Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Philippines and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in the Philippines: $771 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in the Philippines
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Philippines Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
Learn more

Australia Living Index

Jump to prices

🇵🇭 Philippines

$771

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Philippines and in Australia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the Philippines and in Australia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $771 per month in the Philippines vs $2,626 in Australia, rent included.

Philippines $771
Australia $2,626

A couple spends around $1,185 per month in the Philippines vs $3,810 in Australia, rent included.

Philippines $1,185
Australia $3,810

A family of three spends $1,599 per month in the Philippines vs $4,994 in Australia, rent included.

Philippines $1,599
Australia $4,994

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in the Philippines ($429–$1,230), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the Philippines is roughly 71% lower than in Australia on average.

The Philippines sits 43% below the global median, while Australia is 93% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.86 ₱247

$17.65 A$25.00

-78.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.54 ₱1,378

$85.2 A$121

-74.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.37 ₱216

$11.09 A$15.71

-69.61%

Cappuccino

$2.18 ₱139

$3.90 A$5.52

-44.10%

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

$0.70 ₱44.64

$2.85 A$4.04

-75.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₱22.76

$2.31 A$3.28

-84.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₱78.5

$7.53 A$10.66

-83.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₱121

$8.59 A$12.16

-77.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ₱110

$1.76 A$2.49

-2.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 ₱77.6

$2.81 A$3.98

-56.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 ₱54.6

$2.24 A$3.18

-62.05%

Eggs

$1.92 ₱123

$5.02 A$7.12

-61.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.17 ₱459

$9.87 A$13.98

-27.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 ₱260

$9.32 A$13.20

-56.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.78 ₱434

$14.86 A$21.05

-54.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 ₱174

$3.82 A$5.41

-28.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 ₱86.6

$2.92 A$4.14

-53.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ₱153

$3.13 A$4.44

-23.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ₱91.0

$4.81 A$6.81

-70.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 ₱138

$2.80 A$3.97

-22.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 ₱161

$2.38 A$3.37

5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ₱85.4

$2.37 A$3.36

-43.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱40.12

$1.65 A$2.34

-61.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 ₱175

$39.13 A$55.4

-93.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.41 ₱410

$13.93 A$19.73

-53.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₱74.3

$4.96 A$7.02

-76.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱112

$5.17 A$7.33

-66.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.37

$2.42 A$3.43

-90.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.17 ₱843

$94.6 A$134

-86.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱48.36

$3.49 A$4.95

-78.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.73

$1.60 A$2.26

-85.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 ₱122

$39.84 A$56.4

-95.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₱69.8

$1.39 A$1.97

-21.58%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$30.0K A$42.5K

-31.30%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$25.8K A$36.5K

-25.01%

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

$101 ₱6,448

$205 A$290

-50.86%

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

$13.64 ₱873

$28.33 A$40.14

-51.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.68 ₱1,708

$58.8 A$83.3

-54.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.58 ₱1,893

$55.7 A$78.8

-46.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.72 ₱366

$19.57 A$27.73

-70.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.49 ₱352

$15.38 A$21.78

-64.30%

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

$140 ₱8,973

$2,145 A$3,039

-93.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,614 ₱359.3K

$18.3K A$26.0K

-69.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.27 ₱2,705

$78.3 A$111

-46.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.59 ₱1,510

$56.3 A$79.7

-58.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 ₱4,323

$115 A$163

-41.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.4 ₱3,736

$123 A$174

-52.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 ₱22.6K

$1,591 A$2,254

-77.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 ₱14.0K

$1,293 A$1,831

-83.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ₱46.9K

$2,524 A$3,576

-71.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 ₱27.1K

$2,005 A$2,841

-78.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 ₱217.2K

$8,751 A$12.4K

-61.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,818 ₱116.3K

$6,260 A$8,868

-70.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$307 ₱19.7K

$3,984 A$5,644

-92.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.93

21.42%

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

Last update for the Philippines: October 25, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Philippines

$218 28.3%

Australia

$1.3K 49.2% 492% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Philippines

$187 24.3%

Australia

$374 14.3% 99.6% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Philippines

$141 18.3%

Australia

$292 11.1% 107% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Philippines

$86 11.2%

Australia

$168 6.4% 94.4% $81

Eating Out

Philippines

$81 10.5%

Australia

$297 11.3% 265% $215

Sport & Entertainment

Philippines

$41 5.3%

Australia

$86 3.3% 113% $46

Getting Around

Philippines

$16 2.1%

Australia

$116 4.4% 622% $100

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $261 in the Philippines vs $1,383 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $526 in Manila and $1,749 in Canberra.

Average salary: $283 in the Philippines vs $3,874 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 430% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 367% more in Australia.

Public transport is 546% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are about 14 times higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Philippines

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

04:28 4:28 AM

07:28 7:28 AM

3 h ahead of the Philippines

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,035,343

26,473,055

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.32 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.706 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.633 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Philippines Australia 6,290 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Philippines
Australia

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

Philippines vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The Philippines is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 71% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $261 in the Philippines.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in the Philippines – part of why living there is about 71% cheaper overall.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in the Philippines, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

The Philippines is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.