Dasmarinas vs Guilin
Single · Comfortable · $3,000/mo
Guilin is approximately 34% less expensive than Dasmarinas based on cost of living including rent. This makes Guilin a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Guilin has a FIRE Score of 87/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 75, which is relatively safe.
Recommended profile: Guilin is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
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Best in rowPhilippines
Dasmarinas
China
Guilin
Estimates from published local prices. N/A means no figure is published for that city.
About these cities
About Guilin
Guilin is a budget expat haven where a single adult can live comfortably for around $445/mo, but the local average salary of $487/mo means you'll stretch every yuan. The city is safe (crime index 25/100) and cheap, with a restaurant meal at $2 and a cappuccino at $2, but the air quality index of 68 and fair healthcare are real drawbacks. English is common only in tourist areas, so you'll need Mandarin for daily life outside the expat bubble. If you're chasing FIRE, this is a top pick; if you want Western comforts, look elsewhere.
About China
China works for remote workers and business expats fluent in navigating bureaucracy, not retirees seeking an easy landing. Rent outside the city center averages just $238.5/mo, backing the low COL index of 30.7. But with no retirement visa, no digital nomad visa, and an advisory level of 2, getting legal footing here is the real obstacle, not the budget.
Guilin costs roughly 12.7x less than Dasmarinas. Dasmarinas leads on digital nomad infrastructure. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Guilin is approximately 34% less expensive than Dasmarinas based on cost of living including rent. This makes Guilin a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Guilin has a FIRE Score of 87/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 75, which is relatively safe.
Recommended profile: Guilin is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
About Dasmarinas
Dasmarinas is a cheap place to live, with a cost of living index of 34/100 and a 1-bedroom outside the center at just $48/mo, but the average monthly net salary of $359/mo means local wages and expat budgets live in different worlds. The climate is a tropical monsoon with high heat and a long wet season, and an air quality index of 68 does you no favors. It scores 80/100 overall and 82/100 for FIRE, yet a retiree score of 65/100 and a small expat community suggest you should not expect a ready-made social life. Come for the low costs and widely spoken English, stay only if you can handle the heat, the haze, and the quiet.
About Philippines
Retirees on fixed incomes near the $1,500/mo SRRV minimum get the best deal here: rent outside the center runs under $200 and English is widely spoken, easing daily friction. But that low cost sits against a -1.1 political stability score and only medium expat safety ratings, so this suits people who can tolerate some instability for cash savings. Bad fit: anyone needing top-tier healthcare or a guaranteed path to citizenship.
$2,630/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Guilin
Guilin is a budget expat haven where a single adult can live comfortably for around $445/mo, but the local average salary of $487/mo means you'll stretch every yuan. The city is safe (crime index 25/100) and cheap, with a restaurant meal at $2 and a cappuccino at $2, but the air quality index of 68 and fair healthcare are real drawbacks. English is common only in tourist areas, so you'll need Mandarin for daily life outside the expat bubble. If you're chasing FIRE, this is a top pick; if you want Western comforts, look elsewhere.
About China
China works for remote workers and business expats fluent in navigating bureaucracy, not retirees seeking an easy landing. Rent outside the city center averages just $238.5/mo, backing the low COL index of 30.7. But with no retirement visa, no digital nomad visa, and an advisory level of 2, getting legal footing here is the real obstacle, not the budget.
$2,635/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
Which visa fits your move?
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| Metric | Dasmarinas | Guilin |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $300 | $223.78 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $47.82 | $149.19 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $620 | $522.16 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $450 | $372.97 |
| Safety Index | 35.22 | 75 |
| Internet Speed | 22Mbps | 70.2Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices
| Category | Dasmarinas | Guilin |
|---|---|---|
| Total (rent included) | $372/mo | $365/mo |
| Excluding rent | $324/mo | $216/mo |
| Rent | $48.00/mo | $149/mo |
| Groceries | $95.00/mo | $84.00/mo |
| Dining out | $27.00/mo | $22.00/mo |
| Entertainment & lifestyle | $61.00/mo | $73.00/mo |
| Utilities & connectivity | $141/mo | $37.00/mo |
| Transport | N/A | N/A |
Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.
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