comparison intelligence
Davao vs Surabaya
These cities are tied on overall score, while Davao has the lower monthly estimate.
Too close to call
near identical$100/mo gap0.0 score gap
quick decision
Who wins where?
Davao
6.8/10
$1,300/month · Philippines
MAYBEpros
- Low estimated monthly cost around $1,300
- English is widely usable
- 60 Mbps internet profile for normal work
cons
- Walkability is limited and traffic matters
- Not ideal for fast-internet-dependent work
- Heat, rain, and storm disruption affect routines
Surabaya
6.8/10
$1,400/month · Indonesia
MAYBEpros
- Indonesia's second city with full urban amenities
- Outstanding East Javanese food — rawon, rujak cingur, lontong balap
- Affordable living costs for a major city
cons
- Hot, humid, and flat — not naturally attractive
- Sprawling and car-dependent
- Limited English outside business contexts
cost breakdown
Where the money goes
Rent$575$610
Food$260$280
Transport$90$100
Coworking$130$140
Entertainment$155$170
Utilities$90$100
money / equivalent lifestyle
What your money buys
To keep roughly the same spending flexibility you get from $1,500 in Davao, you would need about $1,625 in Surabaya.
Based on relative monthly cost estimates in this guide.With $1,500/month
DavaoLeaves about $200Estimated cost: $1,300
SurabayaLeaves about $100Estimated cost: $1,400
score breakdown
Category-by-category
Money
Cost of living4.54.4Davao
Remote work
Internet3.52.8Davao
Daily life
Food3.64.5Surabaya
Walkability3.43.4tied
Comfort & safety
Healthcare3.42.9Davao
Safety3.73.5Davao
Weather3.83.9Surabaya
Lifestyle
English friendly4.23.1Davao
Nightlife3.33.3tied
what changes if you move?
Relocation impact
Moving from Davao to Surabaya gives you food scene for about $100 more per month, but trades off English usability and remote-work reliability.
Monthly spending+$100
Annual spending+$1,200
Overall scoreAbout the same
English friendlySignificantly worse (-1.1)
InternetWorse (-0.7)
FoodBetter (+0.9)
HealthcareWorse (-0.5)
SafetySlightly worse (-0.2)
Food
3.6 → 4.5 · +0.9
English friendly
4.2 → 3.1 · -1.1
Moving from Surabaya to Davao gives you English usability, remote-work reliability and healthcare access and saves about $100 per month, but trades off food scene.
Monthly spending-$100
Annual spending-$1,200
Overall scoreAbout the same
English friendlySignificantly better (+1.1)
InternetBetter (+0.7)
FoodWorse (-0.9)
HealthcareBetter (+0.5)
SafetySlightly better (+0.2)
English friendly
3.1 → 4.2 · +1.1
Food
4.5 → 3.6 · -0.9
Choose Davao if...
- You want to keep monthly spending below roughly $1,500.
- You want stronger budget room, saving about $100 per month versus Surabaya.
- You prefer easier day-to-day English usability.
- You need a stronger remote-work connection signal.
Choose Surabaya if...
- Food quality and variety are a major part of your daily life.
- You care enough about food scene to accept weaker English usability.
final verdict
So, which one makes more sense?
The overall score is effectively tied, while Davao has the clearer budget advantage. Davao is measurably stronger on English usability.