Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mambajao and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Mambajao: $508 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Mambajao
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Mambajao Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Mambajao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$508

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $508 per month in Mambajao vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

Mambajao $508
Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $817 per month in Mambajao vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

Mambajao $817
Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $1,126 per month in Mambajao vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

Mambajao $1,126
Melbourne $5,650

Mambajao is about 82% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mambajao sits 62% below the global median, while Melbourne is 109% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.36 ₱85.9

$17.43 A$25.08

-92.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.83 ₱997

$84.6 A$122

-81.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.40 ₱214

$12.46 A$17.92

-72.71%

Cappuccino

$2.28 ₱144

$4.11 A$5.91

-44.53%

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

$0.38 ₱24.02

$3.06 A$4.40

-87.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₱16.81

$2.52 A$3.62

-89.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₱64.6

$9.80 A$14.10

-89.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 ₱70.6

$8.57 A$12.33

-86.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 ₱56.8

$1.48 A$2.14

-39.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ₱39.56

$2.94 A$4.23

-78.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ₱41.56

$2.66 A$3.82

-75.19%

Eggs

$1.26 ₱79.5

$5.54 A$7.97

-77.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 ₱372

$10.51 A$15.13

-43.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 ₱270

$9.65 A$13.89

-55.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.50 ₱346

$15.22 A$21.91

-63.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 ₱160

$3.99 A$5.75

-36.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ₱103

$3.02 A$4.34

-46.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 ₱141

$3.10 A$4.46

-27.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱71.3

$4.82 A$6.93

-76.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ₱81.3

$3.03 A$4.36

-57.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ₱130

$2.44 A$3.52

-15.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₱56.8

$2.46 A$3.54

-63.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₱34.37

$1.63 A$2.34

-66.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 ₱158

$44.07 A$63.4

-94.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 ₱467

$12.70 A$18.28

-41.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₱62.0

$5.54 A$7.97

-82.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱70.9

$5.23 A$7.52

-78.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.47

$3.74 A$5.38

-94.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.71 ₱675

$138 A$198

-92.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₱43.54

$4.51 A$6.50

-84.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱12.97

$1.36 A$1.96

-84.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 ₱107

$30.45 A$43.81

-94.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.3

$1.47 A$2.12

-12.93%

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

$21.9K ₱1.4M

$29.0K A$41.7K

-24.32%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$26.5K A$38.1K

-17.81%

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

$64.9 ₱4,083

$234 A$336

-72.25%

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

$16.36 ₱1,030

$27.93 A$40.19

-41.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.10 ₱1,266

$55.7 A$80.2

-63.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.72 ₱1,745

$49.40 A$71.1

-43.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.68 ₱295

$21.48 A$30.91

-78.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 ₱312

$15.09 A$21.72

-67.20%

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

$127 ₱7,995

$2,371 A$3,412

-94.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,993 ₱566.2K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-70.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.83 ₱1,941

$80.0 A$115

-61.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.01 ₱1,386

$50.7 A$73.0

-56.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ₱4,553

$121 A$174

-40.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.1 ₱3,975

$130 A$188

-51.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$101 ₱6,360

$1,759 A$2,531

-94.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.3 ₱3,542

$1,390 A$2,000

-95.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 ₱14.9K

$3,494 A$5,027

-93.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 ₱9,973

$2,493 A$3,588

-93.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,172 ₱136.7K

$6,926 A$9,967

-68.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$990 ₱62.3K

$6,445 A$9,274

-84.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$153 ₱9,616

$4,383 A$6,307

-96.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.9

15.08%

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

Last update for Mambajao: 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

Mambajao

$156 30.7%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 146% $228

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mambajao

$101 20%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 213% $216

Clothing & Footwear

Mambajao

$85 16.7%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 103% $87

Eating Out

Mambajao

$59 11.5%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 438% $256

Accommodation & Living

Mambajao

$56 11.1%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 2370% $1.3K

Sport & Entertainment

Mambajao

$38 7.4%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 112% $42

Getting Around

Mambajao

$13 2.6%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 1138% $151

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $101 in Mambajao 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 2769% 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 $16.00 in Mambajao versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $156 vs $384 – making Mambajao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mambajao

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

02:16 2:16 AM

05:16 5:16 AM

3 h ahead of Mambajao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,094

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 19, 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 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mambajao Melbourne 5,640 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Mambajao
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

Mambajao vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne costs about 456% more than Mambajao, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $761 per month in Mambajao 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 Mambajao, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $508 in Mambajao and $2,821 in Melbourne. That's a gap of about 456%.

Public transport costs about 1184% less in Mambajao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mambajao, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Mambajao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mambajao – 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 Mambajao. 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.