Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Melbourne is easier to travel (1.6 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: language โ Melbourne 1 vs Phu Quoc 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Melbourne | Phu Quoc | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | A$ 24$16 | โซ 60,000$2.28 | Phu Quoc โ86% |
| Street food1 item | A$ 15$10 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Phu Quoc โ87% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | A$ 55$36.7 | โซ 220,000$8.37 | Phu Quoc โ77% |
| Coffeeone cup | A$ 5.6$3.73 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Phu Quoc โ49% |
| Beerone bottle | A$ 14$9.33 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Phu Quoc โ88% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | A$ 20$13.3 | โซ 140,000$5.32 | Phu Quoc โ60% |
| Bottled water | A$ 4$2.67 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Phu Quoc โ89% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | A$ 4.8$3.2 | โซ 15,000$0.57 | Phu Quoc โ82% |
| Taxi5 km in town | A$ 18$12 | โซ 80,000$3.04 | Phu Quoc โ75% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | A$ 11$7.33 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Phu Quoc โ82% |
| Transitone ride | A$ 5.7$3.8 | โซ 20,000$0.76 | Phu Quoc โ80% |
| Scooter rentalper day | A$ 40$26.7 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Phu Quoc โ79% |
| Hotel night3-star | A$ 190$127 | โซ 900,000$34.2 | Phu Quoc โ73% |
| Studio rent (month) | A$ 2,150$1,433 | โซ 9,000,000$342 | Phu Quoc โ76% |
| Laundry | A$ 7.5$5 | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Phu Quoc โ73% |
| SIM card1 week data | A$ 30$20 | โซ 180,000$6.84 | Phu Quoc โ66% |
| Haircutcut | A$ 38$25.3 | โซ 80,000$3.04 | Phu Quoc โ88% |
| Massage1 hour | A$ 85$56.7 | โซ 250,000$9.51 | Phu Quoc โ83% |
| Half-day tourper person | A$ 90$60 | โซ 450,000$17.1 | Phu Quoc โ71% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | A$ 38$25.3 | โซ 850,000$32.3 | Melbourne โ22% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Phu Quoc is 75% cheaper than Melbourne. Daily budget $255 vs $62.2; a month $5,229 vs $1,336.
Melbourne is easier: Melbourne 1.6/5 vs Phu Quoc 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Melbourne is about $5,229 and Phu Quoc about $1,336 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.