Davao City vs Puerto Princesa
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Puerto Princesa edges it, 52 to 52, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Davao City is stronger on getting there & around; Puerto Princesa on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Mindanao's orderly big city with durian and Mount Apo
Full Davao City profile →Where to stay in Davao City →Palawan's capital and the long road to El Nido
Full Puerto Princesa profile →Where to stay in Puerto Princesa →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Davao City | Puerto Princesa |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 54 | 55 ✓ |
| Safety | 47 | 47 |
| Healthcare | 54 | 54 |
| Internet | 55 | 60 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 58 | 58 |
| Getting there & around | 36 ✓ | 26 |
| Climate | 25 | 25 |
| Air quality | 79 | 88 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 58 | 58 |
Cost
| Metric | Davao City | Puerto Princesa |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,178 | $1,150 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Davao City | Puerto Princesa |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 4.31 | 4.31 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 51 | 51 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 69 | 69 |
| Life expectancy | 66.4 yrs | 66.4 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Davao City | Puerto Princesa |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 18.2 Mbps | 20.1 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 5.2 Mbps | 12.8 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Davao City | Puerto Princesa |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa (DNV) | Digital nomad visa (DNV) |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 30 days | 30 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 30 days | 30 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 30 days | 30 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Davao City | Puerto Princesa |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 14 ✓ | 5 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Davao City | Puerto Princesa |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 3 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 14.3 µg/m³ | 10.3 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Davao City or Puerto Princesa?
- Puerto Princesa is cheaper: about $1,150 per month versus $1,178 for one person.
- Is Davao City or Puerto Princesa safer?
- Davao City scores higher on safety (47 vs 47), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Davao City or Puerto Princesa?
- Puerto Princesa: a measured median of 20.1 Mbps versus 18.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Davao City vs Iloilo City
- Davao City vs Angeles City (Clark)
- Puerto Princesa vs El Nido (Palawan)
- Puerto Princesa vs Coron
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); 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); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.