Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Negros

For one person, living is cheaper in Negros: $739 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $25,400 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 Negros
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Negros Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Negros

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Negros

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,853 in Melbourne versus $739 in Negros.

Melbourne $2,853
Negros $739

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,275 in Melbourne versus $1,121 in Negros.

Melbourne $4,275
Negros $1,121

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,697 in Melbourne versus $1,503 in Negros.

Melbourne $5,697
Negros $1,503

Living in Melbourne is roughly 286% more expensive than in Negros, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 111% above, Negros is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.20 A$24.75

$2.94 ₱185

485.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 A$120

$11.99 ₱755

593.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 A$17.88

$2.77 ₱175

348.74%

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.82

$1.40 ₱88.2

189.29%

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

$3.12 A$4.50

$0.67 ₱41.96

365.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 A$3.54

$0.42 ₱26.27

485.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.52 A$13.71

$1.21 ₱76.1

686.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 A$11.74

$1.96 ₱123

316.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

$1.93 ₱121

-19.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 A$4.18

$1.11 ₱69.7

161.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$0.96 ₱60.6

177.08%

Eggs

$5.37 A$7.72

$1.96 ₱123

173.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 A$15.36

$9.83 ₱619

8.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 A$14.17

$4.51 ₱284

118.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 A$22.11

$7.35 ₱463

108.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 A$6.00

$3.32 ₱209

25.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.53

$1.41 ₱88.6

123.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.69

$2.41 ₱152

35.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.85

$1.53 ₱96.4

211.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.41

$2.42 ₱152

26.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.55

$1.89 ₱119

30.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 A$3.52

$1.14 ₱71.7

114.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.64 ₱40.01

154.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.17 A$65.0

$2.91 ₱183

1452.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.25

$6.11 ₱385

107.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.69 A$8.18

$1.23 ₱77.4

362.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.53

$1.74 ₱110

200.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 A$5.57

$0.26 ₱16.37

1388.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$204

$11.32 ₱713

1154.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 A$6.53

$0.79 ₱49.77

474.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.04

$0.23 ₱14.53

517.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 A$44.01

$1.89 ₱119

1518.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.33 ₱83.9

10.53%

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

$28.9K A$41.5K

$21.1K ₱1.3M

36.77%

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

34.21%

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

$235 A$338

$120 ₱7,531

96.55%

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

$27.45 A$39.51

$14.43 ₱908

90.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 A$80.8

$27.86 ₱1,754

101.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 A$72.1

$32.58 ₱2,051

53.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.49 A$30.93

$4.62 ₱291

365.15%

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 A$25.56

$5.44 ₱342

226.47%

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

$2,385 A$3,432

$130 ₱8,211

1728.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.7K

$8,096 ₱509.8K

266.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$114

$32.81 ₱2,066

141.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.49 A$71.2

$19.16 ₱1,206

158.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 A$170

$76.9 ₱4,843

53.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$190

$57.8 ₱3,638

128.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 A$2,537

$269 ₱17.0K

554.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 A$2,031

$169 ₱10.6K

735.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,522 A$5,069

$511 ₱32.2K

589.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 A$3,634

$358 ₱22.5K

605.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,136 A$10.3K

$2,453 ₱154.4K

190.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,355 A$9,144

$992 ₱62.5K

540.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,258 A$6,128

$241 ₱15.2K

1665.66%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Negros: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5%

Negros

$169 22.9% 88% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$388 13.6%

Negros

$204 27.5% 47.6% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$319 11.2%

Negros

$162 21.9% 49.2% $157

Eating Out

Melbourne

$310 10.9%

Negros

$63 8.5% 79.7% $247

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Negros

$84 11.4% 50.8% $87

Getting Around

Melbourne

$169 5.9%

Negros

$14 1.9% 91.5% $155

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$86 3%

Negros

$43 5.9% 49.3% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,763 in Melbourne and $269 in Negros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 1666% 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: $83.0 in Melbourne vs $12.00 in Negros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $204 per month, with Negros cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇵🇭 Negros

🕒 Local time

04:53 4:53 AM

01:53 1:53 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

4,414,131

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Negros 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Negros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Negros differ by about 286% in total monthly costs ($2,853 vs $739 including rent). Negros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1666% 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: $1,763 in Melbourne versus $269 in Negros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,385 in Melbourne versus $130 in Negros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $739 in Negros versus $2,853 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Negros but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Negros 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 Negros 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 Negros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 286% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.