Oaxaca vs Siargao

Real cost of living, rent, internet, safety and visa terms for both cities, side by side — then open the interactive tool to weight them against your own priorities.

Oaxaca, Mexico
🇲🇽Mexico

Oaxaca

73Freedom Score#38Global rank$1,108Per month

Mexico's culinary capital — mole, mezcal, and colonial streets at ultra-low cost, with a fast-growing slow-travel nomad scene.

Siargao, Philippines
🇵🇭Philippines

Siargao

66Freedom Score#62Global rank$1,000Per month

The Philippines' surf-island paradise — Cloud 9 waves, palm-fringed lagoons, and a tight island-nomad community with an easy 30-day visa.

The short answer

Compare these two in the full toolBoth cities pre-loaded — add your income and priorities to get a personal match score

Cost of living

Monthly figures for one person. Rent, meals and coworking are measured values, not shares of the total budget.

ExpenseOaxacaSiargao
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,108$1,000✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$498$350✓
Meal, mid-range$8$7✓
Coworking deskper month$99✓$190
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper24.6✓40.0

Quality of life

Scored 0–100 on the same attributes the match engine weights, so these agree with the interactive tool.

MeasureOaxacaSiargao
Safety
57
62
Healthcare
55
38
Walkability
75
45
English spoken
50
80
Food & dining
95
58
Nightlife
65
62
Outdoors
66
38
Nomad community
60
68
Climate quality
90
72
Public transit
45
30

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureOaxacaSiargao
Freedom Score73/100✓66/100
Global rankof 100 cities#38✓#62
Internet35 Mbps35 Mbps
Average temperature68°F82°F
Air quality42/100✓30/100
Airport connectivity42/100✓32/100
Nomad visaMexico DN visa30 days free
Headline tax rateon local income15%20%

Which should you choose?

Choose Oaxaca if it is more walkable, the climate scores better and the headline tax rate is lower.

Choose Siargao if runs $108/mo cheaper, rent is $148/mo lower, it scores higher on safety (62 vs 57) and English is more widely spoken.

What each city is known for

Oaxaca

  • Legendary food scene — mole, mezcal, and street markets
  • Among the cheapest cities on this list — under $1,200/mo
  • US market opens 8:30am local — early-bird trading
  • Colonial UNESCO centre, walkable and deeply cultural

Siargao

  • Cloud 9: Philippines' surf capital
  • Palm islands, lagoons, island-hopping
  • Tight nomad and surfer community
  • Laid-back island life

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Oaxaca or Siargao?
Oaxaca scores higher on the Freedom Score (73/100 against 66/100), which makes it the stronger all-round base. That is an average, though — if cost, climate or community is what actually decides it for you, the tables above will point the other way as often as not.
Which is cheaper: Oaxaca or Siargao?
Siargao is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,000 against $1,108, a difference of $108 a month or about $1,296 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $498/mo in Oaxaca versus $350/mo in Siargao.
Which is safer: Oaxaca or Siargao?
Siargao scores higher on safety, 62/100 against 57/100. Safety scores blend crime levels, political stability and healthcare access, and they describe a city as a whole — individual neighbourhoods vary far more than the headline number suggests.
How fast is the internet in Oaxaca and Siargao?
Oaxaca averages 35 Mbps and Siargao averages 35 Mbps — effectively the same.
What visa would I need for Oaxaca or Siargao?
Oaxaca sits in Mexico (Mexico DN visa) and Siargao in Philippines (30 days free). Requirements, income floors and processing times change often, so check the visa and residency guide before you commit to either.
Open the interactive comparison

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Cost, connectivity and quality-of-life figures come from the YourLifeMatch city dataset. Where a value is not confirmed it reads n.a. rather than an estimate. Figures are for planning, not professional advice.