Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandaue and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandaue: $825 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Mandaue
Learn more

Mandaue Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Mandaue

🇵🇭 Philippines

$825

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $825 in Mandaue versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Mandaue $825
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,203 in Mandaue versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Mandaue $1,203
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,581 in Mandaue versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Mandaue $1,581
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Mandaue costs roughly 71% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mandaue is 39% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 ₱187

$17.43 A$25.08

-83.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.45 ₱1,477

$84.6 A$122

-72.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱252

$12.46 A$17.92

-67.98%

Cappuccino

$2.58 ₱162

$4.11 A$5.91

-37.23%

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

$1.54 ₱97.0

$3.06 A$4.40

-49.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.06

$2.52 A$3.62

-80.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 ₱108

$9.80 A$14.10

-82.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₱144

$8.57 A$12.33

-73.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱123

$1.48 A$2.14

31.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱68.8

$2.94 A$4.23

-62.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱58.8

$2.66 A$3.82

-65.04%

Eggs

$1.97 ₱124

$5.54 A$7.97

-64.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 ₱624

$10.51 A$15.13

-5.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 ₱275

$9.65 A$13.89

-54.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱481

$15.22 A$21.91

-49.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 ₱219

$3.99 A$5.75

-13.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 ₱90.1

$3.02 A$4.34

-52.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ₱144

$3.10 A$4.46

-26.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ₱92.6

$4.82 A$6.93

-69.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$3.03 A$4.36

-22.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 ₱124

$2.44 A$3.52

-19.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$2.46 A$3.54

-51.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.43

$1.63 A$2.34

-58.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₱149

$44.07 A$63.4

-94.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.29 ₱396

$12.70 A$18.28

-50.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.5

$5.54 A$7.97

-77.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱108

$5.23 A$7.52

-67.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱14.98

$3.74 A$5.38

-93.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.67 ₱609

$138 A$198

-92.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.71

$4.51 A$6.50

-83.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.20

$1.36 A$1.96

-84.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱119

$30.45 A$43.81

-93.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱83.3

$1.47 A$2.12

-10.20%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$29.0K A$41.7K

-26.82%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$26.5K A$38.1K

-27.76%

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

$98.3 ₱6,190

$234 A$336

-57.95%

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

$14.07 ₱886

$27.93 A$40.19

-49.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.93 ₱1,759

$55.7 A$80.2

-49.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 ₱2,079

$49.40 A$71.1

-33.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.27 ₱332

$21.48 A$30.91

-75.47%

Cinema Ticket

$5.69 ₱358

$15.09 A$21.72

-62.29%

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

$130 ₱8,208

$2,371 A$3,412

-94.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,979 ₱502.6K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-73.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.91 ₱2,073

$80.0 A$115

-58.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.62 ₱1,236

$50.7 A$73.0

-61.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 ₱4,793

$121 A$174

-36.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.7 ₱3,634

$130 A$188

-55.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.1K

$1,759 A$2,531

-75.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 ₱15.8K

$1,390 A$2,000

-81.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$747 ₱47.1K

$3,494 A$5,027

-78.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 ₱22.2K

$2,493 A$3,588

-85.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,174 ₱136.9K

$6,926 A$9,967

-68.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$902 ₱56.8K

$6,445 A$9,274

-86.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$234 ₱14.8K

$4,383 A$6,307

-94.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.9

22.03%

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

Last update for Mandaue: October 11, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mandaue

$251 30.5%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 453% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Mandaue

$205 24.8%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 87.5% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandaue

$140 17%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 126% $177

Eating Out

Mandaue

$88 10.7%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 258% $227

Clothing & Footwear

Mandaue

$84 10.2%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 105% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Mandaue

$44 5.4%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 79.3% $35

Getting Around

Mandaue

$12 1.5%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 1220% $151

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Mandaue and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 1769% 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: $23.00 in Mandaue vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $384 per month, with Mandaue cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mandaue

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

02:05 2:05 AM

05:05 5:05 AM

3 h ahead of Mandaue

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,116

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 = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mandaue Melbourne 5,780 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Mandaue
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

Mandaue vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandaue wins on cost – living expenses run 242% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mandaue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1769% 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: $429 in Mandaue versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandaue – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $825 per month in Mandaue versus $2,821 in Melbourne – a 242% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $825 in Mandaue versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mandaue but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Mandaue 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, Mandaue 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 Mandaue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 242% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.