Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Manila: $931 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$931

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $931 per month in Manila vs $2,852 in Melbourne, rent included.

Manila $931
Melbourne $2,852

A couple spends around $1,519 per month in Manila vs $4,297 in Melbourne, rent included.

Manila $1,519
Melbourne $4,297

A family of three spends $2,106 per month in Manila vs $5,742 in Melbourne, rent included.

Manila $2,106
Melbourne $5,742

Manila is about 67% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Manila sits 31% below the global median, while Melbourne is 113% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.61 ₱352

$17.75 A$25.40

-68.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.39 ₱1,718

$84.8 A$121

-67.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ₱248

$12.16 A$17.40

-67.52%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

$3.93 A$5.62

-34.86%

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

$1.42 ₱89.1

$3.14 A$4.49

-54.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₱50.9

$2.43 A$3.47

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.2

$9.90 A$14.17

-88.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₱148

$8.29 A$11.86

-71.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.55 A$2.21

25.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ₱88.0

$3.01 A$4.31

-53.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.2

$2.88 A$4.12

-64.58%

Eggs

$2.29 ₱144

$5.44 A$7.79

-57.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 ₱493

$10.59 A$15.16

-25.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 ₱307

$9.61 A$13.76

-49.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 ₱425

$14.99 A$21.46

-54.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ₱212

$4.15 A$5.94

-18.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₱116

$3.05 A$4.37

-39.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₱186

$3.30 A$4.72

-10.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱112

$4.76 A$6.81

-62.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 ₱140

$3.04 A$4.34

-26.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱168

$2.55 A$3.65

5.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 ₱138

$2.48 A$3.55

-11.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.25

$1.63 A$2.33

-63.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 ₱196

$44.07 A$63.1

-92.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.42 ₱591

$12.43 A$17.79

-24.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱83.3

$5.33 A$7.63

-75.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱125

$5.16 A$7.38

-61.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.46

$3.84 A$5.50

-87.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.58 ₱789

$142 A$203

-91.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱48.77

$4.40 A$6.29

-82.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.43

$1.40 A$2.01

-83.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$29.83 A$42.69

-93.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.46 A$2.09

-8.90%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$28.1K A$40.3K

-24.19%

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

$19.7K ₱1.2M

$25.9K A$37.1K

-24.13%

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

$121 ₱7,614

$233 A$333

-47.82%

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

$16.04 ₱1,006

$27.28 A$39.04

-41.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.25 ₱1,521

$57.0 A$81.6

-57.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.44 ₱2,724

$52.7 A$75.4

-17.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 ₱370

$22.62 A$32.37

-73.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 ₱416

$17.10 A$24.48

-61.23%

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

$613 ₱38.4K

$2,373 A$3,397

-74.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,953 ₱561.6K

$30.5K A$43.6K

-70.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 ₱3,647

$78.2 A$112

-25.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.18 ₱1,704

$50.5 A$72.2

-46.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 ₱4,862

$121 A$172

-35.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.0 ₱3,574

$133 A$191

-57.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 ₱33.5K

$1,713 A$2,451

-68.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ₱18.0K

$1,402 A$2,006

-79.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱120.2K

$3,339 A$4,778

-42.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₱42.5K

$2,529 A$3,619

-73.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,439 ₱278.4K

$7,018 A$10.0K

-36.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,556 ₱160.3K

$6,767 A$9,685

-62.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$485 ₱30.4K

$4,228 A$6,051

-88.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

5.9

25.93%

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

Last update for Manila: October 4, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$287 30.2%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 388% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$221 23.3%

Melbourne

$385 13.5% 74% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$162 17%

Melbourne

$317 11.1% 96% $155

Eating Out

Manila

$107 11.3%

Melbourne

$314 11% 194% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$99 10.4%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 74% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

Melbourne

$87 3.1% 53.2% $30

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Melbourne

$168 5.9% 927% $152

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $534 in Manila versus $1,713 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 771% 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 $27.00 in Manila versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $385 – making Manila the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

12:04 12:04 PM

3 h ahead of Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Manila Melbourne 6,340 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Manila
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

Manila vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $931 in Manila, $2,852 in Melbourne – roughly 206% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,396 per month in Manila and $4,277 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manila, 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 $931 in Manila and $2,852 in Melbourne. That's a gap of about 206%.

Public transport costs about 1025% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Manila, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Melbourne at $2,852. In Manila it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $931 in Manila to $2,852 in Melbourne. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Manila. 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.