Davao City stands out as a safe, friendly, and affordable destination in the Philippines. Visitors and returning guests consistently highlight how approachable and helpful the locals are, with strong English skills making communication easy. The cost of living is low, with plenty of inexpensive food options including night markets and casual restaurants. Internet speed has improved recently, making the city a more viable option for travelers needing good connectivity. The environment is relaxed and scenic, with popular nearby destinations like Samal Island and Marilog district offering beaches and mountain views. The city has a growing but relatively low number of Western tourists, though Asian tourism is rebounding. While navigating the city using public transportation can be challenging and traffic is often heavy, Grab and taxis provide a convenient alternative. Those unfamiliar with the city might find it a bit slow initially, but discovering the local spots with the help of locals can dramatically improve the experience. Shoppers will also find high-quality malls and amenities. All in all, Davao offers a blend of urban convenience and natural beauty, ideal for those who appreciate a more laid-back but culturally rich environment.
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internet
beautiful
food
transportation
great
boring
friendly
affordable
highly
grab
taxis
public
samal
island
traffic
terrible
cheap
Davao City stands out as a safe, friendly, and affordable destination in the Philippines. Visitors and returning guests consistently highlight how approachable and helpful the locals are, with strong English skills making communication easy. The cost of living is low, with plenty of inexpensive food options including night markets and casual restaurants. Internet speed has improved recently, making the city a more viable option for travelers needing good connectivity. The environment is relaxed and scenic, with popular nearby destinations like Samal Island and Marilog district offering beaches and mountain views.
The city has a growing but relatively low number of Western tourists, though Asian tourism is rebounding. While navigating the city using public transportation can be challenging and traffic is often heavy, Grab and taxis provide a convenient alternative. Those unfamiliar with the city might find it a bit slow initially, but discovering the local spots with the help of locals can dramatically improve the experience. Shoppers will also find high-quality malls and amenities. All in all, Davao offers a blend of urban convenience and natural beauty, ideal for those who appreciate a more laid-back but culturally rich environment.
AI-generated summary of reviews 7 months ago
I was here for almost three weeks last month. The internet is fast, and the surroundings are beautiful. The people are friendly, and most of them speak English well. I never felt unsafe during my stay. If you know where to go, there's plenty to do. There are many lovely parks, and the food is delicious and surprisingly affordable (I highly recommend Roxas). The shopping centers are of high quality. It's best to install the Grab app or take taxis for transportation. Public transportation can take a bit longer, but with Grab and taxis, you can get anywhere quickly, and it's reasonably priced. There's a relaxed atmosphere in Davao City. For beaches, it's best to visit Samal Island or spend a few days in Mati (approximately a three-hour drive). You won't encounter many Westerners or nomads here. Tourism is starting to pick up again after the pandemic, but most visitors are from Asia. I highly recommend it and will definitely come back here 100%.
3 years ago
Internet has significantly improved from the last time I have been. Traffic is still terrible, with public transportation is quite challenging. Overall the city is really nice, excellent beach on nearby Samal Island and beautiful mountain resorts somewhere in Marilog district. There are a lot of affordable accommodations to choose from. Food is cheap and restaurants are everywhere, there area lot of night markets where food is not that bad but incredibly inexpensive. Locals are friendly and communication is not a difficulty because they are amiable and have good English communication skills. Jacks Ridge is an ideal place to unwind late in the afternoon with panoramic view of the city. Great folks and a great city, I'll probably return.
3 years ago
Not sure where the last person went in the city for him/her to say that there are zero expats. Throughout my years with Davao, I would bump into at least 20 expats in one night out in just a single area. Davao City is only boring if you don't know where to go, and as someone who lives outside of Davao, I find myself coming back more than five times a year for the people, the culture it has, and how conveniently close it is to beautiful vacation places. You'll love it when you know the gems that you can only find if you approach the right people. You attract the right people if you're a cool person yourself.
5 years ago
Terrible internet even taxi drivers can't use maps and don't know where they are going. Super boring. Congested with traffic and horns. No infrastructure. Bums everywhere. Sketchy people. Davao city is a scary and weird place. There are zero foreigners here. Check the expat group on Facebook it's a handful of creepy old men. I guess Filipinos that live here that are pumping up the reviews for this place because they are proud of where they are from and love their president and his beloved city. Lots of fake crap about how amazing it is all over the internet. Really far from the truth. Police and military all over yeah maybe that makes some people feel safe but I'd rather deal with threats from pickpocketers than terrorists and kidnappers!
6 years ago
Very safe, very cheap city to live in. They have a couple decent gyms and coworking spaces. Overall, the city is quite boring with very little to do - unless you enjoy walking around the 2-3 big malls they have dotted around the city. They have liquor restrictions so clubs and bars stop serving alcohol after midnight. A great place to live if you want to get a lot of work don with no distractions and live cheaply - also close to other hot spots like Cebu, Manila and the rest of Asia.
Real (median) 27°C / 81°F warm29°C / 83°F very warm28°C / 82°F very warm29°C / 84°F very warm29°C / 84°F very warm29°C / 84°F very warm29°C / 84°F very warm28°C / 82°F very warm30°C / 85°F very warm30°C / 85°F very warm29°C / 84°F very warm28°C / 82°F very warm
Air quality okay 72 US AQIokay 78 US AQIokay 74 US AQIokay 61 US AQIokay 63 US AQIokay 68 US AQIokay 78 US AQIokay 76 US AQIokay 71 US AQIokay 73 US AQIokay 70 US AQIokay 70 US AQI
Sun avoid sun 7 UVIavoid sun 8 UVIavoid sun 9 UVIavoid sun 7 UVIavoid sun 7 UVIavoid sun 7 UVIavoid sun 7 UVIavoid sun 8 UVIavoid sun 7 UVIavoid sun 7 UVIavoid sun 7 UVIavoid sun 6 UVI
Green is good. Red is bad. Values shown are the medians of all daily highs in a month based on past few years, not necessarily current numbers. Remote worker count is estimated based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members.
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Based on Davao's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:
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