Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $755 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $25,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$755

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Melbourne

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Baguio and in Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $755 in Baguio versus $2,852 in Melbourne.

Baguio $755
Melbourne $2,852

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,183 in Baguio versus $4,297 in Melbourne.

Baguio $1,183
Melbourne $4,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,611 in Baguio versus $5,742 in Melbourne.

Baguio $1,611
Melbourne $5,742

Living in Baguio costs roughly 74% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baguio is 44% below, Melbourne is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 ₱249

$17.75 A$25.40

-77.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.85 ₱1,057

$84.8 A$121

-80.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.76 ₱173

$12.16 A$17.40

-77.30%

Cappuccino

$1.84 ₱115

$3.93 A$5.62

-53.18%

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

$0.60 ₱37.75

$3.14 A$4.49

-80.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₱21.40

$2.43 A$3.47

-86.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱63.6

$9.90 A$14.17

-89.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱103

$8.29 A$11.86

-80.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₱106

$1.55 A$2.21

9.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱70.9

$3.01 A$4.31

-62.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.5

$2.88 A$4.12

-64.24%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱126

$5.44 A$7.79

-62.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.96 ₱311

$10.59 A$15.16

-53.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₱211

$9.61 A$13.76

-64.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.68 ₱482

$14.99 A$21.46

-48.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱145

$4.15 A$5.94

-44.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₱100

$3.05 A$4.37

-47.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱146

$3.30 A$4.72

-29.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ₱67.5

$4.76 A$6.81

-77.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ₱104

$3.04 A$4.34

-45.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 ₱108

$2.55 A$3.65

-32.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ₱41.91

$2.48 A$3.55

-72.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.15

$1.63 A$2.33

-67.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₱187

$44.07 A$63.1

-93.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.72 ₱547

$12.43 A$17.79

-29.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₱61.1

$5.33 A$7.63

-81.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ₱130

$5.16 A$7.38

-59.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.73

$3.84 A$5.50

-93.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.66 ₱794

$142 A$203

-91.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 ₱52.0

$4.40 A$6.29

-81.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$1.40 A$2.01

-82.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱119

$29.83 A$42.69

-93.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.7

$1.46 A$2.09

-14.38%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$28.1K A$40.3K

-24.89%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$25.9K A$37.1K

-25.39%

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

$142 ₱8,910

$233 A$333

-38.93%

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

$17.90 ₱1,122

$27.28 A$39.04

-34.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 ₱1,491

$57.0 A$81.6

-58.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.07 ₱1,322

$52.7 A$75.4

-60.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.18 ₱325

$22.62 A$32.37

-77.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.15 ₱323

$17.10 A$24.48

-69.88%

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

$132 ₱8,307

$2,373 A$3,397

-94.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K ₱675.4K

$30.5K A$43.6K

-64.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.14 ₱1,827

$78.2 A$112

-62.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.94 ₱1,251

$50.5 A$72.2

-60.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.0 ₱4,578

$121 A$172

-39.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 ₱3,480

$133 A$191

-58.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ₱25.3K

$1,713 A$2,451

-76.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 ₱12.2K

$1,402 A$2,006

-86.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 ₱51.7K

$3,339 A$4,778

-75.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₱28.9K

$2,529 A$3,619

-81.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,677 ₱167.9K

$7,018 A$10.0K

-61.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$928 ₱58.2K

$6,767 A$9,685

-86.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 ₱11.6K

$4,228 A$6,051

-95.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

5.9

14.41%

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

Last update for Baguio: October 3, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$195 25.8%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 620% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$184 24.4%

Melbourne

$317 11.1% 72.5% $133

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$175 23.2%

Melbourne

$385 13.5% 120% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$80 10.6%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 115% $92

Eating Out

Baguio

$74 9.8%

Melbourne

$314 11% 323% $240

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$31 4.2%

Melbourne

$87 3.1% 177% $56

Getting Around

Baguio

$16 2.1%

Melbourne

$168 5.9% 968% $153

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Baguio and $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 2190% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $17.00 in Baguio vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $385 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

12:04 12:04 PM

3 h ahead of Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Baguio Melbourne 6,550 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Melbourne

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Baguio vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 277% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 2190% lower in Melbourne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $403 in Baguio versus $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $755 per month in Baguio versus $2,852 in Melbourne – a 277% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 1018% less than in Melbourne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $755 in Baguio versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baguio but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Baguio the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Baguio and Melbourne are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Baguio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 277% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.