Living In Cagayan De Oro Philippines For Expats

What Is It Like living in Cagayan De Oro Philippines? Cagayan De Oro is a beautiful and fascinating city in the southern Philippines, but what is it like living in Cagayan De Oro As a foreigner? Today’s ultimate guide will explore the cost of living in Cagayan De Oro Philippines, transportation safety, and many other common questions expats have about this unique city.

Before we dive into the costs and other categories, we shall quickly explore some useful information about Cagayan De Oro for those who have never visited the city.

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Useful Information About Cagayan De Oro

The city is located in northern Mindanao and is approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes away from Davao city by bus. Cagayan De Oro is classified as a first-class, highly urbanized city. From the latest statistics, the current population is rapidly approaching 750,000 people.

Over the years, the city has undergone several improvements but perhaps most notably is the progression of businesses that have started in this area. Cagayan De Oro is known for many reasons, including white water rafting and other adventures such as kayaking.

There are several practiced religions in the Philippines, and in Cagayan De Oro, you will see several Catholic churches and mosques throughout the city.

Cebuano is the predominant language spoken in Cagayan De Oro, with Tagalog being the 2nd, followed by English. However, fear not, as similar to other modernized cities in the Philippines, there are many English speakers in Cagayan De Oro.

How to get from Davao City to Cagayan De Oro

There are several ways to travel from Davao City to Cagayan De Oro. the fastest and most convenient is to fly; however, flying is also the most expensive. Other options include private taxis driving your vehicle or the regular public bus.

With flights, it seems that there are not many direct flights in this current COVID-19 era. Traveling from Davao City to Cagayan De Oro will likely be much easier in the near future. Still, at this moment in time, some flights are being redirected as far as Manila! But as mentioned, this is likely to change shortly.

Private transportation is the next option to travel from Davao City to Cagayan De Oro or Cagayan De Oro to Davao city. it is best to haggle and negotiate with local taxi drivers who will be happy to drive as long as the price is right. Please note that because drivers need to try back to the main city, they will often request extra money for gasoline for the return journey (if you are taking a one-way trip).

A common method is to drive your vehicle from Davao City to Cagayan De Oro. If you do not own a vehicle, you can rent one in Davao for a fair price. Prices for renting a car in both cities tend to be between 1000 Pesos – 2000 Pesos a day, but this depends on the make and model. If you decide to rent for a long time in Cagayan De Oro or Davao city, deals are a common occurrence.

The last option we mentioned to travel from Davao City to Cagayan De Oro is by bus. Bus times start at 3:10 am and operate every 30 minutes, and bus times stop around 1:30 pm. The total travel time is just over 5 hours and 25 minutes on average. The price of which is currently 480 Pesos. It’s recommended contacting the bus operator any changes and the latest information.

Cost Of Living In Cagayan De Oro Philippines

If you’ve ever typed in the cost of living in Cagayan De Oro Philippines or any other city, you may slightly see those corporate websites Expatistan or Numbeo. But, unfortunately, in areas such as Cagayan De Oro, there is very limited data in terms of the cost of living (especially for the cost of living in Cagayan De Oro as a foreigner).

To live comfortably in Cagayan De Oro, Philippines, a single adult will need between $1200 – $1500 USD a month or 60K – 75K Pesos. However, those who have an expensive lifestyle may wish to budget around $2000 USD. At the same time, there are also budget-friendly living opportunities in Cagayan De Oro.

If you have a basic lifestyle, you may find that the cost of living in Cagayan De Oro is very similar to Davao city. So let us break down the cost in a little more detail.

Condominium prices in Cagayan De Oro tend to be around 15K to 20K pesos for a studio unit and between 20K to 30K pesos for a larger one-bedroom unit. The location, facilities, and age of the property are all significant factors contributing to the final cost.

A cheaper option for those who wish to live cheaply in Cagayan De Oro is renting a house or apartment. You will find that there are several nice modern houses around the 12K – 15K Pesos mark and even some cheaper units if you can live outside of the main city. You can also find a place within the city for as low as 5K Pesos – 8K Pesos; however, there is a significant drop in quality.

Utility bills are covered in our recent YouTube video and are highly recommended for those looking to live in Cagayan De Oro for the first time. I have added this detailed guide in the link above for your reference.

However, to summarise the utility costs of Cagayan De Oro, you may wish to budget between 7K -10K Pesos on utilities each month; however, if you are living with a family or use a lot of electricity, you may find that prices are slightly higher. Nonetheless, some expats spend considerably less on utilities each month, but this comes back to the expat’s location and usage.

Transportation costs have been listed below, but as a summary, if you are traveling via public transport, then costs will remain low. Therefore, 1K – 2K Pesos is a fair estimation, but this will depend on where you are going and how often you take transportation.

Other costs such as food, gym memberships, and entertainment are similar priced Davao City. The difference in costs between the two cities is usually due to tours and things to do. For example, if you wish to take regular trips kayaking or traveling outside of Cagayan De Oro, your overall living expenses increase.

Safety Of Cagayan De Oro

Previously I’ve spoken about safety outside of Davao City on the YouTube channel. So I thought if you are looking at the general safety of Cagayan De Oro, then it’s recommended to take a look at that video. For more information, however, to summarise a few points…

Some government websites such as the UK advise against travel unless it is essential. This is because there have been terrorism, kidnapping, and drug activity across the Mindanao area over the years. Covid-19 is also added to the mix of concerns for many foreigners who are thinking about living in Cagayan De Oro with the current pandemic.

However, most visits are trouble-free from the expat community, including those who have visited and lived in Cagayan De Oro. Many experienced expats who have lived in the Mindanao area have suggested that travelers stay within the cities they wish to travel outside. It is best to travel with others.

In addition, natural disasters are also a safety concern. Cagayan De Oro does experience earthquakes from time to time, many of which are not large scale and go unnoticed; however, several large earthquakes have been documented historically.

Transportation In Cagayan De Oro

In Cagayan De Oro, There are several forms of transport, both public and private. The cheapest forms of transportation in In Cagayan De Oro are jeepneys and prices start around 7pesos. On the other hand, the most expensive form of transport typically is hiring a car which can range between 1000 Pesos – 2000 Pesos a day, depending on the make and model of the vehicle.

Most foreigners living in In Cagayan De Oro tend to enjoy the experience of a Jeepney or other forms of public transportation in the Philippines. Therefore, their overall costs for transportation in Cagayan De Oro remain low.

For those who wish to go slightly further afield, In Cagayan De Oro has a small airport and a ferry that can be used to take trips to Cebu or other parts of the Philippines.

Dating In Cagayan De Oro Philippines

Dating is an interesting topic, especially when looking at cities like Cagayan De Oro in the Philippines.

Apart from Owl Of Asia, I also manage a Filipino wealth website that helps businesses start in the Philippines. And I have noticed a growing trend in search phrases and views about dating in Cagayan De Oro.

After speaking to locals born and their whole lives in Cagayan De Oro, they informed me that the people are generally slightly more conservative than other cities such as Cebu or Manila.

So with all of these growing trends, the Mindanao area is becoming a hotspot for dating in the Philippines.

Cagayan De Oro Is a large urbanized city, and therefore, you will find several different types of singletons. PinaLove is a common dating website for this area, but Facebook dating is also becoming more used in recent times.

On the other hand, if you are an entrepreneur and are thinking about starting a dating business, then Cagayan De Oro may be perfect.

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