Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Mackay

For one person, living is cheaper in Mackay: $2,209 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
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Mackay Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane 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 Brisbane and in Mackay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,209 in Mackay, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Mackay $2,209

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,489 in Mackay, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Mackay $3,489

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,769 in Mackay, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Mackay $4,769

Brisbane costs about 19% more than Mackay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Mackay sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Mackay by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.04

$17.22 A$24.50

2.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$75.8 A$108

5.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.25

$12.42 A$17.67

-7.97%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.42

$4.30 A$6.12

4.88%

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

$2.95 A$4.20

$3.39 A$4.82

-12.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.40

$2.74 A$3.89

-12.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.25

$6.97 A$9.91

23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.89

$6.87 A$9.77

21.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.30

$1.90 A$2.71

-14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.77

$2.51 A$3.57

5.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.30

$2.82 A$4.02

-17.73%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.03

$6.02 A$8.56

-17.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.91

$9.70 A$13.80

-6.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.98

$8.53 A$12.13

6.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.39

$16.45 A$23.40

-12.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.89

$3.69 A$5.25

12.20%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.36

$2.85 A$4.05

7.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.33

$3.00 A$4.27

1.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.95

$6.72 A$9.56

-27.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.00

$2.53 A$3.59

11.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.56 A$3.64

-3.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.43

$3.24 A$4.61

-25.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$3.11 A$4.43

-61.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.8

$44.23 A$62.9

-12.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.99

$8.63 A$12.28

46.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.42

$5.24 A$7.46

-0.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.93

$6.05 A$8.60

-19.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$2.42 A$3.44

-85.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.83

$68.8 A$97.9

-69.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.34

$5.88 A$8.36

-48.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.69

$2.06 A$2.93

-8.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$58.0

$35.28 A$50.2

15.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.27 A$1.81

14.17%

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

$29.7K A$42.3K

$27.1K A$38.6K

9.52%

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

$25.6K A$36.4K

$35.4K A$50.4K

-27.77%

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

$158 A$224

$235 A$334

-32.81%

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

$26.05 A$37.06

$29.32 A$41.70

-11.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$87.0

$78.9 A$112

-22.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$87.0

$52.0 A$74.0

17.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.80

$21.14 A$30.07

5.77%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.84

$16.46 A$23.40

-15.25%

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

$2,044 A$2,908

$1,860 A$2,645

9.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$6,747 A$9,596

91.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$71.1 A$101

15.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.1

$50.0 A$71.1

-12.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$123 A$175

-7.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$105 A$150

5.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,765

$956 A$1,360

103.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,036

$829 A$1,180

72.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,956

$1,903 A$2,707

83.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,187

$1,779 A$2,530

25.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.3K

$3,115 A$4,430

199.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,961

$1,763 A$2,508

297.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,894

$5,517 A$7,846

-24.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.63

3.20%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mackay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Mackay

$829 37.5% 42.1% $602

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Mackay

$400 18.1% 10.7% $39

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Mackay

$300 13.6% 3.5% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Mackay

$343 15.5% 40% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Mackay

$157 7.1% 0.4% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Mackay

$85 3.9% 4.6% $4.1

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Mackay

$95 4.3% 172% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $956 in Mackay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 33% higher in Mackay, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane versus $76 in Mackay. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Brisbane vs $400 in Mackay – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Mackay

🕒 Local time

20:18 8:18 PM

Same time as Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

80,455

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Brisbane Mackay 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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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

Brisbane vs Mackay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 19% more than Mackay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,945 per month in Brisbane and $3,314 in Mackay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mackay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $956 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Brisbane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane and $76 in Mackay. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Mackay, where all-in costs run around $2,209, than in Brisbane at $2,630. In Mackay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mackay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.