Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Ligao City

For one person, living is cheaper in Ligao City: $733 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Ligao City
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Ligao City Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Ligao City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Ligao City

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

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $733 in Ligao City, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Ligao City $733

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $1,111 in Ligao City, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Ligao City $1,111

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $1,490 in Ligao City, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Ligao City $1,490

Melbourne costs about 285% more than Ligao City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 109% above the global median, while Ligao City is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$4.44 ₱280

292.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$16.71 ₱1,052

405.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$2.73 ₱172

356.41%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$2.27 ₱143

81.06%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.65 ₱41.00

370.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.31 ₱19.54

712.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$1.17 ₱73.7

737.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$1.98 ₱124

332.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.62 ₱102

-8.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.15 ₱72.7

155.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$0.91 ₱57.5

192.31%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.92 ₱121

188.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$5.55 ₱349

89.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$4.14 ₱261

133.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$7.29 ₱459

108.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$2.34 ₱148

70.51%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.54 ₱96.9

96.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.34 ₱147

32.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.12 ₱70.6

330.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.91 ₱120

58.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.94 ₱122

25.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$0.95 ₱59.7

158.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.55 ₱34.75

196.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$2.91 ₱183

1414.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$7.72 ₱486

64.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$0.98 ₱61.9

465.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$1.86 ₱117

181.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.25 ₱15.56

1396.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$9.63 ₱606

1328.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$0.75 ₱47.10

501.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.20 ₱12.81

580.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$1.98 ₱125

1437.88%

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

$24.1K ₱1.5M

20.56%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

28.31%

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

$234 A$336

$122 ₱7,655

92.20%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$15.53 ₱978

79.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$24.01 ₱1,512

132.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$32.44 ₱2,042

52.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$5.29 ₱333

306.05%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$5.12 ₱322

194.73%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$134 ₱8,460

1664.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$7,903 ₱497.6K

282.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$33.37 ₱2,101

139.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$19.88 ₱1,252

155.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$70.7 ₱4,452

70.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$54.8 ₱3,449

138.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$266 ₱16.7K

561.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$173 ₱10.9K

702.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$516 ₱32.5K

576.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$347 ₱21.9K

617.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$2,399 ₱151.1K

188.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$986 ₱62.1K

553.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$272 ₱17.1K

1509.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

6.79

-13.11%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ligao City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Ligao City

$173 23.6% 87.5% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Ligao City

$178 24.3% 53.6% $206

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Ligao City

$161 22% 49.2% $156

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Ligao City

$85 11.6% 73.1% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Ligao City

$80 11% 53.2% $91

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Ligao City

$12 1.7% 92.4% $151

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Ligao City

$43 5.8% 46.4% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $266 in Ligao City. 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 1509% 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 Ligao City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $178 – making Ligao City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇵🇭 Ligao City

🕒 Local time

13:59 1:59 PM

10:59 10:59 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

3,955

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Ligao City 6,100 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Ligao City

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 Ligao City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 285%, 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 $1,099 in Ligao City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 115% more in Melbourne, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

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

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ligao City, where all-in costs run around $733, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Ligao City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ligao City – 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 Ligao City. 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.