comparison intelligence
Iloilo vs Siargao
Iloilo and Siargao are close enough that the practical trade-offs matter more than the headline score.
Siargao wins overall
close call$200/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
Siargao
7.0/10
$1,400/month · Philippines
MAYBEpros
- World-class surf breaks right off the main strip
- Thriving, social digital nomad and surf community
- Cheap tropical living with stunning lagoons and islands nearby
cons
- Internet outages and brownouts are common and unpredictable
- Limited serious healthcare, medevac needed for emergencies
- Typhoon season can shut the island down for days
cost breakdown
Where the money goes
Rent$525$525
Food$240$330
Transport$85$90
Coworking$120$155
Entertainment$145$185
Utilities$85$115
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 $1,750 in Siargao.
Based on relative monthly cost estimates in this guide.With $1,500/month
IloiloLeaves about $300Estimated cost: $1,200
SiargaoLeaves about $100Estimated cost: $1,400
score breakdown
Category-by-category
Money
Cost of living4.74.4Iloilo
Remote work
Internet3.52.8Iloilo
Daily life
Walkability3.42.8Iloilo
Food4.53.6Iloilo
Comfort & safety
Healthcare3.42.3Iloilo
Safety3.73.7tied
Weather3.83.8tied
Lifestyle
English friendly4.24.6Siargao
Nightlife3.33.5Siargao
what changes if you move?
Relocation impact
Moving from Iloilo to Siargao gives you English usability for about $200 more per month, but trades off healthcare access and food scene.
Monthly spending+$200
Annual spending+$2,400
Overall scoreAbout the same
HealthcareSignificantly worse (-1.1)
InternetWorse (-0.7)
WalkabilityWorse (-0.6)
FoodWorse (-0.9)
Cost of livingSlightly worse (-0.3)
English friendlySlightly better (+0.4)
English friendly
4.2 → 4.6 · +0.4
Healthcare
3.4 → 2.3 · -1.1
Moving from Siargao to Iloilo gives you healthcare access, food scene and remote-work reliability and saves about $200 per month, but trades off English usability.
Monthly spending-$200
Annual spending-$2,400
Overall scoreAbout the same
HealthcareSignificantly better (+1.1)
InternetBetter (+0.7)
WalkabilityBetter (+0.6)
FoodBetter (+0.9)
Cost of livingSlightly better (+0.3)
English friendlySlightly worse (-0.4)
Healthcare
2.3 → 3.4 · +1.1
English friendly
4.6 → 4.2 · -0.4
what are you paying for?
Siargao costs about $200 more per month
Siargao's premium mainly buys English usability and social energy. The main sacrifices are healthcare access and food scene.
Measurable improvements
- +0.4 English friendly
- +0.2 Nightlife
Measurable sacrifices
- -1.1 Healthcare
- -0.9 Food
- -0.7 Internet
Choose Iloilo if...
- You want to keep monthly spending below roughly $1,500.
- You want stronger budget room, saving about $200 per month versus Siargao.
- Healthcare access matters for a longer stay.
- You need a stronger remote-work connection signal.
Choose Siargao if...
- You want the stronger overall score without a major monthly cost penalty.
- You prefer easier day-to-day English usability.
- You prioritize social energy and nightlife.
- You care enough about English usability to accept weaker healthcare access.
final verdict
So, which one makes more sense?
This is a genuine close call. The cities are similarly rated overall, so the decision is mostly lifestyle: Iloilo is measurably stronger on healthcare access, while cost and personal priorities decide the final fit.