Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Island Garden City of Samal

For one person, living is cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal: $747 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $24,900 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 Island Garden City of Samal
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Island Garden City of Samal Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Island Garden City of Samal

🇵🇭 Philippines

$747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Island Garden City of Samal

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 Island Garden City of Samal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $747 in Island Garden City of Samal, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Island Garden City of Samal $747

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $1,102 in Island Garden City of Samal, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Island Garden City of Samal $1,102

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $1,457 in Island Garden City of Samal, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Island Garden City of Samal $1,457

Melbourne costs about 278% more than Island Garden City of Samal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 109% above the global median, while Island Garden City of Samal is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$1.22 ₱76.6

1328.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$17.02 ₱1,072

396.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$4.07 ₱256

206.14%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$2.18 ₱137

88.53%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$1.04 ₱65.7

194.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.64 ₱40.33

293.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$1.18 ₱74.5

730.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$1.98 ₱125

332.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$2.03 ₱128

-27.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.14 ₱71.5

157.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$0.88 ₱55.2

202.27%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.87 ₱118

196.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$6.26 ₱394

67.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$4.64 ₱292

107.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$9.10 ₱573

67.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$2.73 ₱172

46.15%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.12 ₱70.4

169.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.38 ₱150

30.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.14 ₱71.7

322.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.98 ₱125

53.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$3.41 ₱215

-28.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$1.21 ₱76.0

103.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.72 ₱45.46

126.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$2.49 ₱156

1669.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$7.76 ₱489

63.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.23 ₱77.5

350.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$1.68 ₱106

211.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.29 ₱18.09

1189.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$11.62 ₱732

1083.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$0.83 ₱52.0

443.37%

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

$1.92 ₱121

1485.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.24 ₱78.0

18.55%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

36.79%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

40.30%

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

$234 A$336

$98.4 ₱6,196

137.46%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$19.24 ₱1,211

45.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$31.01 ₱1,952

79.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$29.89 ₱1,882

65.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$4.57 ₱288

370.02%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$4.87 ₱307

209.86%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$107 ₱6,729

2118.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$7,691 ₱484.2K

292.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$33.60 ₱2,115

138.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$19.67 ₱1,238

157.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$70.4 ₱4,433

71.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$62.4 ₱3,929

109.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$250 ₱15.7K

604.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$197 ₱12.4K

606.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$504 ₱31.7K

593.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$315 ₱19.8K

691.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$2,056 ₱129.4K

236.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$1,083 ₱68.2K

495.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

8.31

-29.00%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Island Garden City of Samal: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Island Garden City of Samal

$197 26.3% 85.8% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Island Garden City of Samal

$199 26.6% 48.2% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Island Garden City of Samal

$149 19.9% 53.2% $169

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Island Garden City of Samal

$65 8.7% 79.4% $250

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Island Garden City of Samal

$84 11.2% 51.3% $88

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Island Garden City of Samal

$15 2% 90.9% $149

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Island Garden City of Samal

$40 5.3% 50.2% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $250 in Island Garden City of Samal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Melbourne versus $17.00 in Island Garden City of Samal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $199 – making Island Garden City of Samal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇵🇭 Island Garden City of Samal

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

05:31 5:31 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

116,771

💱 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 = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Island Garden City of Samal 5,380 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Island Garden City of Samal

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 Island Garden City of Samal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne costs about 278% more than Island Garden City of Samal, 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 $1,121 in Island Garden City of Samal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal, 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 $747 in Island Garden City of Samal. That's a gap of about 278%.

Public transport costs about 1083% less in Island Garden City of Samal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Island Garden City of Samal, where all-in costs run around $747, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Island Garden City of Samal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Island Garden City of Samal – 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 Island Garden City of Samal. 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.