Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cagayan de Oro City and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Cagayan de Oro City: $771 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $24,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cagayan de Oro City
🇵🇭 Philippines
$771
/mo nomad
Melbourne
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,821
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $771 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

  • Cagayan de Oro City $771
  • Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,141 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

  • Cagayan de Oro City $1,141
  • Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,511 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

  • Cagayan de Oro City $1,511
  • Melbourne $5,650

Living in Cagayan de Oro City costs roughly 73% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cagayan de Oro City is 43% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cagayan de Oro City
Melbourne
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.68 ₱231
$17.43 A$25.08
-78.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.80 ₱806
$84.6 A$122
-84.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.05 ₱192
$12.46 A$17.92
-75.52%
Cappuccino
$2.33 ₱147
$4.11 A$5.91
-43.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 ₱47.91
$3.06 A$4.40
-75.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ₱39.98
$2.52 A$3.62
-74.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.38 ₱86.9
$9.80 A$14.10
-85.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 ₱124
$8.57 A$12.33
-76.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cagayan de Oro City
Melbourne
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.48 ₱93.4
$1.48 A$2.14
-
White Bread (500g)
$0.89 ₱56.2
$2.94 A$4.23
-69.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.92 ₱58.0
$2.66 A$3.82
-65.41%
Eggs
$2.17 ₱137
$5.54 A$7.97
-60.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.67 ₱546
$10.51 A$15.13
-17.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.29 ₱207
$9.65 A$13.89
-65.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.76 ₱363
$15.22 A$21.91
-62.16%
Apples (1kg)
$2.05 ₱129
$3.99 A$5.75
-48.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.08 ₱68.3
$3.02 A$4.34
-64.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.38 ₱150
$3.10 A$4.46
-23.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.14 ₱71.9
$4.82 A$6.93
-76.35%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 ₱121
$3.03 A$4.36
-36.63%
Onion (1kg)
$2.53 ₱159
$2.44 A$3.52
3.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 ₱47.87
$2.46 A$3.54
-69.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 ₱30.30
$1.63 A$2.34
-70.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.02 ₱190
$44.07 A$63.4
-93.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.97 ₱250
$12.70 A$18.28
-68.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 ₱77.0
$5.54 A$7.97
-77.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 ₱122
$5.23 A$7.52
-63.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Cagayan de Oro City
Melbourne
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.41 ₱25.99
$3.74 A$5.38
-89.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.84 ₱620
$138 A$198
-92.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.63 ₱39.57
$4.51 A$6.50
-86.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.21 ₱13.18
$1.36 A$1.96
-84.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.94 ₱122
$30.45 A$43.81
-93.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 ₱67.8
$1.47 A$2.12
-26.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ₱1.3M
$29.0K A$41.7K
-27.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.9K ₱1.2M
$26.5K A$38.1K
-28.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cagayan de Oro City
Melbourne
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$137 ₱8,600
$234 A$336
-41.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.77 ₱1,433
$27.93 A$40.19
-18.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.51 ₱1,921
$55.7 A$80.2
-45.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cagayan de Oro City
Melbourne
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.70 ₱1,303
$49.40 A$71.1
-58.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$2.87 ₱181
$21.48 A$30.91
-86.64%
Cinema Ticket
$4.55 ₱286
$15.09 A$21.72
-69.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cagayan de Oro City
Melbourne
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$66.4 ₱4,181
$2,371 A$3,412
-97.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,257 ₱142.1K
$30.2K A$43.5K
-92.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cagayan de Oro City
Melbourne
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$31.71 ₱1,997
$80.0 A$115
-60.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$13.08 ₱824
$50.7 A$73.0
-74.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$52.4 ₱3,300
$121 A$174
-56.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$39.65 ₱2,496
$130 A$188
-69.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cagayan de Oro City
Melbourne
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$377 ₱23.8K
$1,759 A$2,531
-78.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$229 ₱14.4K
$1,390 A$2,000
-83.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$693 ₱43.7K
$3,494 A$5,027
-80.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$452 ₱28.5K
$2,493 A$3,588
-81.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,604 ₱101.0K
$6,926 A$9,967
-76.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$951 ₱59.9K
$6,445 A$9,274
-85.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cagayan de Oro City
Melbourne
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$302 ₱19.0K
$4,383 A$6,307
-93.10%
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 Cagayan de Oro City: October 13, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cagayan de Oro City
$229
Melbourne
$1.4K 508% $1.2K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cagayan de Oro City
$190
Melbourne
$317 67.1% $127
Groceries & Markets
Cagayan de Oro City
$165
Melbourne
$384 132% $219
Eating Out
Cagayan de Oro City
$83
Melbourne
$315 279% $232
Clothing & Footwear
Cagayan de Oro City
$62
Melbourne
$172 179% $110
Sport & Entertainment
Cagayan de Oro City
$30
Melbourne
$80 167% $50
Getting Around
Cagayan de Oro City
$13
Melbourne
$164 1144% $151

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $377 in Cagayan de Oro City and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 1350% 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: $13.00 in Cagayan de Oro City vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $165 vs $384 per month, with Cagayan de Oro City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cagayan de Oro City
🇦🇺 Melbourne
🕒 Local time
07:41 7:41 AM
10:41 10:41 AM
3 h ahead of Cagayan de Oro City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
728,402
5,031,195
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cagayan de Oro City Melbourne 5,560 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cagayan de Oro City
  • 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
Cagayan de Oro City vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Cagayan de Oro City and in Melbourne?
Cagayan de Oro City and Melbourne differ by about 266% in total monthly costs ($771 vs $2,821 including rent). Cagayan de Oro City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 1350% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Cagayan de Oro City and in Melbourne?
Rent for a central apartment: $377 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 132% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Cagayan de Oro City – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $771 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cagayan de Oro City but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Cagayan de Oro City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Cagayan de Oro City and Melbourne?
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.
Is Cagayan de Oro City or Melbourne safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Cagayan de Oro City 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.
Where should expats move: Cagayan de Oro City or Melbourne?
Expats usually find Cagayan de Oro City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 266% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Cagayan de Oro City vs other spots: cost of living compared

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