Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Cainta

For one person, living is cheaper in Cainta: $718 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $25,200 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Cainta
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Cainta Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Cainta

🇵🇭 Philippines

$718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Cainta

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

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $718 in Cainta, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Cainta $718

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $1,128 in Cainta, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Cainta $1,128

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $1,538 in Cainta, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Cainta $1,538

Melbourne costs about 293% more than Cainta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 109% above the global median, while Cainta is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$3.89 ₱245

348.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$16.70 ₱1,051

406.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$2.92 ₱184

326.71%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$2.35 ₱148

74.89%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$1.17 ₱73.8

161.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.32 ₱20.44

687.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$1.16 ₱73.0

744.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$2.32 ₱146

269.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.63 ₱103

-9.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.12 ₱70.4

162.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$0.96 ₱60.2

177.08%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.22 ₱140

149.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$5.14 ₱324

104.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$3.32 ₱209

190.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$7.07 ₱445

115.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$2.31 ₱146

72.73%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.55 ₱97.7

94.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.36 ₱148

31.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.08 ₱68.0

346.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.76 ₱111

72.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.78 ₱112

37.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$0.67 ₱42.21

267.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.49 ₱31.15

232.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$2.88 ₱182

1430.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$8.96 ₱564

41.74%

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

$2.00 ₱126

161.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.28 ₱17.90

1235.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$9.53 ₱600

1343.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$0.73 ₱45.67

517.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.23 ₱14.54

491.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$1.96 ₱123

1453.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.20 ₱75.5

22.50%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$21.1K ₱1.3M

37.29%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$19.6K ₱1.2M

34.84%

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

$234 A$336

$123 ₱7,725

90.46%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$15.67 ₱987

78.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$23.22 ₱1,462

140.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$35.53 ₱2,237

39.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$5.27 ₱332

307.59%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$5.16 ₱325

192.44%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$135 ₱8,519

1652.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$8,941 ₱562.9K

237.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$29.42 ₱1,852

171.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$19.70 ₱1,240

157.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$70.5 ₱4,437

71.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$56.6 ₱3,564

130.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$276 ₱17.4K

537.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$161 ₱10.1K

762.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$492 ₱31.0K

609.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$407 ₱25.6K

512.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$2,684 ₱169.0K

158.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$853 ₱53.7K

655.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$436 ₱27.5K

905.24%

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 Cainta: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Cainta

$161 22.4% 88.4% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Cainta

$173 24.1% 54.9% $211

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Cainta

$162 22.5% 49.1% $156

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Cainta

$84 11.8% 73.2% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Cainta

$79 11% 53.8% $92

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Cainta

$13 1.8% 92.3% $151

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Cainta

$46 6.4% 42.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $276 in Cainta. 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 905% 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 Cainta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $173 – making Cainta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇵🇭 Cainta

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

02:38 2:38 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

322,128

💱 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 Cainta 6,340 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Cainta

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 Cainta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 293%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,231 per month in Melbourne and $1,077 in Cainta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 1343% less in Cainta. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,371 per month in Melbourne and $135 in Cainta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cainta, where all-in costs run around $718, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Cainta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cainta – 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 Cainta. 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.