Manila vs Yogyakarta
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights the two cities tie. Manila is stronger on internet, quality of life, visa ease; Yogyakarta on climate, safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Manila | Yogyakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 65 | 67 ✓ |
| Safety | 33 | 50 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 51 | 53 ✓ |
| Internet | 56 ✓ | 39 |
| Visa ease | 33 ✓ | 22 |
| Getting there & around | 22 ✓ | 15 |
| Climate | 25 | 50 ✓ |
| Air quality | 77 | 78 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 57 ✓ | 45 |
Cost
| Metric | Manila | Yogyakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,042 | $1,000 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Manila | Yogyakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 12.7 | 4.1 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 52.7 | 55.5 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 69 ✓ | 67 |
| Life expectancy | 66.4 yrs | 68.3 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Manila | Yogyakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 26.9 Mbps ✓ | 11.4 Mbps |
| Upload | 7.8 Mbps ✓ | 5.7 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Manila | Yogyakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | Visa Rumah Kedua Pekerja Jarak Jauh ✓ |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $4,998/mo |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 30 days ✓ | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 30 days ✓ | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 30 days ✓ | visa or e-visa required |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Manila | Yogyakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 85 ✓ | 3 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 3 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Manila | Yogyakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 6 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 15.4 µg/m³ | 14.7 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Manila or Yogyakarta?
- Yogyakarta is cheaper: about $1,000 per month versus $1,042 for one person.
- Is Manila or Yogyakarta safer?
- Yogyakarta scores higher on safety (50 vs 33), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Manila or Yogyakarta?
- Manila: a measured median of 26.9 Mbps versus 11.4 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Manila vs Davao City
- Manila vs Cebu City
- Yogyakarta vs Ubud (Bali)
- Yogyakarta vs Canggu (Bali)
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; 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). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.