Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butuan and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Butuan: $578 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $26,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Butuan
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Butuan Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

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Butuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$578

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Butuan 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 Butuan and in Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $578 in Butuan versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Butuan $578
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $913 in Butuan versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Butuan $913
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,248 in Butuan versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Butuan $1,248
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Butuan costs roughly 79% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Butuan is 57% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.67 ₱294

$17.43 A$25.08

-73.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.83 ₱1,689

$84.6 A$122

-68.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.41 ₱152

$12.46 A$17.92

-80.66%

Cappuccino

$2.09 ₱131

$4.11 A$5.91

-49.15%

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

$0.33 ₱21.01

$3.06 A$4.40

-89.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₱14.47

$2.52 A$3.62

-90.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 ₱98.8

$9.80 A$14.10

-83.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₱155

$8.57 A$12.33

-71.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱123

$1.48 A$2.14

31.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱68.9

$2.94 A$4.23

-62.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ₱55.0

$2.66 A$3.82

-67.29%

Eggs

$1.86 ₱117

$5.54 A$7.97

-66.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.21 ₱391

$10.51 A$15.13

-40.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 ₱305

$9.65 A$13.89

-49.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.32 ₱587

$15.22 A$21.91

-38.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ₱169

$3.99 A$5.75

-32.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$3.02 A$4.34

-63.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 ₱152

$3.10 A$4.46

-21.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ₱75.8

$4.82 A$6.93

-75.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 ₱127

$3.03 A$4.36

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.51 ₱221

$2.44 A$3.52

43.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₱79.0

$2.46 A$3.54

-49.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.40

$1.63 A$2.34

-58.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 ₱150

$44.07 A$63.4

-94.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.13 ₱512

$12.70 A$18.28

-35.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱78.7

$5.54 A$7.97

-77.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₱106

$5.23 A$7.52

-67.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.31

$4.51 A$6.50

-82.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.83

$1.36 A$1.96

-81.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱123

$30.45 A$43.81

-93.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₱66.1

$1.47 A$2.12

-28.57%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$29.0K A$41.7K

-26.79%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$26.5K A$38.1K

-28.12%

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

$107 ₱6,745

$234 A$336

-54.16%

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

$18.89 ₱1,189

$27.93 A$40.19

-32.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.87 ₱1,944

$55.7 A$80.2

-44.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.85 ₱1,502

$49.40 A$71.1

-51.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$4.37 ₱275

$15.09 A$21.72

-71.04%

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

$108 ₱6,790

$2,371 A$3,412

-95.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,696 ₱484.6K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-74.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ₱3,885

$80.0 A$115

-22.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.28 ₱1,970

$50.7 A$73.0

-38.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 ₱4,523

$121 A$174

-40.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.2 ₱3,916

$130 A$188

-52.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

5.9

40.85%

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

Last update for Butuan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Butuan

$200 34.6%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 92% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Butuan

$157 27.1%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 102% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Butuan

$102 17.7%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 68.1% $70

Eating Out

Butuan

$85 14.6%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 272% $230

Sport & Entertainment

Butuan

$33 5.6%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 144% $47

Getting Around

Butuan

$2 * 0.4%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 7928% $162

Accommodation & Living

Butuan

- * 0%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $27.00 in Butuan vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $384 per month, with Butuan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Butuan

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

08:22 8:22 AM

11:22 11:22 AM

3 h ahead of Butuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

337,063

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Butuan Melbourne 5,580 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Butuan
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

Butuan vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 388% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $867 in Butuan and $4,231 in Melbourne to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $108 in Butuan versus $2,371 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Butuan – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $578 in Butuan versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butuan but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Butuan 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, Butuan 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 Butuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 388% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.