What does the score actually mean?

A weighted average across 7 axes: Financial fit 25%, Lifestyle 20%, Housing 15%, and 10% each for Climate, Mobility, Healthcare, and Connectivity. 80+ is "strong fit," 60–79 "workable," 40–59 "a real stretch," <40 "probably not Davao." The verdict line below the score is the headline; the per-axis breakdown shows you exactly which axes carry your score and which drag it down.

A 5-question quiz cannot honestly answer "can you live here" — there is no useful score without your income, household composition, climate tolerance, and housing target. 12 is the depth that produces a non-generic answer; each step focuses on one decision axis so the cognitive load stays manageable.

Is this advice or an estimate?

An estimate. The cost model uses Davao 2026 reference figures (DCWD post-March 2026 tiers, Region XI minimum-wage context, published neighborhood rent bands) and a banded monthly electricity allowance. That allowance was set against the pre-surge Davao Light rate, and DLPC has since climbed 26.5% in two cycles to ₱12.9/kWh (August 2026 cycle), so treat the utilities line as a floor if you run AC most of the time. It does not know your exact employer, condo, or family situation. Use the result to frame the decision — then run the Monthly Budget Builder for the line-by-line numbers.

Can I share my result?

Yes — all 24 inputs serialize into the URL query string. Copy the address bar after computing your result and the next person who opens it sees your exact answers and verdict.

My answer changed after re-running with a different rent target. Is that a bug?

No — that is the instrument working. The biggest single lever in most results is housing. If you flipped from a 3-bedroom house to a 1-bedroom condo, expect the Financial fit and Housing fit axes to move sharply. The real-life version of this is the same: tightening the housing target is usually the most powerful way to make Davao numbers work.

Can You Live in Davao? — 12-Step Fit Finder

Methodology, formula + sources

How this is calculated

Seven weighted axes each score 0–100; the overall fit is their weighted sum. Money is the unfixable axis, so a low financial score hard-caps the overall result no matter how strong the rest is. The verdict band, the top why-yes / why-no reasons, and a built-up monthly budget vs your income all derive from the same axis scores. It is a directional decision instrument — it then routes you to the precise calculators.

Formula

overall = Σ (axisScore × weight)
weights: financial 25 · lifestyle/social 20 · housing 15 · climate 10 · mobility 10 · healthcare 10 · connectivity 10
financial hard caps: <20 → overall ≤ 38 · <40 → ≤ 55 · <60 → ≤ 70
verdict: ≥ 80 strong · ≥ 60 workable · ≥ 40 stretch · else probably not

Constants + data sources (each dated)

Value used	Source	As of
Axis weights + hard caps + verdict bands: financial 25 / lifestyle 20 / housing 15 / climate·mobility·healthcare·connectivity 10 each; caps 38/55/70; bands 80/60/40	LiveDavao tool parameters (dated, sourced — not hardcoded)	2026-05
Electricity in cost model: Peso allowance banded by AC pattern × household size — benchmarked to the DLPC residential rate, now ₱12.9/kWh. The bands were set at the pre-surge ₱10.35 and run ~26% low for heavy-AC households until they are rebuilt.	DLPC residential rate, July 11–August 10 2026 cycle (announced SunStar Davao 2026-07-19)	2026-08
Water in cost model: DCWD post-March 2026 tier schedule	DCWD	2026-03
Water consumption assumed: Cubic metres per month by household — solo 10 · couple 15 · family with young kids 25 · family with teens 30 · multi-generational 35. The DCWD schedule above is walked at these volumes: the tariff is DCWD's, the volumes are ours. They are the household presets published on the DCWD Water Bill Estimator, with the teens band at the top of the 20–30 cbm family-of-four range rather than its middle.	LiveDavao household estimate, from the /tools/water-bill presets	2026-05
Rent bands + transport/food: 5 LiveDavao clusters + must-have surcharges (parking, pets, security, flood-safe)	LiveDavao neighbourhood guides + 2026 Davao observation	2026-05

Worked example (reproduce this by hand)

Net ₱70,000/mo. Built-up cost model ≈ ₱46,000. Mid lifestyle/climate answers.

income ÷ cost = 70,000 ÷ 46,000 = 1.52 → financial axis 100
financial 100 → no hard cap applies
weighted sum with mid lifestyle/climate ≈ 78

→ Overall ≈ 78/100 — "Workable, edging strong"

Assumptions

Internal cost model is a directional fit instrument, not a precise bill — it deliberately routes you to the Monthly Budget Builder and Neighborhood Matcher next.
Water runs the real DCWD tier walk — the same function the DCWD Water Bill Estimator calls, on the same rate data — applied to an assumed monthly consumption for your household size, so the tariff is exact and the volume is an estimate. Electricity does not: it is a peso band by AC pattern rather than a live per-kWh multiplication, and the band was set against the pre-surge DLPC rate — the DLPC Electricity Bill Calculator is the accurate one for that line.

Known limits — what this does not model

Does not know your exact employer, condo, family situation, or whether a specific specialist is in Davao now.
Immigration/visa pathway for foreigners is out of scope.
Cost model is cluster-average, not a quoted unit.

Last verified 2026-09-06 · Next review DLPC monthly; weights/cost model quarterly

How to read the result

The headline score is a weighted average — but the per-axis bars are what you actually act on. A 78 overall with Connectivity at 60 and Financial fit at 95 is a very different decision than a 78 with Financial fit at 60 and everything else at 80. The first profile is "Davao works, just budget for a UPS and a backup SIM." The second is "Davao works only if the housing target shrinks."

The "Why no" lines call out exactly which axes are dragging the score. They are written as direct advice, not generic warnings. If walkability or healthcare specialists show up there, treat them as concrete things to verify before signing a lease — not future problems to deal with later.

How to use the recommended neighborhoods

The top neighborhood pick is the highest-confidence match from the five with published LiveDavao guides. The second and third picks are usually where the interesting trade-offs live — a slightly longer commute for materially better walkability, or a higher rent band for measurably lower flood risk. Read all three guides before locking a search radius.

When the verdict says "probably not Davao"

The verdict is not a permanent answer. It is "with these specific inputs, the numbers and lifestyle do not align." The fix is almost always concrete — drop from a 3BR house target to a 1BR condo, raise income before the move, swap "AC 24/7" for "AC sleep-only" and pick a higher-elevation neighborhood. Re-run the tool with the changed inputs and watch the score move. That is the instrument doing its job: it makes the trade-offs visible before you sign anything.

These estimates are for budgeting. Confirm current rates and legal terms with your provider or a Davao-based lawyer for binding decisions.

Can You Live in Davao? — Fit Finder

How to read the result

How to use the recommended neighborhoods

When the verdict says "probably not Davao"

Frequently asked questions

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