Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Lucena

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucena: $646 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $26,100 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Lucena
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Lucena Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Lucena

🇵🇭 Philippines

$646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Lucena

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

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $646 in Lucena, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Lucena $646

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $1,041 in Lucena, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Lucena $1,041

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $1,436 in Lucena, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Lucena $1,436

Melbourne costs about 337% more than Lucena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 109% above the global median, while Lucena is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$1.50 ₱94.4

1062.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$18.91 ₱1,191

347.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$1.72 ₱108

624.42%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$1.32 ₱83.2

211.36%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.33 ₱20.88

827.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.29 ₱18.26

768.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$1.38 ₱86.7

610.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$1.28 ₱80.9

569.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.66 ₱105

-10.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.17 ₱73.4

151.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$0.92 ₱57.6

189.13%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.75 ₱110

216.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$6.82 ₱429

54.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$4.21 ₱265

129.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$7.13 ₱449

113.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$4.04 ₱254

-1.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.37 ₱86.0

120.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$3.58 ₱225

-13.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.17 ₱73.5

311.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$2.27 ₱143

33.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$3.30 ₱208

-26.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$1.42 ₱89.6

73.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.91 ₱57.0

79.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$2.74 ₱173

1508.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$7.74 ₱487

64.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.34 ₱84.6

313.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$1.76 ₱111

197.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.24 ₱14.97

1458.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$12.08 ₱761

1038.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$0.81 ₱51.0

456.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.21 ₱13.19

547.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$2.54 ₱160

1098.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.23 ₱77.6

19.51%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$21.3K ₱1.3M

36.15%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$18.8K ₱1.2M

41.11%

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

$234 A$336

$47.89 ₱3,015

387.95%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$6.37 ₱401

338.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$11.06 ₱696

403.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$34.15 ₱2,150

44.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$4.02 ₱253

434.33%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$7.38 ₱465

104.47%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$71.9 ₱4,529

3196.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$2,515 ₱158.3K

1100.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$35.78 ₱2,253

123.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$22.69 ₱1,428

123.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$79.7 ₱5,020

51.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$74.4 ₱4,683

75.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$262 ₱16.5K

572.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$170 ₱10.7K

718.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$516 ₱32.5K

577.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$357 ₱22.5K

598.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$2,274 ₱143.2K

204.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$921 ₱58.0K

600.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$320 ₱20.2K

1268.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

-15.71%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lucena: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Lucena

$170 26.3% 87.8% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Lucena

$206 31.9% 46.3% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Lucena

$65 10.1% 79.4% $252

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Lucena

$45 7% 85.7% $270

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Lucena

$96 14.8% 44.3% $76

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Lucena

$15 2.3% 90.9% $149

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Lucena

$49 7.6% 38.5% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $262 in Lucena. 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 1268% 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 Lucena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $206 – making Lucena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇵🇭 Lucena

🕒 Local time

10:18 10:18 AM

07:18 7:18 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

278,924

💱 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 Lucena 6,250 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Lucena

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 Lucena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne, $646 in Lucena – roughly 337% 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 $968 in Lucena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $2,371 per month in Melbourne and $71.9 in Lucena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 86% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lucena, where all-in costs run around $646, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Lucena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lucena – 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 Lucena. 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.