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Hello Crypto brothers,

I'm thinking of moving to Philippines and searching for a suitable place to stay as a digital nomad.

I'm considering Cebu city as the best option.Sea nearby location villa to stay and fast internet is a must.Is Cebu city suitable for such a set up?Or what would you recommend best?


Thanks in advance...

Cebu city should be fine. It's one of the most advanced cities in PH.

If you are interested in crypto meet ups and discussion, you can join this group https://t.me/blockchaincebu

edit: from what I read I've been reading, Davao city is also a great choice.

Hi, I assume you're not a Pinoy. Cebu is actually a good place and it's getting more urbanized and you just have to choose the right place in Cebu which is very accessible and has internet access. Just stay or go near to Metro Cebu, IIRC it's Cebu City.
It's like Manila or even more than that because of nearby beaches.

Cebu is a good option. But I'm afraid the city proper itself is not recommendable. Try the outskirts of the city proper. It is where there's less hustle and bustle of city life.

I also suggest to live up to your being a digital nomad and jump from one island to another. We have thousands of them. You will eventually come up with the best in which you might decide to settle for a long time.

Cebu city is one of the best country in the Philippines and that is the beautiful place and civilized also.
The interner for sure there is fasr but not like really fast in the other country who faster more.
I really good to know that you are moving to the philippines this is one the  good choice anyway when you are moving?

What country do you live? For sure you are foreigner . Im not living in the city of Cebu but that is place for you I think.
internet here in my place now is slow and I don't know if the internet there is good and very fast to use.
For sure all the question you put here will be answer of the cebuana because they live there.

Stay in the downtown where you can access everything from nearby market, malls, restaurants, hospital and red lights. Probably Gorordo Avenue near Ayala mall. There are quite villages in Gorordo especially going to UP. Cebu is a small City where foreigners just walk around, you can easily find an expat community there in Cebu.

I think we have someone who is crypto enthusiast who is not Pilipino but currently residing in our country, If I'm not mistaken his name is Nutilda. Cebu City is not that bad, but if I were you I preferred Davao City as it got listed on the safest city in the world.

Pretty much almost everywhere in the Luzon(probably not Visayas and Mindanao for safety reasons, rebels and stuff) area is great as long as you don't go too deep into the province, as you might have problems with internet speed/stability.

My tips:

• If you like the city life, then go to somewhere in Manila or Cebu.
• If you like to stay in the province but still want access to some malls and such, go to the Pangasinan province.
• Baguio City if you prefer colder weather.

Cebu is a good pick though. Huge ass city with a great provincial area.

Oo tama ka diyan kabayan dahil karamihan ng mga crypto events ay ginaganap sa Davao pero hindi ako sigurado kung mabilis ang internet doon. Ang isa pang maganda sa Davao ay yung mga taong nakapaligid dahil balita ko na karamihan sa mga dabawenyo ay tapot maliban sa pagiging ligtas ng kanilang lugar.

Yes, Cebu is one of the best option outside metro manila and a great gateway to other islands in the Philippines. There are also many attraction there, to beaches, falls and mountains for nature tripping. I think Cebu has a fast internet connection too perfect for digital nomad like you OP.

Thanks for the very warm reception. :)
I'm Turkish but I'm in Bali now.
Is it possible to rent a small house in Cebu ?


Gonna check Davao city too.

I'm sorry but this sounds a little bit misleading.

Pretty much almost everywhere in the ~7,107 islands of The Philippines is great.

Little groups of rebels are present in few tiny spots all over Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Worry not about them as they are camped in the most rural or mountainous parts of the country.

Save for a few places such as Basilan, Tawi-tawi, and a few more, the entire country is great.

Cebu is a big and progressive city so I can recommend that it's a good place to stay.

The traffic is not that worse compared in Manila but in terms of internet speed, they have the safe offer like in Manila, we don't have 5g I guess but sooner when upgrade happens, Cebu should be included in that upgrade.

It is possible, do you know someone that lives there? it is easier for you if you have a friend living there. You check availability with apps like Carousell. As much as possible I want to suggest Airbnb but it's only good for short term stay and it'll cost you around $20 per night which I think is quite expensive if you're going long term.

I think $20 is expensive  for him better for him to rent an apartment who are more bigger and the rent fee is cost $100 a month I think instead of $20 per night.  A city of Cebu is of the cities in the Philippines who are really popular because they have a good place and have different culture. If they are are going to cebu how long he going to live there o he decided to take a vacation only?

Port Barton and El Nido have beautiful beaches but the Wifi on the island is basically non-existent. A good compromise would be Moalboal. The place in Cebu feautures very nice beaches and is famous for its Snorkeling spots. At the same time it is very developed and the internet is okay most of the time. Also, Panagsama Beach is in walking distance to most hotels, so you can bring your laptop and work there if you want.

Kaya nga tulad ng sinabi ko kung short term lang siya, mas mapapamahal siya pero kung long term baka may mahanap naman siya. Kailangan niya lang maging matyaga sa paghahanap. Pero kung for good naman siya o di kaya mga 6 months to 1 year makakahanap naman siya niyan panigurado. Kaya kung meron siyang kakilala doon mas mapapadali sa kanya pero kung wala at baka meron dito tayong mga kababayan na bandang Cebu nakatira o di kaya may kakilala, pwede niyong suggest sa kanya.

If you like beaches Cebu is the good place but not the best, if you like cold weather you can try Baguio city but the cost of living here is little bit high compare to neighboring cities but likely manageable. Try to scout first and research for feedbacks, there a lot of good places here youll surely love. Goodluck to your journey bro.

Kung may budget siyang $20/day - magrent na lang say ng condo for 25000PHP a month dahil mas safer. You can test your booking in https://www.booking.com set dates at makikita nya na maraming hotel offering 30 nights for less than 25K PHP.
My suggestion is PENSIONNE LA FLORENTINA dahil nakatira ako malapit dito nong nasa Cebu pa ako.

If you wanna see what your fellow tourist do in Cebu to rent space check this place https://www.livingincebuforums.com/forum/20-buying-or-renting-real-estate/

Hwag sa $100/month baka hindi gated community yan dahil, baka maransack lang sya ng mga maldito dyan sa Cebu at pagkakwartahan ng mga lispu.

edit: Mahal nga pala ngayon angrates dahil malapit na Sinulog Festival.

Cebu is fine if you want to live there. I haven't been in Cebu myself but it's a big city and also a lot of foreigners are residing and having vacation in Cebu since they find as one of the beautiful places in the Philippines. Though the internet is not that fast compared to other countries. Well the internet in the Philippines as a whole, is a problem by most local citizens here. So I guess, you'll have to get used to it dealing with the internet connection.

Thanks for the answers.  I'm benefiting a lot from them.
What is the reasonable internet speed we can expect in Cebu and other expat cities?For exampe Is 20 mb/s possible?

Kind regards..

Converge (https://www.convergeict.com/) can provide that kind of internet speed. Another option is PLDT home fiber (https://pldthome.com/fibr).

You could also try and take a look at IGACOS (Island Garden City of Samal). It's an island with lots of beautiful beaches, waterfalls and batcaves (No, Batman isn't there  :D ).
The Island is just a few minutes boat ride (cars can take the barges) to Davao City (The hometown of the current President of the Philippines, Rodrigo R. Duterte).
And since tourism is the island's main source of revenue, of course, a good internet connection is available.
Davao City and IGACOS are on Mindanao, a group of Islands located in the Southern part of the Philippines.
Also, from what I've heard, plans on having an entire bridge connecting the Island and Davao City are already in the works.

Hey, OP you should read this suggestion of target. When you'll come in Cebu? rates are increasing because of the mentioned event which is Sinulog but I guess it'll cooldown when it's done.
Mas maganda nga siguro kung condo mas safe pa siya.

In commercialized places, I think it's possible. Metro Cebu is like Metro Manila now, it's also urbanized and developing so internet speed in business centers wouldn't be a problem and that 20mbps is likely.

Internet speed is not that bad here in Metro Cebu but just don't compare with other countries as you might get disappointed.

@DragonDance, now is not a good time (if you are looking for a cheap hotel room/villa) to come to Metro Cebu as Sinulog festival is in January and this time almost all of the hotel rooms are booked and if ever you can find a room, it must be expensive.

It you are here, you may end up in Lapu-lapu City, near the world class beach resort and hotels and convenient place for you if you wanna go island hopping. Visit us here and experience to live like a king lol.

Cebu is just a place in the philippines.  Well it was a good decision to stay in cebu because it was one place that every filipinos proud of.  The internet there was fast which you can easily access internet especially when you are at a higher place.  The surrounding also is very calming.

I'm from Cebu OP there's a lot of place you can stay here and you can choose either near the beach or the city and there's internet is not a problem here since CEBU City is one of the most progressive Cities in PH if you need anything regarding Cebu you can send me a pm and will provide you some necessary details.

Yes, for sure you will love Cebu as this is a safe place, there's a lot of beautiful tourist spot, a lot of events, festive etc and the people are nice and the internet is good as well, so you won't have any worry on it, besides it is one of the progressive place in the Philippines, for sure you will enjoy there. Good luck and always welcome to Philippines!

Haven't been to Cebu but I hear from others that have been there. They all say it's somewhat like Manila, just with smaller roads, less pollution and beaches nearby. As for the internet, I wouldn't assume the speed would be any faster than in Manila's so don't expect too much. Internet here in the Philippines suck.

I don't know your preferences to housing but if I am in your shoes, I'd probably rent a small flat first until I get used to the place, preferable one that actually have good security. Then once you get a good idea of the actual prices there then you can decide whether you want a flat or a house.

hi guys thanks for the excellent advice so far.

I'm arriving in Cebu late february, and like @merchantofzeny mentioned the general advice I m getting is to avoid Cebu City because of traffic and pollution and look for houses in the greater Cebu / Visaya region.

Where would be the best places to look for beachfront houses in this area ? are there any specific websites you would recommend for local prices,

alternatively if anyone here has a reliable real estate contact, I would be glad to have a chat with them.

Thanks a lot

Lapu-Lapu City CEBU is a good place for you to stay since it's near in the airport and traffic is manageable compare to the city, it's surrounded by beach resorts and it's been called a Historic Resort City for that. You can find many tourist there since the place is beautiful and the locals are accommodating.

You can check below for accommodations.

1. SHANGRILA - https://www.shangri-la.com/cebu/mactanresort/?WT.mc_id=SLIM_201811_GLOBAL_SEM_GOOGLE_MAC-Brand_Brand-Exact-RSA_shangri%20la%20cebu_EN&gclsrc=aw.ds&ds_rl=1247706&gclid=CjwKCAiAg9rxBRADEiwAxKDTuvffrqstQWM51dk-2kaBKQmkEnEUdMV4APrcLj2PIz9___iMFWTdbBoCHPMQAvD_BwE


2. JPARK - https://www.jparkislandresort.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiAg9rxBRADEiwAxKDTulFtEZeZofZu_RZcOvYOIo64fhtDExM0ZbmoE2jrd7iW2Hm28ZBIzRoCOQYQAvD_BwE

3. PLANTATION BAY - https://www.booking.com/searchresults.en-gb.html?aid=1250365&label=huno.1%3ACjwKCAiAg9rxBRADEiwAxKDTuhQJamSNoR8hG50H340RjR53rsFBCCDotrLoy34qFt3eVo2qz8ECIxoC3OQQAvD_BwE&sid=887c54211f6cf8e3cfc68163a60f546e&checkin=2020-02-09&checkout=2020-02-10&city=-2435281&highlighted_hotels=282450&hlrd=with_dates&keep_landing=1&redirected=1&source=hotel


4. MARIBAGO BLUEWATER RESORT - https://www.booking.com/searchresults.en-gb.html?aid=311984;label=maribago-bluewater-beach-resort-5gzIZ16Gf3mRrB_GwEegzgSM162163070367%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap1t1%3Aneg%3Afi%3Atiaud-146342138710%3Akwd-19576678513%3Alp9067047%3Ali%3Adem%3Adm%3Appccp%3DUmFuZG9tSVYkc2RlIyh9YXORK0YJiVoOxcWODxYDaAA;sid=887c54211f6cf8e3cfc68163a60f546e;checkin=2020-02-09;checkout=2020-02-10;city=-2435281;highlighted_hotels=249623;hlrd=with_dates;keep_landing=1;redirected=1;source=hotel&gclid=CjwKCAiAg9rxBRADEiwAxKDTupPwJQ4lIATXBMAK60i_WRYvzhKUXDYuL2qEqDyn--7SoYQKWtzNFRoCZOkQAvD_BwE&




5. CRIMSON HOTEL - https://crimsonhotel.com/mactan/


6.  MOVENPICK - https://www.movenpick.com/en/asia/philippines/cebu/hotel-mactan-island-cebu/overview/?gclsrc=aw.ds&ds_rl=1248690&merchantid=ppc-mov-mar-goo-ph-en-ph-exa-sear&sourceid=bp-cen&gclid=CjwKCAiAg9rxBRADEiwAxKDTunvWwQd3wcnrfBHfkediacszwiwNdQ8CZ_ROd2Db4VfJBXjkhzrtexoCT_8QAvD_BwE