comparison intelligence
Iloilo vs Mataram / Lombok
Iloilo has the stronger overall score, while Iloilo has the lower monthly estimate.
Iloilo wins overall
near identical$50/mo gap0.1 score gap
quick decision
Who wins where?
Iloilo
6.9/10
$1,200/month · Philippines
MAYBEpros
- Low estimated monthly cost around $1,200
- English is widely usable
- Strong local food culture
cons
- Not ideal for fast-internet-dependent work
- Nightlife is limited
- Tropical heat and storm disruption matter
Mataram / Lombok
6.8/10
$1,250/month · Indonesia
MAYBEpros
- Gateway to Gili Islands, Rinjani, and Kuta Lombok beaches
- Very affordable living costs
- Less crowded and cheaper than Bali
cons
- City itself is not attractive — functional rather than charming
- Limited coworking and nomad infrastructure
- Internet is unreliable
cost breakdown
Where the money goes
Rent$525$545
Food$240$250
Transport$85$90
Coworking$120$125
Entertainment$145$150
Utilities$85$90
money / equivalent lifestyle
What your money buys
To keep roughly the same spending flexibility you get from $1,500 in Iloilo, you would need about $1,575 in Mataram / Lombok.
Based on relative monthly cost estimates in this guide.With $1,500/month
IloiloLeaves about $300Estimated cost: $1,200
Mataram / LombokLeaves about $250Estimated cost: $1,250
score breakdown
Category-by-category
Money
Cost of living4.74.6Iloilo
Remote work
Internet3.52.0Iloilo
Daily life
Food4.53.5Iloilo
Walkability3.43.4tied
Comfort & safety
Healthcare3.42.9Iloilo
Safety3.73.5Iloilo
Weather3.83.9Mataram / Lombok
Lifestyle
English friendly4.23.1Iloilo
Nightlife3.32.5Iloilo
what changes if you move?
Relocation impact
Moving from Iloilo to Mataram / Lombok gives you no major measurable upgrade for about $50 more per month, but trades off remote-work reliability and English usability.
Monthly spending+$50
Annual spending+$600
Overall scoreAbout the same
InternetDramatically worse (-1.5)
English friendlySignificantly worse (-1.1)
FoodSignificantly worse (-1.0)
HealthcareWorse (-0.5)
NightlifeWorse (-0.8)
SafetySlightly worse (-0.2)
No clear upgrade
Internet
3.5 → 2.0 · -1.5
Moving from Mataram / Lombok to Iloilo gives you remote-work reliability, English usability and food scene and saves about $50 per month, but trades off few obvious category sacrifices.
Monthly spending-$50
Annual spending-$600
Overall scoreAbout the same
InternetDramatically better (+1.5)
English friendlySignificantly better (+1.1)
FoodSignificantly better (+1.0)
HealthcareBetter (+0.5)
NightlifeBetter (+0.8)
SafetySlightly better (+0.2)
Internet
2.0 → 3.5 · +1.5
No clear downgrade
Choose Iloilo if...
- You want to keep monthly spending below roughly $1,500.
- You want stronger budget room, saving about $50 per month versus Mataram / Lombok.
- You want the stronger overall score without a major monthly cost penalty.
- You want the cleaner value pick: higher score and lower estimated cost.
Choose Mataram / Lombok if...
- You care enough about the stronger categories to accept weaker remote-work reliability.
final verdict
So, which one makes more sense?
Iloilo has the stronger overall score, while Iloilo has the clearer budget advantage. Iloilo is measurably stronger on remote-work reliability.