Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mackay

For one person, living is cheaper in Mackay: $2,222 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
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Mackay Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Mackay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,222 in Mackay.

Austin, TX $2,704
Mackay $2,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,485 in Mackay.

Austin, TX $4,133
Mackay $3,485

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,748 in Mackay.

Austin, TX $5,562
Mackay $4,748

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 22% more expensive than in Mackay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Mackay 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$17.39 A$24.98

16.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$75.5 A$108

12.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$12.53 A$17.99

-1.44%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.14 A$5.94

32.13%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$3.38 A$4.86

13.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.71 A$3.89

-7.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$6.85 A$9.84

17.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$7.06 A$10.14

27.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.93 A$2.78

-41.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.60 A$3.74

45.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.86 A$4.11

13.64%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$5.65 A$8.12

-26.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$9.63 A$13.84

35.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$8.43 A$12.11

69.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$16.28 A$23.38

-1.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.62 A$5.20

20.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.99 A$4.30

-51.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.99 A$4.29

51.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$6.62 A$9.51

-36.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.50 A$3.59

5.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.57 A$3.69

-8.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.08 A$4.42

-42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.09 A$4.44

-30.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$42.90 A$61.6

-77.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$8.52 A$12.24

72.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.99 A$7.17

-44.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$6.26 A$8.99

-44.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.49 A$3.58

-40.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$70.7 A$102

-42.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$5.81 A$8.35

-54.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.11 A$3.03

-25.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$34.59 A$49.68

2.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.21 A$1.74

-18.18%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.2K A$39.1K

31.63%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$35.4K A$50.9K

-23.28%

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

$219 $219

$230 A$330

-4.49%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$29.33 A$42.13

97.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$79.5 A$114

-13.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$51.8 A$74.4

11.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$20.63 A$29.63

-28.16%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$16.88 A$24.24

-16.29%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$1,856 A$2,666

-18.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,749 A$9,694

217.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$70.6 A$101

-26.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$51.0 A$73.3

-13.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$127 A$182

-32.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$105 A$150

0.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$947 A$1,360

104.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$802 A$1,152

58.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,868 A$2,684

96.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,784 A$2,563

41.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,116 A$4,475

144.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,738 A$2,496

84.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$5,620 A$8,073

-9.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.63

20.60%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mackay: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Mackay

$802 36.9% 36.9% $470

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Mackay

$397 18.2% 1.5% $5.9

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Mackay

$299 13.7% 14% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Mackay

$338 15.5% 2.1% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Mackay

$159 7.3% 23.4% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Mackay

$86 3.9% 0.7% $0.6

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Mackay

$97 4.5% 70.2% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $947 in Mackay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mackay pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $75.0 in Mackay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $397 per month, with Mackay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 Mackay

🕒 Local time

22:57 10:57 PM

13:57 1:57 PM

15 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

80,455

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Mackay 13,320 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mackay

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

Austin, TX vs Mackay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mackay wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mackay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Mackay. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $947 in Mackay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,222 in Mackay – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mackay runs roughly 75% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,222 in Mackay versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mackay but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mackay 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, Austin, TX and Mackay 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 Mackay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.