Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Naga

For one person, living is cheaper in Naga: $558 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Naga
Learn more

Naga Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Naga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$558

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Naga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $558 in Naga.

Melbourne $2,821
Naga $558

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $852 in Naga.

Melbourne $4,235
Naga $852

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $1,147 in Naga.

Melbourne $5,650
Naga $1,147

Living in Melbourne is roughly 406% more expensive than in Naga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Naga is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$5.26 ₱331

231.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$13.42 ₱845

530.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$2.70 ₱170

361.48%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$2.67 ₱168

53.93%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.71 ₱44.50

330.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.25 ₱15.80

908.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$1.32 ₱83.3

642.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$3.14 ₱197

172.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.95 ₱123

-24.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$0.85 ₱53.3

245.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$0.82 ₱51.7

224.39%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.70 ₱107

225.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$10.19 ₱642

3.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$4.07 ₱256

137.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$6.99 ₱440

117.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$1.98 ₱125

101.52%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.63 ₱102

85.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.44 ₱154

27.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$2.43 ₱153

98.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$2.57 ₱162

17.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$2.22 ₱140

9.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$4.76 ₱300

-48.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.62 ₱39.28

162.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$2.89 ₱182

1424.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$3.77 ₱237

236.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.61 ₱101

244.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$0.57 ₱36.08

691.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.26 ₱79.4

16.67%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

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

$234 A$336

$99.1 ₱6,242

135.71%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$23.41 ₱1,474

19.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$26.23 ₱1,651

112.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$8.07 ₱508

512.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$4.80 ₱302

214.37%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$8,052 ₱507.0K

275.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$158 ₱9,919

1016.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$85.9 ₱5,411

1517.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$251 ₱15.8K

1290.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$194 ₱12.2K

1187.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$145 ₱9,126

2923.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Naga: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Naga

$86 15.4% 93.8% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Naga

$206 * 36.9% 46.4% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Naga

$149 26.7% 53.1% $169

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Naga

$99 17.7% 68.5% $216

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Naga

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Naga

$0.6 * 0.1% 99.7% $163

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Naga

$18 3.2% 77.8% $62

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $158 in Naga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 2924% 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 $13.00 in Naga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $206 per month, with Naga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇵🇭 Naga

🕒 Local time

01:24 1:24 AM

22:24 10:24 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

115,750

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Naga 6,150 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Naga

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 Naga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Naga differ by about 406% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $558 including rent). Naga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2924% 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 $158 in Naga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Naga – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,821 per month in Melbourne versus $558 in Naga – a 406% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $558 in Naga versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Naga but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Naga 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 Naga 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 Naga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 406% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.