Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Santa Cruz, Laguna

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz, Laguna: $626 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $26,300 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz, Laguna
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Santa Cruz, Laguna Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz, Laguna

🇵🇭 Philippines

$626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Santa Cruz, Laguna

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 Santa Cruz, Laguna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $626 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Melbourne $2,821
Santa Cruz, Laguna $626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $931 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Melbourne $4,235
Santa Cruz, Laguna $931

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $1,236 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Melbourne $5,650
Santa Cruz, Laguna $1,236

Living in Melbourne is roughly 350% more expensive than in Santa Cruz, Laguna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Santa Cruz, Laguna is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$1.57 ₱99.0

1010.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$8.09 ₱509

945.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$2.76 ₱174

351.45%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$1.78 ₱112

130.90%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.38 ₱23.98

705.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.23 ₱14.42

995.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$0.99 ₱62.2

889.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$0.99 ₱62.1

765.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.63 ₱103

-9.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.16 ₱72.9

153.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.00 ₱63.3

166.00%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.55 ₱97.5

257.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$4.65 ₱293

126.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$3.50 ₱220

175.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$7.07 ₱445

115.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$1.46 ₱92.1

173.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$0.46 ₱28.85

556.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$1.44 ₱91.0

115.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.02 ₱64.2

372.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.76 ₱111

72.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.74 ₱109

40.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$0.67 ₱41.99

267.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.53 ₱33.46

207.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$2.89 ₱182

1424.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$8.60 ₱541

47.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$0.97 ₱61.0

471.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$2.08 ₱131

151.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.21 ₱13.40

1680.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$11.41 ₱718

1105.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$0.81 ₱51.2

456.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.23 ₱14.36

491.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$1.92 ₱121

1485.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.25 ₱78.7

17.60%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

36.82%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$19.2K ₱1.2M

37.53%

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

$234 A$336

$85.1 ₱5,359

174.53%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$17.58 ₱1,107

58.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$23.61 ₱1,487

136.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$31.48 ₱1,982

56.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$4.14 ₱261

418.84%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$5.13 ₱323

194.15%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$134 ₱8,442

1668.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$10.7K ₱675.9K

181.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$28.89 ₱1,819

176.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$19.72 ₱1,242

157.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$72.5 ₱4,565

66.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$55.8 ₱3,515

133.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$242 ₱15.2K

626.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$157 ₱9,895

784.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$475 ₱29.9K

634.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$302 ₱19.0K

726.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$2,296 ₱144.5K

201.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$886 ₱55.8K

627.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

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 Santa Cruz, Laguna: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$157 25.1% 88.7% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$156 24.9% 59.4% $228

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$126 20.2% 60.2% $191

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$52 8.2% 83.6% $263

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$80 12.7% 53.6% $92

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$14 2.3% 91.3% $150

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Santa Cruz, Laguna

$42 6.7% 47.6% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $242 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $8.00 in Santa Cruz, Laguna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $156 per month, with Santa Cruz, Laguna cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇵🇭 Santa Cruz, Laguna

🕒 Local time

12:10 12:10 PM

09:10 9:10 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

123,574

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Santa Cruz, Laguna 6,290 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
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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 Santa Cruz, Laguna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Santa Cruz, Laguna differ by about 350% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $626 including rent). Santa Cruz, Laguna 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 $940 in Santa Cruz, Laguna 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 $242 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,371 in Melbourne versus $134 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 147% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $626 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz, Laguna but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz, Laguna 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 Santa Cruz, Laguna 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 Santa Cruz, Laguna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 350% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.