Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Pagadian

For one person, living is cheaper in Pagadian: $717 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $25,200 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Pagadian
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Pagadian Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Pagadian

🇵🇭 Philippines

$717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Pagadian

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $717 in Pagadian.

Melbourne $2,821
Pagadian $717

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $1,100 in Pagadian.

Melbourne $4,235
Pagadian $1,100

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $1,483 in Pagadian.

Melbourne $5,650
Pagadian $1,483

Living in Melbourne is roughly 294% more expensive than in Pagadian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Pagadian is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$3.81 ₱240

357.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$16.55 ₱1,042

410.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$2.77 ₱174

349.82%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$1.93 ₱121

112.95%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.87 ₱54.7

251.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.23 ₱14.39

995.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$1.42 ₱89.3

590.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$1.99 ₱125

330.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.70 ₱107

-12.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.05 ₱65.8

180.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$0.93 ₱58.5

186.02%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.63 ₱102

239.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$4.93 ₱310

113.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$4.10 ₱258

135.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$6.05 ₱381

151.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$2.60 ₱163

53.46%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.44 ₱90.8

109.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.53 ₱159

22.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.00 ₱62.8

382.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.77 ₱111

71.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.96 ₱123

24.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$0.90 ₱56.7

173.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.64 ₱40.28

154.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$3.12 ₱197

1312.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$8.03 ₱506

58.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.02 ₱64.2

443.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$1.71 ₱107

205.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.26 ₱16.36

1338.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$10.91 ₱687

1160.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$0.73 ₱46.09

517.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.25 ₱15.71

444.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$1.89 ₱119

1511.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.06 ₱66.9

38.68%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$19.0K ₱1.2M

52.72%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$17.9K ₱1.1M

48.23%

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

$234 A$336

$122 ₱7,687

91.38%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$15.52 ₱977

79.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$24.08 ₱1,516

131.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$35.90 ₱2,260

37.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$4.29 ₱270

400.70%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$5.59 ₱352

169.95%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$129 ₱8,114

1740.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$6,823 ₱429.6K

342.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$34.11 ₱2,148

134.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$17.27 ₱1,088

193.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$74.9 ₱4,719

60.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$56.0 ₱3,527

132.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$263 ₱16.5K

569.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$161 ₱10.2K

760.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$509 ₱32.0K

586.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$358 ₱22.5K

597.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$2,576 ₱162.2K

168.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$989 ₱62.2K

551.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

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 Pagadian: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Pagadian

$161 22.5% 88.4% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Pagadian

$173 24.1% 55% $211

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Pagadian

$162 22.6% 49% $156

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Pagadian

$77 10.8% 75.4% $237

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Pagadian

$82 11.5% 52.2% $90

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Pagadian

$14 1.9% 91.5% $150

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Pagadian

$47 6.6% 40.8% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $263 in Pagadian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $17.00 in Pagadian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $173 per month, with Pagadian cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇵🇭 Pagadian

🕒 Local time

10:15 10:15 AM

07:15 7:15 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

199,060

💱 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 Pagadian 5,540 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Pagadian

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 Pagadian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Pagadian differ by about 294% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $717 including rent). Pagadian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,231 in Melbourne and $1,075 in Pagadian to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,759 in Melbourne versus $263 in Pagadian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,371 in Melbourne versus $129 in Pagadian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 122% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $717 in Pagadian versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pagadian but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Pagadian 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 Pagadian 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 Pagadian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 294% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.