---
title: "Manila vs Olongapo for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/manila-vs-olongapo
description: "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."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# 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.

## 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 | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 70 | 67 | Manila |
| Safety | 47 | 47 | tie |
| Healthcare | 63 | 63 | tie |
| Internet | 62 | 71 | Olongapo |
| Visa ease | 58 | 58 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 23 | 29 | Olongapo |
| Climate | 25 | 42 | Olongapo |
| Air quality | 77 | 76 | Manila |
| Quality of life | 61 | 61 | tie |

## Cost

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

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Manila | Olongapo | 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 | Manila | Olongapo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 26.9 Mbps | 36.3 Mbps | Olongapo |
| Upload | 7.8 Mbps | 27.2 Mbps | Olongapo |

## Visa

| Metric | Manila | Olongapo | 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 | Manila | Olongapo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 88 | 96 | Olongapo |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 3 | Olongapo |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 2 | Manila |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Manila | Olongapo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 5 | Olongapo |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 15.4 µg/m³ | 15.8 µg/m³ | Manila |

## FAQ

### 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).

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