Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Muntinlupa

For one person, living is cheaper in Muntinlupa: $742 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Muntinlupa
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Muntinlupa Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Muntinlupa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$742

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Muntinlupa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $742 in Muntinlupa.

Melbourne $2,821
Muntinlupa $742

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $1,173 in Muntinlupa.

Melbourne $4,235
Muntinlupa $1,173

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $1,604 in Muntinlupa.

Melbourne $5,650
Muntinlupa $1,604

Living in Melbourne is roughly 280% more expensive than in Muntinlupa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Muntinlupa is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$3.94 ₱248

342.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$27.36 ₱1,722

209.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$2.81 ₱177

343.42%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$2.36 ₱149

74.15%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.95 ₱59.7

222.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.44 ₱27.42

472.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$1.16 ₱72.7

744.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$1.78 ₱112

381.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.64 ₱103

-9.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.22 ₱76.6

140.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.02 ₱64.3

160.78%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.07 ₱130

167.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$5.00 ₱315

110.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$3.78 ₱238

155.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$6.93 ₱436

119.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$2.37 ₱149

68.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.53 ₱96.4

97.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.58 ₱162

20.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.23 ₱77.6

291.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.79 ₱112

69.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.93 ₱122

26.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$0.98 ₱61.8

151.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.56 ₱35.06

191.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$2.90 ₱183

1419.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$8.68 ₱547

46.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.28 ₱80.9

332.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$2.09 ₱132

150.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.26 ₱16.62

1338.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$12.39 ₱780

1009.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$0.74 ₱46.66

509.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.23 ₱14.51

491.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$1.94 ₱122

1469.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.22 ₱76.6

20.49%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$21.1K ₱1.3M

37.74%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

36.51%

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

$234 A$336

$123 ₱7,728

90.37%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$16.06 ₱1,011

73.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$23.97 ₱1,509

132.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$32.71 ₱2,059

51.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$4.82 ₱304

345.64%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$5.17 ₱325

191.88%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$135 ₱8,503

1655.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$8,993 ₱566.2K

235.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$32.60 ₱2,052

145.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$19.70 ₱1,240

157.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$77.7 ₱4,889

55.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$58.6 ₱3,688

122.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$270 ₱17.0K

550.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$172 ₱10.8K

708.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$517 ₱32.5K

576.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$393 ₱24.8K

534.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$2,401 ₱151.1K

188.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$994 ₱62.6K

548.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$602 ₱37.9K

627.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

6.75

-12.59%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Muntinlupa: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Muntinlupa

$172 23.2% 87.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Muntinlupa

$181 24.4% 52.9% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Muntinlupa

$163 21.9% 48.7% $155

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Muntinlupa

$83 11.2% 73.5% $231

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Muntinlupa

$85 11.4% 50.6% $87

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Muntinlupa

$15 2.1% 90.6% $148

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Muntinlupa

$43 5.8% 45.9% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $270 in Muntinlupa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 628% 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 $27.00 in Muntinlupa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $181 per month, with Muntinlupa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇵🇭 Muntinlupa

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

04:06 4:06 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

543,445

💱 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 = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Muntinlupa 6,320 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Muntinlupa

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 Muntinlupa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Muntinlupa differ by about 280% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $742 including rent). Muntinlupa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 628% 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 $270 in Muntinlupa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,371 in Melbourne versus $135 in Muntinlupa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 112% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $742 in Muntinlupa versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Muntinlupa but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Muntinlupa 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 Muntinlupa 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 Muntinlupa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 280% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.