comparison intelligence
Dumaguete vs Mataram / Lombok
Dumaguete has the stronger overall score, while Dumaguete has the lower monthly estimate.
Dumaguete wins overall
near identical$100/mo gap0.2 score gap
quick decision
Who wins where?
Dumaguete
7.0/10
$1,150/month · Philippines
MAYBEpros
- Very low estimated monthly cost around $1,150
- English is widely usable
- Island access for diving and nature trips
cons
- Not ideal for fast-internet-dependent work
- Healthcare is limited compared with Manila or Cebu
- Tropical heat, rain, and storm disruption matter
Mataram / Lombok
6.8/10
$1,250/month · Indonesia
MAYBEpros
- Gateway to Gili Islands, Rinjani, and Kuta Lombok beaches
- Very affordable living costs
- Less crowded and cheaper than Bali
cons
- City itself is not attractive — functional rather than charming
- Limited coworking and nomad infrastructure
- Internet is unreliable
cost breakdown
Where the money goes
Rent$505$545
Food$230$250
Transport$80$90
Coworking$115$125
Entertainment$140$150
Utilities$80$90
money / equivalent lifestyle
What your money buys
To keep roughly the same spending flexibility you get from $1,500 in Dumaguete, you would need about $1,625 in Mataram / Lombok.
Based on relative monthly cost estimates in this guide.With $1,500/month
DumagueteLeaves about $350Estimated cost: $1,150
Mataram / LombokLeaves about $250Estimated cost: $1,250
score breakdown
Category-by-category
Money
Cost of living4.74.6Dumaguete
Remote work
Internet2.82.0Dumaguete
Daily life
Food3.63.5Dumaguete
Walkability3.43.4tied
Comfort & safety
Healthcare3.42.9Dumaguete
Safety3.73.5Dumaguete
Weather3.83.9Mataram / Lombok
Lifestyle
English friendly4.23.1Dumaguete
Nightlife3.32.5Dumaguete
what changes if you move?
Relocation impact
Moving from Dumaguete to Mataram / Lombok gives you no major measurable upgrade for about $100 more per month, but trades off English usability and remote-work reliability.
Monthly spending+$100
Annual spending+$1,200
Overall scoreSlightly lower
InternetWorse (-0.8)
English friendlySignificantly worse (-1.1)
HealthcareWorse (-0.5)
NightlifeWorse (-0.8)
SafetySlightly worse (-0.2)
No clear upgrade
English friendly
4.2 → 3.1 · -1.1
Moving from Mataram / Lombok to Dumaguete gives you English usability, remote-work reliability and social energy and saves about $100 per month, but trades off few obvious category sacrifices.
Monthly spending-$100
Annual spending-$1,200
Overall scoreSlightly higher
InternetBetter (+0.8)
English friendlySignificantly better (+1.1)
HealthcareBetter (+0.5)
NightlifeBetter (+0.8)
SafetySlightly better (+0.2)
English friendly
3.1 → 4.2 · +1.1
No clear downgrade
Choose Dumaguete if...
- You want to keep monthly spending below roughly $1,500.
- You want stronger budget room, saving about $100 per month versus Mataram / Lombok.
- You want the stronger overall score without a major monthly cost penalty.
- You want the cleaner value pick: higher score and lower estimated cost.
Choose Mataram / Lombok if...
- You care enough about the stronger categories to accept weaker remote-work reliability.
final verdict
So, which one makes more sense?
Dumaguete has the stronger overall score, while Dumaguete has the clearer budget advantage. Dumaguete is measurably stronger on remote-work reliability.