Santa Ana vs Roxas: Which City Wins for Expats in 2026?
Santa Ana costs roughly 6% less than Roxas. Roxas has significantly faster average internet speeds (50 Mbps vs 15 Mbps). Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Santa Ana is approximately 8.4x more expensive than Roxas based on cost of living including rent. This makes Roxas a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Roxas has a FIRE Score of 84/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 70, which is relatively safe.
Recommended profile: Roxas is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
About Santa Ana
Santa Ana is a small, cheap, tropical town of 36 thousand people where a cappuccino costs $1 and a mid-range dinner for two runs $15, so your money stretches far. The catch is that the budget tier lands at $1,665/mo and the comfortable tier at $3,262/mo, with 1-bedroom rent outside the center at $2,000/mo, which is steep for a place this size. Internet averages 15 Mbps and English is common only in tourist areas, so remote work and daily errands take patience. Come for the low food and utility costs, the 81/100 expat score, and the SRRV retirement visa, but treat the retiree and digital nomad scores of 59 and 58 as a fair warning.
About Philippines
Retirees on fixed incomes near the $1,500/mo SRRV minimum get the best deal here: rent outside the center runs under $200 and English is widely spoken, easing daily friction. But that low cost sits against a -1.1 political stability score and only medium expat safety ratings, so this suits people who can tolerate some instability for cash savings. Bad fit: anyone needing top-tier healthcare or a guaranteed path to citizenship.
$471/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Roxas
Roxas is a cheap place to live, with a 1-bedroom in the center at $319/mo and a single adult's budget tier at $750/mo, but the average local net salary of $574/mo means most residents are not the ones renting those center apartments. The overall expat score of 82/100 and FIRE score of 84/100 look strong on paper, yet a retiree score of 57/100 and limited English proficiency suggest this is not a soft landing for everyone. Digital nomads get a workable 50 Mbps and a $22/mo internet bill, but the SEZ Remote Work Visa ties you to a PEZA zone, which is a real constraint. Come for the $3 restaurant meals and the 3 m elevation, not for the healthcare, which is only fair.
About Philippines
Retirees on fixed incomes near the $1,500/mo SRRV minimum get the best deal here: rent outside the center runs under $200 and English is widely spoken, easing daily friction. But that low cost sits against a -1.1 political stability score and only medium expat safety ratings, so this suits people who can tolerate some instability for cash savings. Bad fit: anyone needing top-tier healthcare or a guaranteed path to citizenship.
$1,950/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
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| Metric | Santa Ana | Roxas |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $2666.67 | $318.8 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $2000 | $220 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $3250 | $520 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $3300 | $350 |
| Safety Index | 65 | 70 |
| Internet Speed | 15Mbps | 50Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices
| Category | Santa Ana | Roxas |
|---|---|---|
| Total (rent included) | $2,603/mo | $476/mo |
| Excluding rent | $603/mo | $256/mo |
| Rent | $2,000/mo | $220/mo |
| Groceries | $329/mo | $103/mo |
| Dining out | $40.00/mo | $28.00/mo |
| Entertainment & lifestyle | $67.00/mo | $32.00/mo |
| Utilities & connectivity | $98.00/mo | $93.00/mo |
| Transport | $69.00/mo | N/A |
Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.
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Santa Ana vs Roxas -- Frequently Asked Questions
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