Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabanatuan and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabanatuan: $618 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $26,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Cabanatuan
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Cabanatuan Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Cabanatuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$618

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $618 per month in Cabanatuan vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

Cabanatuan $618
Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $957 per month in Cabanatuan vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

Cabanatuan $957
Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $1,296 per month in Cabanatuan vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

Cabanatuan $1,296
Melbourne $5,650

Cabanatuan is about 78% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cabanatuan sits 54% below the global median, while Melbourne is 109% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.09 ₱258

$17.43 A$25.08

-76.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.04 ₱1,073

$84.6 A$122

-79.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.76 ₱174

$12.46 A$17.92

-77.85%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ₱111

$4.11 A$5.91

-57.18%

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

$0.60 ₱38.01

$3.06 A$4.40

-80.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.25

$2.52 A$3.62

-87.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱63.8

$9.80 A$14.10

-89.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₱103

$8.57 A$12.33

-80.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₱101

$1.48 A$2.14

8.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱70.3

$2.94 A$4.23

-61.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱58.7

$2.66 A$3.82

-65.04%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$5.54 A$7.97

-63.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.21 ₱328

$10.51 A$15.13

-50.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ₱214

$9.65 A$13.89

-64.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.85 ₱494

$15.22 A$21.91

-48.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱146

$3.99 A$5.75

-42.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ₱69.6

$3.02 A$4.34

-63.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$3.10 A$4.46

-25.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 ₱49.05

$4.82 A$6.93

-83.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱109

$3.03 A$4.36

-42.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 ₱109

$2.44 A$3.52

-29.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ₱39.49

$2.46 A$3.54

-74.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.84

$1.63 A$2.34

-69.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$44.07 A$63.4

-93.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.74 ₱551

$12.70 A$18.28

-31.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ₱60.9

$5.54 A$7.97

-82.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱129

$5.23 A$7.52

-60.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₱17.23

$3.74 A$5.38

-92.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.74 ₱802

$138 A$198

-90.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱47.88

$4.51 A$6.50

-83.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.83

$1.36 A$1.96

-81.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱118

$30.45 A$43.81

-93.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₱59.8

$1.47 A$2.12

-35.37%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$29.0K A$41.7K

-26.08%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$26.5K A$38.1K

-27.06%

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

$53.5 ₱3,370

$234 A$336

-77.09%

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

$17.42 ₱1,097

$27.93 A$40.19

-37.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.66 ₱1,364

$55.7 A$80.2

-61.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.25 ₱708

$49.40 A$71.1

-77.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.16 ₱325

$21.48 A$30.91

-75.98%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 ₱334

$15.09 A$21.72

-64.81%

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

$131 ₱8,249

$2,371 A$3,412

-94.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K ₱688.0K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-63.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.58 ₱1,484

$80.0 A$115

-70.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.50 ₱1,227

$50.7 A$73.0

-61.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 ₱3,723

$121 A$174

-50.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.2 ₱3,474

$130 A$188

-57.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₱15.6K

$1,759 A$2,531

-85.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 ₱10.9K

$1,390 A$2,000

-87.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 ₱30.1K

$3,494 A$5,027

-86.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 ₱20.0K

$2,493 A$3,588

-87.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,513 ₱158.2K

$6,926 A$9,967

-63.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,092 ₱68.7K

$6,445 A$9,274

-83.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$159 ₱10.0K

$4,383 A$6,307

-96.37%

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 Cabanatuan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cabanatuan

$173 27.9%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 705% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Cabanatuan

$170 27.5%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 126% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cabanatuan

$93 15%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 243% $225

Eating Out

Cabanatuan

$74 12%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 324% $240

Clothing & Footwear

Cabanatuan

$71 11.5%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 143% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Cabanatuan

$22 3.5%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 264% $58

Getting Around

Cabanatuan

$16 2.6%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 933% $148

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in Cabanatuan versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2654% higher in Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Cabanatuan versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $384 – making Cabanatuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cabanatuan

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

21:51 9:51 PM

00:51 12:51 AM

3 h ahead of Cabanatuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

302,231

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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Cabanatuan Melbourne 6,440 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Cabanatuan
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

Cabanatuan vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $618 in Cabanatuan, $2,821 in Melbourne – roughly 356% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $927 per month in Cabanatuan and $4,231 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabanatuan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Cabanatuan and $85.0 in Melbourne. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $618 in Cabanatuan and $2,821 in Melbourne. That's a gap of about 356%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cabanatuan, where all-in costs run around $618, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Cabanatuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabanatuan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cabanatuan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.