Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Cabanatuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabanatuan: $618 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $26,400 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Cabanatuan
Learn more

Cabanatuan Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Cabanatuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$618

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Cabanatuan

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 Cabanatuan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $618 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Cabanatuan $618

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $957 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Cabanatuan $957

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $1,296 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Cabanatuan $1,296

Melbourne costs about 356% more than Cabanatuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 109% above the global median, while Cabanatuan is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$4.09 ₱258

326.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$17.04 ₱1,073

396.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$2.76 ₱174

351.45%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$1.76 ₱111

133.52%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.60 ₱38.01

410.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.31 ₱19.25

712.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$1.01 ₱63.8

870.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$1.63 ₱103

425.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.60 ₱101

-7.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.12 ₱70.3

162.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$0.93 ₱58.7

186.02%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.03 ₱128

172.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$5.21 ₱328

101.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$3.40 ₱214

183.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$7.85 ₱494

93.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$2.31 ₱146

72.73%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.11 ₱69.6

172.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.32 ₱146

33.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$0.78 ₱49.05

517.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.73 ₱109

75.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.73 ₱109

41.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$0.63 ₱39.49

290.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.49 ₱30.84

232.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$3.00 ₱189

1369.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$8.74 ₱551

45.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$0.97 ₱60.9

471.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$2.05 ₱129

155.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.27 ₱17.23

1285.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$12.74 ₱802

979.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$0.76 ₱47.88

493.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.25 ₱15.83

444.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$1.88 ₱118

1519.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$0.95 ₱59.8

54.74%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$21.4K ₱1.3M

35.29%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

37.09%

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

$234 A$336

$53.5 ₱3,370

336.54%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$17.42 ₱1,097

60.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$21.66 ₱1,364

157.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$11.25 ₱708

339.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$5.16 ₱325

316.28%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$5.31 ₱334

184.18%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$131 ₱8,249

1709.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$10.9K ₱688.0K

176.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$23.58 ₱1,484

239.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$19.50 ₱1,227

160.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$59.1 ₱3,723

103.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$55.2 ₱3,474

136.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$248 ₱15.6K

608.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$173 ₱10.9K

705.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$479 ₱30.1K

629.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$317 ₱20.0K

686.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$2,513 ₱158.2K

175.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$1,092 ₱68.7K

490.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$159 ₱10.0K

2653.67%

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 Cabanatuan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Cabanatuan

$173 27.9% 87.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Cabanatuan

$170 27.5% 55.7% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Cabanatuan

$93 15% 70.8% $225

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Cabanatuan

$74 12% 76.4% $240

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Cabanatuan

$71 11.5% 58.8% $101

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Cabanatuan

$16 2.6% 90.3% $148

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Cabanatuan

$22 3.5% 72.5% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $248 in Cabanatuan. 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 2654% 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 $17.00 in Cabanatuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $170 – making Cabanatuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇵🇭 Cabanatuan

🕒 Local time

05:55 5:55 AM

02:55 2:55 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

302,231

💱 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 Cabanatuan 6,440 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Cabanatuan

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 Cabanatuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne, $618 in Cabanatuan – roughly 356% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,231 per month in Melbourne and $927 in Cabanatuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabanatuan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Melbourne and $17.00 in Cabanatuan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,821 in Melbourne and $618 in Cabanatuan. That's a gap of about 356%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cabanatuan, where all-in costs run around $618, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Cabanatuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabanatuan – 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 Cabanatuan. 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.