Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Davao and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Davao: $839 a month against $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Davao
Learn more

Davao Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Davao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$839

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Davao and in Rio de Janeiro

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Davao and in Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $839 in Davao versus $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro.

Davao $839
Rio de Janeiro $1,182

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,275 in Davao versus $1,750 in Rio de Janeiro.

Davao $1,275
Rio de Janeiro $1,750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,712 in Davao versus $2,318 in Rio de Janeiro.

Davao $1,712
Rio de Janeiro $2,318

Living in Davao costs roughly 29% less than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Davao 38% lower, Rio de Janeiro 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.71 ₱299

$9.08 R$49.36

-48.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.33 ₱1,672

$37.25 R$203

-29.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.83 ₱243

$8.02 R$43.60

-52.24%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$2.19 R$11.90

15.53%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 ₱67.3

$1.46 R$7.95

-27.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₱39.64

$0.99 R$5.36

-37.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ₱97.0

$2.03 R$11.02

-24.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱151

$3.45 R$18.75

-31.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱125

$1.06 R$5.76

84.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₱68.0

$1.98 R$10.79

-45.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱57.9

$1.17 R$6.38

-22.22%

Eggs

$1.84 ₱117

$2.21 R$12.00

-16.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 ₱407

$10.11 R$55.0

-36.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 ₱292

$4.12 R$22.38

11.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 ₱570

$9.17 R$49.87

-2.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ₱170

$2.72 R$14.78

-1.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.3

$1.71 R$9.30

-38.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 ₱154

$1.53 R$8.32

58.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱72.3

$1.66 R$9.04

-31.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 ₱126

$1.14 R$6.19

74.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 ₱213

$0.99 R$5.41

238.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₱78.6

$0.65 R$3.52

90.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₱45.03

$0.60 R$3.25

18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₱156

$2.79 R$15.20

-11.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 ₱507

$7.48 R$40.67

6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.5

$1.09 R$5.93

16.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₱100

$2.33 R$12.69

-32.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.33

$0.90 R$4.87

-76.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.16 ₱836

$53.0 R$288

-75.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.4

$1.17 R$6.34

-30.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.32

$0.78 R$4.24

-69.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ₱116

$8.37 R$45.51

-78.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₱77.2

$1.21 R$6.59

0.83%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$21.5K R$116.7K

-0.60%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$31.1K R$169.3K

-38.83%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$105 ₱6,661

$124 R$677

-15.72%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.14 ₱1,215

$10.03 R$54.6

90.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.17 ₱1,916

$20.88 R$114

44.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.37 ₱2,183

$28.35 R$154

21.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.44 ₱218

$29.33 R$159

-88.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 ₱302

$7.62 R$41.41

-37.66%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$104 ₱6,623

$563 R$3,061

-81.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,536 ₱478.6K

$12.0K R$65.5K

-37.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 ₱3,877

$39.25 R$213

55.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.74 ₱1,952

$46.36 R$252

-33.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 ₱4,425

$68.4 R$372

1.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.1 ₱3,816

$63.4 R$345

-5.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱22.2K

$776 R$4,220

-54.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 ₱14.6K

$473 R$2,573

-51.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 ₱45.9K

$1,391 R$7,562

-48.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 ₱25.6K

$739 R$4,018

-45.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,584 ₱100.6K

$3,393 R$18.4K

-53.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,364 ₱86.6K

$1,570 R$8,537

-13.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$207 ₱13.1K

$597 R$3,245

-65.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

11.93

-30.34%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Davao: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Davao

$229 27.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$473 40% 107% $244

Groceries & Markets

Davao

$197 23.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$201 17% 1.9% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Davao

$154 18.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$155 13.1% 0.8% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

Davao

$100 11.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$98 8.3% 1.9% $1.9

Eating Out

Davao

$99 11.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$150 12.7% 51.9% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Davao

$44 5.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$44 3.7% 0.7% $0.3

Getting Around

Davao

$16 1.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$62 5.2% 285% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $350 in Davao and $776 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Davao vs $37 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $201 per month, with Davao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Davao

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

21:38 9:38 PM

10:38 10:38 AM

11 h behind Davao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,632,991

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.165 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.51 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 70.87 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.165 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Davao Rio de Janeiro 17,890 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Davao
Rio de Janeiro

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Davao vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Davao is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Davao. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $350 in Davao versus $776 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $104 in Davao versus $563 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Davao – a meal for two runs $26 versus $37 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $839 in Davao versus $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Davao but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Davao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Davao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rio de Janeiro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Davao wins on affordability, Rio de Janeiro on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.