Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kitchener and Mackay

For one person, living is cheaper in Mackay: $2,209 a month against $2,460 in Kitchener, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kitchener outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

119

Cost of Living Index in Kitchener
Learn more

Kitchener Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
Learn more

Mackay Living Index

Jump to prices

Kitchener

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,460

/mo nomad

Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,460 in Kitchener versus $2,209 in Mackay.

Kitchener $2,460
Mackay $2,209

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,450 in Kitchener versus $3,489 in Mackay.

Kitchener $3,450
Mackay $3,489

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,441 in Kitchener versus $4,769 in Mackay.

Kitchener $4,441
Mackay $4,769

Living in Kitchener is roughly 11% more expensive than in Mackay.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kitchener 81% above, Mackay 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.05 CA$25.34

$17.22 A$24.47

4.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.2 CA$98.5

$75.8 A$108

-7.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 CA$15.09

$12.42 A$17.65

-13.45%

Cappuccino

$4.11 CA$5.77

$4.30 A$6.11

-4.42%

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

$2.29 CA$3.21

$3.39 A$4.82

-32.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 CA$2.99

$2.74 A$3.89

-22.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 CA$8.24

$6.97 A$9.90

-15.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 CA$8.41

$6.87 A$9.76

-12.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CA$3.16

$1.90 A$2.70

18.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.10

$2.51 A$3.57

16.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 CA$4.90

$2.82 A$4.01

23.76%

Eggs

$3.30 CA$4.63

$6.02 A$8.55

-45.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 CA$15.69

$9.70 A$13.78

15.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.17 CA$18.49

$8.53 A$12.12

54.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.62 CA$20.51

$16.45 A$23.37

-11.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 CA$5.71

$3.69 A$5.24

10.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 CA$2.68

$2.85 A$4.05

-32.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.61

$3.00 A$4.26

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 CA$6.17

$6.72 A$9.55

-34.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.71

$2.53 A$3.59

4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 CA$3.60

$2.56 A$3.64

0.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CA$3.52

$3.24 A$4.61

-22.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.63

$3.11 A$4.43

-39.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.02 CA$21.07

$44.23 A$62.8

-66.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.56 CA$17.63

$8.63 A$12.27

45.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CA$3.72

$5.24 A$7.45

-49.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 CA$4.56

$6.05 A$8.59

-46.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 CA$3.93

$2.42 A$3.43

15.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.5 CA$102

$68.8 A$97.8

5.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 CA$3.45

$5.88 A$8.35

-58.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 CA$2.48

$2.06 A$2.92

-14.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.25 CA$39.65

$35.28 A$50.1

-19.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.70

$1.27 A$1.81

-4.72%

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

$26.9K CA$37.8K

$27.1K A$38.5K

-0.74%

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

$21.4K CA$30.1K

$35.4K A$50.4K

-39.57%

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

$158 CA$221

$235 A$334

-32.89%

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

$39.46 CA$55.4

$29.32 A$41.66

34.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 CA$83.0

$78.9 A$112

-25.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.97 CA$39.25

$52.0 A$73.9

-46.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.18 CA$38.15

$21.14 A$30.04

28.57%

Cinema Ticket

$16.64 CA$23.36

$16.46 A$23.38

1.09%

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

$577 CA$810

$1,860 A$2,642

-68.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K CA$23.1K

$6,747 A$9,586

144.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 CA$77.3

$71.1 A$101

-22.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 CA$54.0

$50.0 A$71.0

-22.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 CA$110

$123 A$174

-36.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 CA$139

$105 A$150

-5.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 CA$1,849

$956 A$1,358

37.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 CA$1,765

$829 A$1,178

51.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,082 CA$2,922

$1,903 A$2,704

9.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 CA$2,424

$1,779 A$2,527

-2.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,956 CA$5,552

$3,115 A$4,426

27.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,279 CA$4,602

$1,763 A$2,505

86.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,036 CA$4,261

$5,517 A$7,839

-44.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.67

5.63

-17.05%

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

Last update for Kitchener: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mackay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kitchener

$1.3K 51.1%

Mackay

$829 37.5% 34.1% $428

Groceries & Markets

Kitchener

$382 15.6%

Mackay

$400 18.1% 4.7% $18

Eating Out

Kitchener

$285 11.6%

Mackay

$300 13.6% 5.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kitchener

$256 10.4%

Mackay

$343 15.5% 33.9% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Kitchener

$122 5%

Mackay

$157 7.1% 28.6% $35

Getting Around

Kitchener

$95 3.9%

Mackay

$95 4.3% 0.4% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Kitchener

$61 2.5%

Mackay

$85 3.9% 38.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,317 in Kitchener and $956 in Mackay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mackay pays 82% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70 in Kitchener vs $76 in Mackay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $400 per month, with Kitchener cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Kitchener

🇦🇺 Mackay

🕒 Local time

16:26 4:26 PM

06:26 6:26 AM

14 h ahead of Kitchener

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

256,855

80,455

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kitchener Mackay 14,830 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Kitchener
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

Kitchener vs Mackay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,460 in Kitchener and $2,209 in Mackay, so Mackay is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Kitchener. 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: $1,317 in Kitchener versus $956 in Mackay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mackay runs roughly 5% less than in Kitchener. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $577 in Kitchener versus $1,860 in Mackay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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, Kitchener and Mackay are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.