Manila vs Olongapo
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Olongapo edges it, 57 to 54, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Manila is stronger on nothing outright; Olongapo on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Former US Navy town beside the Subic Bay Freeport
Full Olongapo profile →Plan a trip to Olongapo →Where they differ
- Climate. Olongapo leads on climate, 42 to 25, against Manila. Comfortable months: 3 vs 5.
- Internet. Olongapo leads on internet, 71 to 62, against Manila. Measured download: 26.9 Mbps vs 36.3 Mbps.
- Getting there & around. Olongapo leads on getting there & around, 29 to 23, against Manila. Non-stop airport destinations: 88 vs 96.
Where they are close. Within five points on cost of living, air quality, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Manila if you want
- to spend about $49 less a month
Pick Olongapo if you want
- faster internet (36.3 Mbps measured)
- a longer comfortable season (5 months against 3)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Manila | Olongapo |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 70 ✓ | 67 |
| Safety | 47 | 47 |
| Healthcare | 63 | 63 |
| Internet | 62 | 71 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 58 | 58 |
| Getting there & around | 23 | 29 ✓ |
| Climate | 25 | 42 ✓ |
| Air quality | 77 ✓ | 76 |
| Quality of life | 61 | 61 |
Cost
| Metric | Manila | Olongapo |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,101 ✓ | $1,150 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Manila | Olongapo |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 4.31 | 4.31 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 51 | 51 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 69 | 69 |
| Life expectancy | 70.4 yrs | 70.4 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Manila | Olongapo |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 26.9 Mbps | 36.3 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 7.8 Mbps | 27.2 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Manila | Olongapo |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa (DNV) | Digital nomad visa (DNV) |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 30 days | 30 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 30 days | 30 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 30 days | 30 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Manila | Olongapo |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 88 | 96 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 3 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Manila | Olongapo |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 5 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 15.4 µg/m³ ✓ | 15.8 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Manila or Olongapo?
- Manila is cheaper: about $1,101 per month versus $1,150 for one person.
- Is Manila or Olongapo safer?
- Manila and Olongapo score the same on safety (47), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Manila or Olongapo?
- Olongapo: a measured median of 36.3 Mbps versus 26.9 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); 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. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.