🇵🇭Cost of Living in Davao

Philippines · Population: 1,800,000 · Cost Index: 25/100

Cost of Living in Davao

Philippines · Asia

Davao is the largest city in Mindanao and one of the most liveable cities in the Philippines, known for its durian fruit, Mount Apo, and strict public safety laws. It offers a slower pace of life with lower costs than Manila and Cebu.

1,800,000

Population

Cost Index

Safety Index

Quality of Life

Average Monthly Cost: $820 (single person, excluding rent)

Estimated monthly budget in Davao

Typical total monthly cost by household type.

Single person

$820

per month

Couple

$1,230

per month

Family of 4

$1,720

per month

Student

$620

per month

Estimates based on the average cost of living in Davao, scaled by household size. Actual costs vary with lifestyle, neighbourhood and housing.

Cost Breakdown

Housing

Avg: $350.00

1-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$280.00

1-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$150.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$620.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$350.00

Food & Groceries

Avg: $3.03

Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant(per meal)

$1.80

Meal for 2 at Mid-Range Restaurant(per meal)

$13.00

McMeal at McDonald's(per meal)

$3.30

Milk (1 liter)(per liter)

$1.55

Bread (500g loaf)(per loaf)

$1.10

Rice (1 kg)(per kg)

$0.75

Eggs (12)(per dozen)

$1.60

Chicken Breast (1 kg)(per kg)

$3.00

Apples (1 kg)(per kg)

$3.60

Banana (1 kg)(per kg)

$0.60

Transportation

Avg: $2.81

Monthly Public Transit Pass(per month)

$12.00

One-Way Ticket (Local Transport)(per trip)

$0.18

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)(base fare)

$0.60

Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)(per km)

$0.20

Gasoline (1 liter)(per liter)

$1.05

Utilities

Avg: $38.67

Basic Utilities (85m² Apt)(per month)

$85.00

Mobile Phone Plan(per month)

$7.00

Internet (60 Mbps+)(per month)

$24.00

Healthcare

Avg: $7.33

Doctor Visit(per visit)

$8.00

Dentist Visit(per visit)

$10.00

Prescription Medicine (avg)(per prescription)

$4.00

Entertainment

Avg: $7.25

Fitness Club Monthly(per month)

$22.00

Cinema Ticket(per ticket)

$3.50

Cappuccino(per cup)

$2.00

Beer (0.5l) at Restaurant(per glass)

$1.50

Clothing

Avg: $34.00

Pair of Jeans (Levi's)(per pair)

$32.00

Summer Dress (Chain Store)(per item)

$15.00

Running Shoes (Nike, Adidas)(per pair)

$55.00

Popular Davao comparisons

Davao vs Manila Davao vs Cebu Davao vs New York Davao vs London Davao vs Tokyo Davao vs Singapore Davao vs Dubai Davao vs Paris

Frequently asked questions about Davao

Is Davao expensive to live in?

Davao has a cost of living index of 25 out of 100, where New York City scores 100. This makes it one of the more affordable cities we track.

How much money do you need to live in Davao?

A single person needs an estimated $820 per month to live in Davao, covering rent, food, transport and other essentials. A family or a more comfortable lifestyle will cost more.

What is the cost of living index in Davao?

Davao's cost of living index is 25 out of 100. The index is relative to New York City (100), so a score of 50 means overall costs are roughly half those of New York.

What is quality of life like in Davao?

Davao scores 52 out of 100 for quality of life and 58 out of 100 for safety in our index.

Data & sources

As an independent cross-check, the World Bank puts the overall price level in Philippines at 36 relative to the United States (=100) in 2024. View source

Cost figures on this site are independent estimates, cross-referenced with public data sources including World Bank, Numbeo, Eurostat, OECD.