Siargao
A surf island with a real nomad scene and internet that will occasionally ruin your day.
Philippines › Siargao
Digimad score
7.6
Very good
Best for Surf + Island life + Community
About
Siargao is the Philippines' answer to Canggu, at an earlier stage and on a smaller island. General Luna is the centre: a strip of surf hostels, cafes, coworking spaces and beach bars where a community of a few hundred remote workers has settled. Cloud 9 draws serious surfers, the lagoons and rock pools around the island are exceptional, and the cost of living is low even by Philippine standards. The honest problem is infrastructure. Fibre exists in parts of General Luna and fails elsewhere, typhoons hit hard, and the nearest real hospital is a flight away. Many residents now run Starlink. It rewards people who accept the trade and plan around it.
Siargao at a glance
Internet
40 Mbps median fixed, poor reliability
Monthly budget
$1,300/mo comfortable, $750 lean
Best months
Mar, Apr, May, Jun
Community
High nomad density, excellent English
Key points
One of Asia's best surf breaks at Cloud 9, with beginner options nearby
A genuine nomad community concentrated in General Luna
Bungalows and studios from USD 250-450 a month
English is universal, so nothing needs translating
Lagoons, rock pools and island hopping are all within an hour
Neighbourhoods
General Luna, usually just called GL, is where essentially all the nomad infrastructure sits: coworking, cafes, hostels, and the road to Cloud 9. Catangnan, just north toward the boardwalk, is quieter and closer to the main break. Pacifico on the north-east coast is the alternative for people who want almost no one around, with much thinner internet and services. Dapa is the port town where the ferries land and where the practical shopping is.
Cost of living
USD
Lean
$750/mo
Shared housing, local food
Comfortable
$1,300/mo
Private one-bed, coworking
Premium
$2,300/mo
Central, frequent dining
Local currency
PHP
Housing
- Studio
- $280
- 1-bed centre
- $450
- 1-bed outside
- $250
- Coliving room
- $380
- Airbnb monthly
- $700
Everyday costs
- Local meal
- $3
- Mid-range meal
- $12
- Coffee
- $3
- Groceries/mo
- $300
- Coworking day
- $10
- Hot desk/mo
- $130
- Private desk/mo
- $220
- Transit pass
- $0
- Short ride
- $2
- Scooter/mo
- $65
- Gym/mo
- $40
Cheap by Western standards but expensive for the Philippines: General Luna prices reflect the tourism, and imported groceries cost noticeably more because everything arrives by boat.
Internet & connectivity
Fixed line
40 Mbps
Mobile
15 Mbps
Data plan
$12/mo
eSIM
Supported
Reliability
PoorPublic Wi-Fi
PoorPower stability
PoorFibre reaches parts of General Luna and is unreliable elsewhere. Many long-stayers run Starlink, which is legal and increasingly the default answer. Coworking spaces with generators and backup connections are worth the membership for this reason alone.
Nomad community
Nomad density
HighEnglish
ExcellentCoworking spaces
Lampara Coworking
$130/mo
General Luna
Siargao Coliving spaces
$400/mo
General Luna
Room, desk and community bundled
Languages spoken
Meeting people
Small, tight and surf-centred. Everyone knows everyone within a week, which is the appeal and occasionally the problem. Skews toward creatives, e-commerce and agency owners.
One of the easiest places in the world to arrive alone and have friends immediately.
Safety
Emergency 911
At night
GoodSolo female
GoodPetty crime
FairCommon scams
Scooter rental damage claims
Inflated island-hopping boat quotes
Overpriced airport transfers from Sayak
Women travellers
Comfortable, with a substantial female long-stay community. The usual caution around nightlife and unlit roads applies.
LGBTQ+
Relaxed and visible within the traveller community.
Low crime. The genuine risks are motorbike accidents on sandy roads, reef cuts, and storms.
Healthcare
Consultation
$20
Pharmacies
FairPublic system
The island has small local facilities suitable for minor issues only.
Private care
Clinics in General Luna handle reef cuts, infections and routine problems. Anything serious means a flight to Cebu, and that flight may not run in bad weather.
Insurance
Medical evacuation cover is not optional here. Confirm it includes air evacuation and covers motorbike riding, which is how most injuries happen.
Getting around
Walkability
FairPublic transport
PoorAirports
- IAOSayak (Siargao)45 min
A scooter is essentially mandatory at around USD 65 a month. There is no ride-hailing app; habal-habal motorbike taxis fill the gap. Flights connect through Cebu and Manila and are frequently disrupted in storm season.
Climate & seasons
31°C / 25°C
Tropical rainforest
Rainy season
Rain is possible year-round; November to January is wettest and overlaps with typhoon risk
Air quality
Excellent.
The best surf runs from August to November, which overlaps with the worst weather. March to June gives the most settled conditions for living rather than surfing.
All ratings
Watch out for
Internet is the weakest of anywhere in this guide; budget for Starlink or a strong mobile backup
No hospital on the island capable of serious care; Cebu or Manila is a flight away
Typhoon season from September to December is a real risk, and Odette devastated the island in 2021
Power cuts are frequent and can last hours
Prices in General Luna have risen sharply and are no longer a Philippine bargain