Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Pangasinan

For one person, living is cheaper in Pangasinan: $785 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 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 Pangasinan
Learn more

Pangasinan Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Pangasinan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Pangasinan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,853 in Melbourne versus $785 in Pangasinan.

Melbourne $2,853
Pangasinan $785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,275 in Melbourne versus $1,175 in Pangasinan.

Melbourne $4,275
Pangasinan $1,175

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,697 in Melbourne versus $1,566 in Pangasinan.

Melbourne $5,697
Pangasinan $1,566

Living in Melbourne is roughly 263% more expensive than in Pangasinan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 111% above, Pangasinan is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.20 A$24.75

$1.20 ₱75.8

1333.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 A$120

$13.70 ₱862

506.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 A$17.88

$4.00 ₱252

210.75%

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.82

$2.55 ₱160

58.82%

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

$3.12 A$4.50

$1.08 ₱68.0

188.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 A$3.54

$0.53 ₱33.62

364.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.52 A$13.71

$0.83 ₱52.3

1046.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 A$11.74

$3.15 ₱198

159.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

$1.09 ₱68.9

43.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 A$4.18

$0.83 ₱52.0

249.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$0.72 ₱45.61

269.44%

Eggs

$5.37 A$7.72

$2.49 ₱157

115.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 A$15.36

$7.03 ₱442

51.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 A$14.17

$4.81 ₱303

104.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 A$22.11

$7.01 ₱441

119.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 A$6.00

$2.36 ₱149

76.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.53

$1.93 ₱122

63.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.69

$3.14 ₱198

3.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.85

$2.39 ₱151

99.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.41

$3.57 ₱225

-14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.55

$3.45 ₱217

-28.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 A$3.52

$1.11 ₱70.0

120.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.58 ₱36.27

181.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.17 A$65.0

$2.69 ₱169

1579.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.25

$7.84 ₱494

61.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.69 A$8.18

$1.32 ₱82.9

331.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.53

$2.06 ₱130

153.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 A$5.57

$0.26 ₱16.50

1388.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$204

$11.24 ₱708

1162.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 A$6.53

$0.66 ₱41.59

587.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.04

$0.23 ₱14.50

517.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 A$44.01

$1.93 ₱121

1484.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.11

$0.92 ₱58.1

59.78%

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

$28.9K A$41.5K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

36.09%

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

34.44%

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

$235 A$338

$153 ₱9,648

53.42%

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

$27.45 A$39.51

$15.75 ₱992

74.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 A$80.8

$31.66 ₱1,993

77.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 A$72.1

$32.52 ₱2,048

54.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.49 A$30.93

$4.58 ₱288

369.21%

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 A$25.56

$7.07 ₱445

151.20%

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

$2,385 A$3,432

$132 ₱8,330

1702.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.7K

$7,373 ₱464.2K

302.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$114

$32.82 ₱2,066

141.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.49 A$71.2

$19.88 ₱1,252

148.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 A$170

$80.2 ₱5,049

47.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$190

$54.7 ₱3,444

141.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 A$2,537

$265 ₱16.7K

565.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 A$2,031

$169 ₱10.6K

735.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,522 A$5,069

$519 ₱32.6K

579.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 A$3,634

$360 ₱22.7K

601.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,136 A$10.3K

$2,394 ₱150.7K

198.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,355 A$9,144

$986 ₱62.1K

544.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,258 A$6,128

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

7.5

-21.33%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Last update for Pangasinan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5%

Pangasinan

$169 21.5% 88% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$388 13.6%

Pangasinan

$201 25.7% 48.1% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$319 11.2%

Pangasinan

$201 25.6% 37% $118

Eating Out

Melbourne

$310 10.9%

Pangasinan

$69 8.8% 77.7% $241

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Pangasinan

$84 10.8% 50.5% $86

Getting Around

Melbourne

$169 5.9%

Pangasinan

$14 1.8% 91.7% $155

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$86 3%

Pangasinan

$47 5.9% 45.5% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,763 in Melbourne and $265 in Pangasinan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83.0 in Melbourne vs $14.00 in Pangasinan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $201 per month, with Pangasinan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇵🇭 Pangasinan

🕒 Local time

00:17 12:17 AM

21:17 9:17 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

3,188,540

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Pangasinan 6,510 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Pangasinan

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 Pangasinan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Pangasinan differ by about 263% in total monthly costs ($2,853 vs $785 including rent). Pangasinan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,280 in Melbourne and $1,178 in Pangasinan 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: $1,763 in Melbourne versus $265 in Pangasinan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,385 in Melbourne versus $132 in Pangasinan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 93% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $785 in Pangasinan versus $2,853 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pangasinan but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Pangasinan 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 Pangasinan 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 Pangasinan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 263% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.