Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Iloilo

For one person, living is cheaper in Iloilo: $693 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $25,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Iloilo
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Iloilo Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Iloilo

🇵🇭 Philippines

$693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Iloilo

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

A single person spends $2,852 per month in Melbourne vs $693 in Iloilo, rent included.

Melbourne $2,852
Iloilo $693

A couple spends around $4,297 per month in Melbourne vs $1,054 in Iloilo, rent included.

Melbourne $4,297
Iloilo $1,054

A family of three spends $5,742 per month in Melbourne vs $1,416 in Iloilo, rent included.

Melbourne $5,742
Iloilo $1,416

Melbourne costs about 311% more than Iloilo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 113% above the global median, while Iloilo is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 A$25.40

$2.83 ₱177

527.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 A$121

$19.43 ₱1,219

336.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.40

$3.15 ₱198

286.03%

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.62

$2.09 ₱131

88.04%

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

$3.14 A$4.49

$0.65 ₱40.93

383.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.47

$0.34 ₱21.39

614.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 A$14.17

$1.06 ₱66.6

833.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 A$11.86

$1.81 ₱113

358.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.21

$1.69 ₱106

-8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 A$4.31

$1.20 ₱75.1

150.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.12

$0.84 ₱52.9

242.86%

Eggs

$5.44 A$7.79

$2.06 ₱129

164.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 A$15.16

$6.05 ₱379

75.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 A$13.76

$4.04 ₱254

137.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 A$21.46

$6.18 ₱388

142.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.94

$3.32 ₱208

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.37

$1.04 ₱65.3

193.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.72

$3.06 ₱192

7.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.81

$1.38 ₱86.4

244.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.34

$2.39 ₱150

27.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.65

$2.71 ₱170

-5.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.55

$1.47 ₱92.4

68.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.33

$0.81 ₱50.8

101.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.1

$2.99 ₱188

1373.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.79

$6.19 ₱388

100.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.63

$1.10 ₱68.8

384.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.38

$1.26 ₱78.8

309.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.50

$0.24 ₱15.09

1500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

$4.59 ₱288

2982.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.29

$0.82 ₱51.4

436.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$0.34 ₱21.10

311.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 A$42.69

$2.36 ₱148

1163.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.09

$1.16 ₱72.9

25.86%

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

$28.1K A$40.3K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

29.27%

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

$25.9K A$37.1K

$19.5K ₱1.2M

32.81%

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

$233 A$333

$64.5 ₱4,044

260.87%

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

$27.28 A$39.04

$9.82 ₱616

177.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$81.6

$27.65 ₱1,734

106.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 A$75.4

$9.76 ₱612

439.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 A$32.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 A$24.48

$4.70 ₱295

263.83%

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

$2,373 A$3,397

$31.77 ₱1,993

7370.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K A$43.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$112

$23.50 ₱1,474

232.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.2

$17.74 ₱1,113

184.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$55.5 ₱3,480

117.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

$23.96 ₱1,503

456.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,451

$308 ₱19.3K

455.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 A$2,006

$246 ₱15.4K

469.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,339 A$4,778

$1,184 ₱74.3K

181.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 A$3,619

$436 ₱27.4K

479.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.0K

$3,633 ₱227.9K

93.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,685

$1,055 ₱66.2K

541.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 A$6,051

$206 ₱12.9K

1952.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

7.33

-19.51%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Last update for Iloilo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Iloilo

$246 35.8% 82.4% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$385 13.5%

Iloilo

$188 27.3% 51.2% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.1%

Iloilo

$102 14.8% 67.8% $215

Eating Out

Melbourne

$314 11%

Iloilo

$70 10.2% 77.7% $244

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Iloilo

$54 7.9% 68.4% $118

Getting Around

Melbourne

$168 5.9%

Iloilo

$8.1 1.2% 95.2% $160

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$87 3.1%

Iloilo

$19 2.8% 77.9% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,713 in Melbourne versus $308 in Iloilo. 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 1953% 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 $19.00 in Iloilo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $188 – making Iloilo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇵🇭 Iloilo

🕒 Local time

18:03 6:03 PM

15:03 3:03 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

457,626

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

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).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Iloilo 5,880 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Iloilo

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 Iloilo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 311%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,277 per month in Melbourne and $1,040 in Iloilo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iloilo, 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 $19.00 in Iloilo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,852 in Melbourne and $693 in Iloilo. That's a gap of about 311%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Iloilo, where all-in costs run around $693, than in Melbourne at $2,852. In Iloilo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iloilo – 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 Iloilo. 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.