Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Siargao and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Siargao: $787 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $24,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Siargao
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Siargao Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Siargao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$787

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Siargao and in Melbourne

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $787 in Siargao versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Siargao $787
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,226 in Siargao versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Siargao $1,226
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,664 in Siargao versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Siargao $1,664
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Siargao costs roughly 72% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Siargao is 42% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.60 ₱227

$17.43 A$25.18

-79.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.21 ₱1,210

$84.6 A$122

-77.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.36 ₱212

$12.46 A$18.00

-73.03%

Cappuccino

$2.62 ₱165

$4.11 A$5.94

-36.25%

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

$0.78 ₱49.46

$3.06 A$4.42

-74.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₱24.97

$2.52 A$3.64

-84.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 ₱79.0

$9.80 A$14.16

-87.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₱138

$8.57 A$12.38

-74.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ₱119

$1.48 A$2.15

27.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ₱77.4

$2.94 A$4.25

-58.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱60.3

$2.66 A$3.84

-63.91%

Eggs

$2.00 ₱126

$5.54 A$8.01

-63.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 ₱519

$10.51 A$15.19

-21.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 ₱273

$9.65 A$13.94

-55.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 ₱473

$15.22 A$22.00

-50.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₱187

$3.99 A$5.77

-25.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₱99.9

$3.02 A$4.36

-47.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 ₱162

$3.10 A$4.48

-16.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 ₱102

$4.82 A$6.96

-66.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱142

$3.03 A$4.38

-25.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 ₱160

$2.44 A$3.53

3.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱69.4

$2.46 A$3.56

-55.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₱44.50

$1.63 A$2.35

-56.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 ₱178

$44.07 A$63.7

-93.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.79 ₱428

$12.70 A$18.36

-46.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 ₱75.3

$5.54 A$8.00

-78.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₱128

$5.23 A$7.55

-61.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.34

$3.74 A$5.40

-93.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.65 ₱734

$138 A$199

-91.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱48.93

$4.51 A$6.52

-82.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.82

$1.36 A$1.96

-83.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 ₱131

$30.45 A$44.00

-93.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₱72.5

$1.47 A$2.13

-21.77%

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

$26.3K ₱1.7M

$29.0K A$41.9K

-9.46%

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

$20.2K ₱1.3M

$26.5K A$38.3K

-23.85%

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

$112 ₱7,067

$234 A$338

-52.01%

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

$33.18 ₱2,091

$27.93 A$40.35

18.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.75 ₱1,749

$55.7 A$80.6

-50.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.05 ₱2,146

$49.40 A$71.4

-31.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.45 ₱280

$21.48 A$31.04

-79.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ₱368

$15.09 A$21.81

-61.23%

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

$154 ₱9,706

$2,371 A$3,426

-93.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,271 ₱269.1K

$30.2K A$43.6K

-85.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.34 ₱2,920

$80.0 A$116

-42.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.69 ₱1,682

$50.7 A$73.3

-47.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 ₱4,831

$121 A$174

-36.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.2 ₱3,413

$130 A$188

-58.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 ₱16.8K

$1,759 A$2,542

-84.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱10.9K

$1,390 A$2,008

-87.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₱36.7K

$3,494 A$5,048

-83.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 ₱24.4K

$2,493 A$3,603

-84.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,349 ₱148.0K

$6,926 A$10.0K

-66.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$978 ₱61.6K

$6,445 A$9,313

-84.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,333

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.9

13.05%

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

Last update for Siargao: October 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Siargao

$203 25.8%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 89.4% $181

Accommodation & Living

Siargao

$174 22.1%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 700% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Siargao

$173 22%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 83.4% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Siargao

$92 11.7%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 87.2% $80

Eating Out

Siargao

$86 10.9%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 267% $229

Sport & Entertainment

Siargao

$46 5.8%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 74% $34

Getting Around

Siargao

$15 1.9%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 1025% $149

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $266 in Siargao and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Siargao vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $384 per month, with Siargao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Siargao

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

14:35 2:35 PM

17:35 5:35 PM

3 h ahead of Siargao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,000

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 AUD = 0.692 USD

1 AUD = 0.617 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 63.02 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.65 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.692 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.617 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Siargao Melbourne 5,650 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Siargao
Melbourne

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

Siargao vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Siargao and Melbourne differ by about 258% in total monthly costs ($787 vs $2,821 including rent). Siargao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,181 in Siargao and $4,231 in Melbourne 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: $266 in Siargao versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $154 in Siargao versus $2,371 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $787 in Siargao versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Siargao but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Siargao 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, Siargao and Melbourne 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 Siargao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 258% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.