El Nido vs Manila — Digital Nomad Comparison 2026

At a glance

At a glance
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Country	Philippines	Philippines
Nomad score	5.5 / 10	6.5 / 10
Cost of living	$1,192 / mo	$2,039 / mo
Internet speed	Data unavailable	Data unavailable
Weather now	30° / 26°C	33° / 27°C
Air quality (AQI)	30 Good	91 Moderate
Community votes	0 0	0 0

Climate averages

Yearly averages of monthly climate data

Climate averages
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Average high	29.6°C	31°C
Average low	25.1°C	24.9°C
Precipitation	180 mm / mo	186 mm / mo
Sunshine	289 h / mo	297 h / mo
Humidity	82%	78%
Rain days	20.4 / mo	19.1 / mo
Wind speed	17.2 km/h	16 km/h

PH El Nido · average high by month

J 29 F 29 M 30 A 31 M 31 J 30 J 29 A 29 S 29 O 29 N 30 D 29

PH Manila · average high by month

J 30 F 31 M 32 A 34 M 34 J 31 J 30 A 30 S 30 O 30 N 31 D 30

Air quality

Air quality
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
US AQI	30	91
PM2.5	3.4 µg/m³	36.9 µg/m³
PM10	4 µg/m³	37 µg/m³
Ozone	62 µg/m³	86 µg/m³
UV index	0	0

Business & Economy

Scores out of 10

Business & Economy
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Blockchain & Crypto Adoption	3.0	6.8
Local Payment Services	5.0	8.0
Startup Scene	2.6	7.1

Climate & Environment

Scores out of 10

Climate & Environment
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Air Conditioning	6.3	7.4
Green Spaces	8.6	3.8
Natural Disaster Risk	2.9	2.3
Noise Pollution	4.5	2.6
Seasonal Variety	3.0	2.4
Weather	5.7	4.1

Connectivity

Scores out of 10

Connectivity
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Mobile Network Coverage	7.0	8.4
Power Grid Reliability	4.7	6.8
Public WiFi Availability	3.7	6.0
VPN Reliability	7.4	7.9

Cost & Affordability

Scores out of 10

Cost & Affordability
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Accommodation Cost	5.1	6.5
Cost of Living	6.1	7.1
Currency Stability	6.6	6.0
Entertainment Cost	6.0	7.0
Food & Groceries	6.4	7.5
Gym Membership Cost	5.4	6.4
Transportation Cost	7.1	7.7

Culture & Entertainment

Scores out of 10

Culture & Entertainment
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Culture	5.8	7.8
Indoors Fun	2.9	7.7
Language Learning Opportunities	4.1	7.2
Local Experiences & Tours	8.8	7.9
Nightlife	5.2	8.1
Outdoors & Nature	9.5	5.1

Digital Nomad Community

Scores out of 10

Digital Nomad Community
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Nomad Events & Meetups	3.4	6.4
Nomad Friendly	5.6	6.7
Online Community Presence	3.8	6.4

Digital Nomad Essentials

Scores out of 10

Digital Nomad Essentials
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Cafes with WiFi	4.8	7.5
Coworking Spaces Availability	3.4	8.4
Digital Nomad Friendly Cafes	4.0	7.0
Digital Nomad Popularity	4.0	6.0
Internet Speed	5.3	7.4
Local SIM Card Availability	7.3	9.0

Food & Fitness

Scores out of 10

Food & Fitness
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Fitness Facilities	4.1	7.6
Food Scene	6.5	8.2
Healthy Food Options	5.9	6.7
Yoga Studios	5.3	6.7

Healthcare

Scores out of 10

Healthcare
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Healthcare	4.3	7.2
Healthcare Affordability	8.1	8.2
Healthcare Quality	3.9	6.9

Legal & Administrative

Scores out of 10

Legal & Administrative
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Digital Nomad Visa Availability	2.2	2.1
Ease of Business Registration	3.3	4.3
Ease of Opening Bank Account	3.7	3.9
Freedom of Speech	5.0	5.5
Political Stability	5.1	5.8
Tax Friendliness	5.5	5.4
Visa Ease	7.0	6.9

Quality of Life

Scores out of 10

Quality of Life
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Air Quality	8.2	3.5
Cleanliness	5.9	4.4
Environmental Quality	8.3	4.2
Family Friendly	6.2	6.2
Language Barrier	8.0	8.3
Work-Life Balance	8.0	5.6

Safety & Tolerance

Scores out of 10

Safety & Tolerance
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Female Friendly	7.5	7.1
Racial Tolerance	7.4	7.4
Safety	7.5	6.5

Transportation

Scores out of 10

Transportation
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Airport Connectivity	4.0	8.3
Cycling	3.1	3.3
Intercity Travel Options	3.8	6.7
Public Transit	2.6	5.1
Ride-sharing Services	1.2	8.7
Scooter/Bike Rental Availability	7.7	3.5
Walkability	5.4	4.1

Work Environment

Scores out of 10

Work Environment
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Coworking Quality	3.7	6.9
Freelance Ecosystem	3.4	6.1
Networking Opportunities	3.7	6.6
Remote Job Opportunities	3.1	5.9
Time Zone Favorability	7.2	6.9

Clothing

Local prices in US dollars

Clothing
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Jeans	$41 per pair	$47 per pair
Summer Dress	$13 per dress	$27 per dress
Running Shoes	$65 per pair	$80 per pair

Dining Out

Local prices in US dollars

Dining Out
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Dining Out	$33 per month	$67 per month

Entertainment

Local prices in US dollars

Entertainment
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Cinema Ticket	$4.08 per ticket	$6.34 per ticket

Food & Dining

Local prices in US dollars

Food & Dining
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Coffee	$2.12 per cup	$2.92 per cup
Beer	$1.96 per pint	$1.59 per pint
Meal (Inexpensive)	$2.94 per meal	$4.17 per meal
Meal (Mid-range, 2 people)	$33 per meal	$37 per meal
Fast Food Combo	$2.94 per meal	$3.67 per meal
Apples	$2.94 per kg	$3.09 per kg
Bread	$1.31 per loaf	$1.42 per loaf
Water (1.5L bottle)	$0.49 per bottle	$0.75 per bottle
Milk	$1.96 per liter	$1.84 per liter
Rice	$0.98 per kg	$1.08 per kg
Chicken Fillets	$4.57 per kg	$5.34 per kg
Beef	$8.17 per kg	$8.01 per kg
Wine (Mid-range)	$16 per bottle	$11 per bottle

Groceries

Local prices in US dollars

Groceries
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Groceries	$98 per month	$167 per month

Health Insurance

Local prices in US dollars

Health Insurance
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Health Insurance	$8.17 per month	$14 per month

Healthcare

Local prices in US dollars

Healthcare
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Doctor Visit (GP)	$13 per visit	$15 per visit
Pharmacy (basic meds)	$1.63 per purchase	$7.51 per purchase

Housing

Local prices in US dollars

Housing
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Housing	$131 per month	$200 per month
Apartment (1 bedroom)	$245 per month	$542 per month
Airbnb (1 month)	$735 per month	$1,085 per month
Coworking Space	$98 per month	$159 per month
Coliving Space	$408 per month	$300 per month

Internet & Mobile

Local prices in US dollars

Internet & Mobile
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Internet & Mobile	$16 per month	$25 per month

Leisure Activities

Local prices in US dollars

Leisure Activities
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Leisure Activities	$8.17 per month	$33 per month

Personal Care

Local prices in US dollars

Personal Care
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Haircut	$3.27 per visit	$9.18 per visit
Laundry	$2.45 per kg	$4.17 per kg

Services

Local prices in US dollars

Services
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Mobile Plan	$9.80 per month	$20 per month
Internet (60 Mbps+)	$29 per month	$33 per month
SIM Card (Tourist, prepaid)	$6.53 one-time	$8.34 one-time
Gym Membership	$33 per month	$47 per month
Tennis Court (Weekend)	$8.17 per hour	$10 per hour

Transportation

Local prices in US dollars

Transportation
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Transportation	$25 per month	$50 per month
Taxi Start	$1.31 per trip	$0.75 per trip
Taxi per km	$0.33 per km	$0.25 per km
Monthly Transport Pass	$49 per month	$30 per month
Ride-hailing (5km)	$2.94 per trip	$4.17 per trip
Gasoline	$1.06 per liter	$1.21 per liter
Scooter Rental	$8.17 per month	$10 per month

Utilities

Local prices in US dollars

Utilities
	PH El Nido	PH Manila
Utilities	$25 per month	$58 per month