Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Tagum City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagum City: $437 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $28,600 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Tagum City
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Tagum City Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$437

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Tagum City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $437 in Tagum City.

Melbourne $2,821
Tagum City $437

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $541 in Tagum City.

Melbourne $4,235
Tagum City $541

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $645 in Tagum City.

Melbourne $5,650
Tagum City $645

Living in Melbourne is roughly 545% more expensive than in Tagum City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Tagum City is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$5.50 ₱346

216.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$12.68 ₱799

566.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$5.05 ₱318

146.73%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$2.29 ₱144

79.48%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$1.87 ₱117

424.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$1.44 ₱90.9

495.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.62 ₱102

-8.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.88 ₱119

194.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$8.06 ₱507

88.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$6.41 ₱404

-37.75%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.37 ₱86.0

304.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.25 ₱15.76

1396.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

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

$1.37 ₱86.2

7.30%

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

$55.7 ₱3,506

319.61%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$8.09 ₱510

245.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$27.46 ₱1,729

102.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$23.71 ₱1,493

108.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$3.28 ₱206

360.06%

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

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

$159 ₱9,992

1008.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$129 ₱8,124

977.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$323 ₱20.3K

983.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

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

$203 ₱12.8K

2059.20%

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 Tagum City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Tagum City

$129 29.5% 90.7% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Tagum City

$87 * 19.9% 77.4% $297

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Tagum City

$91 20.9% 71.2% $226

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Tagum City

$99 * 22.6% 68.6% $216

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Tagum City

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Tagum City

$1 * 0.2% 99.4% $163

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Tagum City

$30 6.9% 62% $49

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 $159 in Tagum City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 2059% 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 Tagum City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $87.0 per month, with Tagum City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🕒 Local time

14:00 2:00 PM

11:00 11:00 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

296,202

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Tagum City 5,410 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Tagum City

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 Tagum City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Tagum City differ by about 545% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $437 including rent). Tagum City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2059% 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 $159 in Tagum City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tagum City – 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 $437 in Tagum City – a 545% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $437 in Tagum City versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tagum City but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Tagum City 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 Tagum City 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 Tagum City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 545% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.