---
title: "Cebu City vs Davao City for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cebu-vs-davao
description: "Under balanced weights Davao City edges it, 44 to 43, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Cebu City is stronger on nothing outright; Davao City on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Cebu City vs Davao City for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Davao City edges it, 44 to 43, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Cebu City is stronger on nothing outright; Davao City on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Cebu City | Davao City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 61 | 59 | Cebu City |
| Safety | 33 | 33 | tie |
| Healthcare | 51 | 51 | tie |
| Internet | 52 | 47 | Cebu City |
| Visa ease | 33 | 33 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 6 | 12 | Davao City |
| Climate | 17 | 25 | Davao City |
| Air quality | 73 | 79 | Davao City |
| Quality of life | 57 | 57 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Cebu City | Davao City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,150 | $1,198 | Cebu City |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Cebu City | Davao City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 12.7 | 12.7 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 52.7 | 52.7 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 69 | 69 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 66.4 yrs | 66.4 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Cebu City | Davao City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 22.4 Mbps | 18.2 Mbps | Cebu City |
| Upload | 7.3 Mbps | 5.2 Mbps | Cebu City |

## Visa

| Metric | Cebu City | Davao City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 30 days | 30 days | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 30 days | 30 days | tie |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 30 days | 30 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Cebu City | Davao City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 43 | 14 | Cebu City |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 | Davao City |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 | Davao City |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Cebu City | Davao City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 2 | 3 | Davao City |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 17.1 µg/m³ | 14.3 µg/m³ | Davao City |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Cebu City or Davao City?

Cebu City is cheaper: about $1,150 per month versus $1,198 for one person.

### Is Cebu City or Davao City safer?

Cebu City scores higher on safety (33 vs 33), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Cebu City or Davao City?

Cebu City: a measured median of 22.4 Mbps versus 18.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Cebu City](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/cebu) · [Davao City](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/davao). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cebu-vs-davao