Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Philippines Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Philippines

Name: Philippines
Address: PH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,184 per month in Australia vs $759 in Philippines, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,221 per month in Australia vs $1,184 in Philippines, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,257 per month in Australia vs $1,608 in Philippines, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 188% higher than in Philippines on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while Philippines is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,608–$2,789) than in Philippines ($488–$1,223), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.24 A$23.14

$4.08 ₱247

298.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 A$113

$21.34 ₱1,292

272.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 A$14.08

$3.57 ₱216

176.75%

Cappuccino

$3.57 A$5.09

$2.32 ₱140

53.88%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 A$3.70

$0.78 ₱47.00

232.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.05

$0.39 ₱23.47

448.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 A$9.18

$1.34 ₱81.3

380.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.96

$2.10 ₱127

232.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.16

$1.79 ₱108

-15.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 A$3.53

$1.32 ₱79.7

87.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.99

$0.97 ₱58.5

116.49%

Eggs

$4.25 A$6.06

$2.06 ₱124

106.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 A$12.89

$7.79 ₱471

16.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 A$12.31

$4.44 ₱269

94.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 A$20.04

$7.59 ₱459

85.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.69

$3.06 ₱185

7.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$1.49 ₱90.4

87.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.05

$2.77 ₱168

2.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 A$6.30

$1.65 ₱100

167.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.20 ₱133

12.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.08

$2.54 ₱154

-14.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 A$3.24

$1.38 ₱83.5

64.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.14

$0.72 ₱43.35

108.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.89 A$44.04

$3.07 ₱186

906.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.98 A$19.93

$6.44 ₱390

117.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.42 A$6.31

$1.18 ₱71.4

274.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 A$6.91

$1.86 ₱112

160.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 A$4.15

$0.28 ₱16.98

939.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 A$138

$10.53 ₱638

817.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 A$5.25

$0.77 ₱46.42

377.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.50

$0.27 ₱16.45

548.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.19 A$54.4

$2.64 ₱160

1346.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$1.17 ₱70.9

-1.71%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.2K A$41.6K

$23.0K ₱1.4M

26.79%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$22.4K A$31.9K

$21.7K ₱1.3M

2.96%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$178 A$254

$107 ₱6,495

65.83%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.86 A$38.29

$28.15 ₱1,704

-4.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$75.1

$29.84 ₱1,806

76.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.75 A$66.6

$32.08 ₱1,942

45.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.57

$5.45 ₱330

203.49%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$19.40

$6.21 ₱376

119.16%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,612 A$2,298

$105 ₱6,341

1439.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K A$17.8K

$4,330 ₱262.1K

188.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 A$101

$46.02 ₱2,786

53.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.0

$24.93 ₱1,509

105.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$147

$72.3 ₱4,375

42.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$156

$63.9 ₱3,869

71.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 A$1,988

$319 ₱19.3K

337.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,540

$182 ₱11.0K

493.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,268 A$3,233

$660 ₱40.0K

243.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 A$2,479

$360 ₱21.8K

383.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,445 A$10.6K

$3,148 ₱190.6K

136.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,628 A$8,023

$1,446 ₱87.6K

289.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,996 A$5,696

$334 ₱20.2K

1095.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

7.22

-12.05%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Australia: June 14, 2026

Last update for Philippines: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $258 in Philippines. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,583 in Canberra and $500 in Manila.

Average salary: $3,853 in Australia vs $301 in Philippines. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 378% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 305% more in Australia.

Public transport is 2133% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1180% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Australia vs Philippines: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Philippines is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 157% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Philippines, contributing to the overall 157% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Philippines, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Philippines is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.