Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Marawi

For one person, living is cheaper in Marawi: $727 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 Marawi
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Marawi Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Marawi

🇵🇭 Philippines

$727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Marawi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $727 in Marawi.

Melbourne $2,821
Marawi $727

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $1,104 in Marawi.

Melbourne $4,235
Marawi $1,104

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $1,481 in Marawi.

Melbourne $5,650
Marawi $1,481

Living in Melbourne is roughly 288% more expensive than in Marawi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Marawi is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$3.97 ₱250

339.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$16.84 ₱1,060

402.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$2.72 ₱171

358.09%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$2.20 ₱139

86.82%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.61 ₱38.65

401.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.33 ₱21.03

663.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$1.07 ₱67.2

815.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$2.11 ₱133

306.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.60 ₱101

-7.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.10 ₱69.1

167.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$0.97 ₱60.8

174.23%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.97 ₱124

181.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$5.45 ₱343

92.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$4.19 ₱264

130.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$6.88 ₱433

121.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$2.46 ₱155

62.20%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.61 ₱102

87.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.41 ₱152

28.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.13 ₱71.2

326.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.93 ₱121

56.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$2.03 ₱128

20.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$0.92 ₱57.9

167.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.58 ₱36.33

181.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$2.60 ₱164

1595.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$7.71 ₱485

64.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.04 ₱65.7

432.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$1.97 ₱124

165.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.22 ₱13.77

1600.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$12.71 ₱800

981.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$0.74 ₱46.65

509.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.24 ₱15.03

466.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$2.15 ₱136

1316.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.19 ₱74.8

23.53%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

41.11%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$19.0K ₱1.2M

39.41%

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

$234 A$336

$119 ₱7,466

97.07%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$17.08 ₱1,075

63.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$24.37 ₱1,534

128.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$30.56 ₱1,924

61.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$4.56 ₱287

371.05%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$4.55 ₱286

231.65%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$132 ₱8,339

1690.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$7,903 ₱497.6K

282.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$32.59 ₱2,052

145.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$19.71 ₱1,241

157.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$70.5 ₱4,436

71.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$54.8 ₱3,452

137.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$272 ₱17.1K

547.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$173 ₱10.9K

703.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$514 ₱32.3K

579.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$348 ₱21.9K

615.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$2,286 ₱144.0K

202.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$989 ₱62.2K

551.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$289 ₱18.2K

1416.36%

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 Marawi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Marawi

$173 23.8% 87.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Marawi

$179 24.6% 53.4% $205

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Marawi

$160 22% 49.6% $157

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Marawi

$80 11% 74.7% $235

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Marawi

$80 11% 53.5% $92

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Marawi

$16 2.1% 90.5% $148

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Marawi

$40 5.5% 50.2% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $272 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 1416% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $17.00 in Marawi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $179 per month, with Marawi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇵🇭 Marawi

🕒 Local time

10:04 10:04 AM

07:04 7:04 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

207,010

💱 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 Marawi 5,530 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Marawi

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 Marawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Marawi differ by about 288% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $727 including rent). Marawi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1416% higher in Melbourne, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,759 in Melbourne versus $272 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,821 per month in Melbourne versus $727 in Marawi – a 288% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Marawi runs roughly 982% less than in Melbourne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $727 in Marawi versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marawi but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Marawi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Melbourne and Marawi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Marawi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 288% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.