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City Profile

Iligan, Mindanao

Philippines · Comprehensive city data and intelligence

Compare Iligan Custom Comparison
75
Overall Score

Iligan City, known as the Industrial City of the South, is a highly urbanized city located in the Northern Mindanao region of the Philippines. Renowned for its abundant waterfalls, most notably the majestic Maria Cristina Falls, the city serves as a major economic powerhouse supplying hydroelectric power to the entire Mindanao grid. Its strategic coastal location along the Iligan Bay has historically positioned it as a vital hub for heavy industries, commerce, and education in the region. People are drawn to Iligan for its unique blend of urban opportunities, rich cultural heritage, and proximity to stunning natural landscapes.

About Mindanao

Mindanao, the second-largest island in the Philippines, is characterized by its rich agricultural lands, diverse cultural groups, and significant natural resources. The economy is heavily reliant on agriculture, forestry, and fishing, supplying over 40% of the country's food requirements and being a major producer of crops like pineapples and bananas. While there have been historical and ongoing conflicts in certain areas, major cities like Davao and Cagayan de Oro are considered safe and offer a more urbanized lifestyle. The climate is tropical with relatively high temperatures, high humidity, and abundant rainfall throughout the year, though typhoons are less frequent than in other parts of the Philippines. The cost of living in Mindanao, particularly in cities like Davao, is generally lower compared to Manila and Cebu, making it an affordable option for many.

363,736
Population
$0K
Avg Salary
34
Cost Index
75.3
Quality Score
How this 75/100 was calculated five components, with every reading behind them
Component Readings used Points Weight Contributes
Safety Safety score: 68 / 100 68.0 30% 20.4
Affordability Cost of living index (100 = national baseline): 34.0 100.0 25% 25.0
Economy & jobs Median household income: $5,200 Income needed to live here: no usable reading Unemployment rate: 4.5% 68.8 20% 13.8
Growth Population growth rate: 1.4% Job growth rate: 2.3% 63.0 15% 9.5
Business climate assessment Business climate assessment: 67 / 100 67.0 10% 6.7
Overall score 75.3

Provenance. These figures were produced by the research pass recorded as Tier 1 (fast) (q=52, partial — below threshold), last refreshed 16 October 2026. They are researched estimates drawn from public sources, not a licensed data feed.

Each component is scored against fixed published endpoints, so this number is comparable with any other city and does not move as the dataset grows. Scoring framework 2026.10 — full methodology, weights and accepted ranges.

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Performance

Quality Scores

Business
67
Livability
72
Affordability
85
Growth
69

Expenses

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Iligan is relatively affordable compared to major metropolitan areas like Manila and Cebu, aligning well with the broader economic context of regional Mindanao. Everyday expenses such as local produce, public transportation, and neighborhood dining remain budget-friendly for residents earning local wages. Housing and utilities represent the primary monthly expenditures, though costs are moderated by the city's direct access to localized energy and agricultural supply chains from surrounding provinces.

Average Rent
$220/mo
Groceries
$180/mo
Transport
$50/mo
Utilities
$95/mo
Healthcare
$60/mo
Gym membership (monthly)
$25.00
Cinema ticket
$4.00
Restaurant meal (mid-range)
$6.00
Monthly groceries
$150.00
Doctor visit (without insurance)
$20.00

Income

Salary Insights

Iligan's economy is anchored by heavy manufacturing, steel production, flour milling, and energy generation, alongside a growing service and BPO sector. Major industrial employers operate within the city's industrial estates, taking advantage of reliable and low-cost hydroelectric energy sources. While traditional industry remains dominant, retail, commerce, and educational services provide substantial employment for the local workforce. The remote work and digital freelancer scene is also gradually expanding, supported by improving telecommunications infrastructure.

The average salary in Iligan is $380 per year. You would need approximately $320 to live comfortably.

Employment

Top Industries

Manufacturing +2.00% Tourism and Hospitality +3.50% Education Services +2.20% Retail and Commerce +2.80% Energy Production +1.50%

Weather

Climate

🌡️
27°C
Avg Temp
☀️
31°C
Summer High
❄️
24°C
Winter Low
🌧️
103.20"
Annual Rain
💧
82.00%
Humidity
🌤️
86
Sunny Days

Mobility

Transport

Getting around Iligan relies primarily on multi-cabs, jeepneys, tricycles, and private vehicles traversing the city's main thoroughfares. Public transportation routes cover the core districts efficiently, though traffic congestion can occasionally build up along primary commercial corridors during rush hours. Walkability varies, with the downtown core offering pedestrian-friendly zones while outer residential expansions rely more heavily on vehicular transport.

24 min
Avg Commute
52.00/10
Transit Score
58.00/10
Walkability
Medium
Car Dependency
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At a Glance

Pros & Cons

Advantages
Abundant and reliable hydroelectric power keeps local utility costs lower than non-industrialized regions.
Strategic location along Iligan Bay supports robust trade, manufacturing, and industrial employment.
Significantly lower cost of living and housing expenses compared to major national hubs like Manila.
Proportionately rich natural environment featuring multiple world-class waterfalls and eco-tourism sites.
Strong educational foundation anchored by major universities fostering a highly literate workforce.
Drawbacks
Vulnerability to regional weather events and tropical storm impacts common across Mindanao.
Heavy reliance on traditional manufacturing sectors leaves parts of the economy exposed to supply chain shifts.
Traffic congestion along primary arterial roads during peak commuting hours.
Limited availability of highly specialized medical care requiring transit to larger neighboring cities.
Economic disparity between urbanized commercial zones and peripheral rural barangays.

Head to Head

Compare Iligan

Iligan VS Aiken Iligan VS Grants Pass Iligan VS Cincinnati Iligan VS Binghamton

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68
Kidapawan
78
Butuan
73
Tagum
78

Community Q&A

Questions about Iligan

What people ask about living in and moving to Iligan, Mindanao.

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Gathering the most common questions about Iligan…

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

The consumer market basket tracks everyday necessities, including staple grocery items (such as milk, bread, eggs, and produce), residential energy bills (electricity, gas, and water), public and private transit costs, routine outpatient medical care, and standard consumer goods and services to ensure a representative monthly budget.

Even in close geographic proximity, local tax jurisdictions, municipal utility rates, zoning laws, and micro-housing markets can create wide cost discrepancies. For example, a city with strict land-use regulations or higher local sales taxes will typically exhibit elevated housing and consumer goods costs compared to an adjacent county with looser zoning and lower tax burdens.

Even in close geographic proximity, local tax jurisdictions, municipal utility rates, zoning laws, and micro-housing markets can create wide cost discrepancies. For example, a city with strict land-use regulations or higher local sales taxes will typically exhibit elevated housing and consumer goods costs compared to an adjacent county with looser zoning and lower tax burdens.

Local tax climates significantly shift a city's affordability score by directly affecting disposable income. Urblytica factors in state income tax brackets, local municipal property tax millage rates, and combined sales taxes to measure the true tax drag on median household earnings.

Core economic indexes and consumer price metrics undergo a comprehensive quarterly recalibration. This update cycle integrates the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) releases, municipal utility rate adjustments, and regional housing data feeds to ensure all index comparisons reflect current economic conditions.

Housing is weighted as the single largest component in Urblytica's cost-of-living algorithm, typically accounting for roughly 30% to 35% of the composite score. It incorporates both median monthly gross rent and median single-family home purchase prices relative to local median income levels.

Normalization involves adjusting raw economic inputs against localized purchasing power parities (PPPs) and population-weighted density scales. This ensures fair, apples-to-apples comparisons between dense metropolitan hubs and smaller suburban or rural towns.

Utility indexing applies a rolling annual average that captures seasonal climate variations, such as increased summer air conditioning loads in southern climates or heavier winter heating demands in northern regions, providing a realistic year-round average utility expense.

Remote workers leverage the index to calculate real purchasing power parity when moving from a high-cost-of-living area to a lower-cost region. By comparing index differentials against their fixed salary, users can determine if their net savings and lifestyle quality will improve post-relocation.

While the raw Cost of Living Index measures pure expense levels, it is frequently paired with Urblytica’s local wage index and median household income benchmarks. This combined view highlights whether local salaries keep pace with local consumer goods and housing expenses.

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