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Dumaguete vs Sa Pa cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ต๐ญ Dumaguete
๐ป๐ณ Sa Pa
At a glance
- Where Sa Pa is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (32%โ), Coffee (25%โ), Hotel night (16%โ)
- Where Dumaguete is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (85%โ), Transit (77%โ), Street food (54%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Dumaguete is easier to travel (2.4 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Dumaguete 2 vs Sa Pa 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Dumaguete | Sa Pa | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฑ 150$2.63 | โซ 60,000$2.28 | Sa Pa โ13% |
| Street food1 item | โฑ 40$0.7 | โซ 40,000$1.52 | Dumaguete โ54% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฑ 450$7.89 | โซ 250,000$9.51 | Dumaguete โ17% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฑ 130$2.28 | โซ 45,000$1.71 | Sa Pa โ25% |
| Beerone bottle | โฑ 70$1.23 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Sa Pa โ7% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฑ 200$3.51 | โซ 100,000$3.8 | Dumaguete โ8% |
| Bottled water | โฑ 20$0.35 | โซ 10,000$0.38 | Dumaguete โ8% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฑ 30$0.53 | โซ 15,000$0.57 | Dumaguete โ8% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฑ 120$2.11 | โซ 80,000$3.04 | Dumaguete โ31% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฑ 50$0.88 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Dumaguete โ54% |
| Transitone ride | โฑ 15$0.26 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Dumaguete โ77% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฑ 400$7.02 | โซ 180,000$6.84 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | โฑ 1,800$31.6 | โซ 700,000$26.6 | Sa Pa โ16% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฑ 16,000$281 | โซ 5,000,000$190 | Sa Pa โ32% |
| Laundry | โฑ 40$0.7 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Dumaguete โ47% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฑ 200$3.51 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Dumaguete โ38% |
| Haircutcut | โฑ 100$1.75 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Dumaguete โ8% |
| Massage1 hour | โฑ 400$7.02 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Dumaguete โ38% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฑ 1,000$17.5 | โซ 550,000$20.9 | Dumaguete โ16% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฑ 50$0.88 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Dumaguete โ85% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Dumaguete or Sa Pa?
Sa Pa is 8% cheaper than Dumaguete. Daily budget $57.8 vs $55.6; a month $1,046 vs $928.
Which is easier to travel, Dumaguete or Sa Pa?
Dumaguete is easier: Dumaguete 2.4/5 vs Sa Pa 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Dumaguete and Sa Pa?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Dumaguete is about $1,046 and Sa Pa about $928 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.