | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,150 | $1,101 | Manila |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Lucena | Manila | 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 | Lucena | Manila | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 26.1 Mbps | 26.9 Mbps | Manila |
| Upload | 21.4 Mbps | 7.8 Mbps | Lucena |

## Visa

| Metric | Lucena | Manila | 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 | Lucena | Manila | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 88 | 88 | tie |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 1 | Lucena |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 | Manila |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Lucena | Manila | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 2 | 3 | Manila |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.6 µg/m³ | 15.4 µg/m³ | Lucena |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Lucena or Manila?

Manila is cheaper: about $1,101 per month versus $1,150 for one person.

### Is Lucena or Manila safer?

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

### Where is the internet faster, Lucena or Manila?

Manila: a measured median of 26.9 Mbps versus 26.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Lucena](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/lucena) · [Manila](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/manila). 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/lucena-vs-manila