Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Bulacan

For one person, living is cheaper in Bulacan: $638 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $26,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Bulacan
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Bulacan Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Bulacan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Bulacan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Melbourne and in Bulacan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $638 in Bulacan, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Bulacan $638

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $927 in Bulacan, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Bulacan $927

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $1,215 in Bulacan, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Bulacan $1,215

Melbourne costs about 342% more than Bulacan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 109% above the global median, while Bulacan is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$2.00 ₱126

771.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$15.88 ₱1,000

432.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$2.71 ₱171

359.78%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$1.79 ₱112

129.61%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.44 ₱27.72

595.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.26 ₱16.39

869.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$0.93 ₱58.4

953.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$1.60 ₱101

435.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.61 ₱102

-8.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.16 ₱73.1

153.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$0.95 ₱60.1

180.00%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.79 ₱113

209.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$2.80 ₱176

275.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$3.45 ₱217

179.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$6.03 ₱380

152.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$2.06 ₱130

93.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.56 ₱98.2

93.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$1.99 ₱125

55.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.04 ₱65.4

363.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.61 ₱101

88.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.73 ₱109

41.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$0.62 ₱39.14

296.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.49 ₱31.07

232.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$3.04 ₱191

1349.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$3.53 ₱222

259.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$0.89 ₱56.3

522.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$1.56 ₱98.1

235.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.19 ₱11.81

1868.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$6.68 ₱421

1958.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$0.69 ₱43.19

553.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.15 ₱9.67

806.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$1.87 ₱118

1528.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.06 ₱66.7

38.68%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$21.7K ₱1.4M

33.80%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$16.4K ₱1.0M

61.59%

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

$234 A$336

$112 ₱7,031

109.26%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$17.26 ₱1,087

61.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$23.39 ₱1,472

138.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$37.17 ₱2,340

32.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$0.78 ₱49.15

2653.85%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$5.09 ₱320

196.46%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$96.7 ₱6,088

2352.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$941 ₱59.3K

3108.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$28.48 ₱1,793

180.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$19.39 ₱1,221

161.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$75.5 ₱4,756

59.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$55.5 ₱3,493

135.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$237 ₱14.9K

640.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$146 ₱9,223

848.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$385 ₱24.2K

807.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$215 ₱13.5K

1061.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$1,879 ₱118.3K

268.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$1,458 ₱91.8K

342.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$290 ₱18.2K

1413.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

6.75

-12.59%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bulacan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Bulacan

$146 23% 89.5% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Bulacan

$147 23% 61.8% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Bulacan

$152 23.9% 52% $165

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Bulacan

$56 8.8% 82.1% $258

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Bulacan

$81 12.6% 53.1% $91

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Bulacan

$8.9 1.4% 94.6% $155

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Bulacan

$47 7.4% 40.5% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $237 in Bulacan. 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 1414% 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 $85.0 in Melbourne versus $16.00 in Bulacan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $147 – making Bulacan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇵🇭 Bulacan

🕒 Local time

05:00 5:00 AM

02:00 2:00 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

3,700,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

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).

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).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Bulacan 6,370 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Bulacan

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

Melbourne vs Bulacan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne costs about 342% more than Bulacan, 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 $4,231 per month in Melbourne and $958 in Bulacan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bulacan, 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 $2,821 in Melbourne and $638 in Bulacan. That's a gap of about 342%.

Public transport costs about 1959% less in Bulacan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bulacan, where all-in costs run around $638, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Bulacan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bulacan – 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 Bulacan. 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.