Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mackay and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Bali: $1,224 a month against $2,222 in Mackay, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Mackay
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,222
/mo nomad
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,224
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mackay and in Bali

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

A single person spends $2,222 per month in Mackay vs $1,224 in Bali, rent included.

  • Mackay $2,222
  • Bali $1,224

A couple spends around $3,485 per month in Mackay vs $2,064 in Bali, rent included.

  • Mackay $3,485
  • Bali $2,064

A family of three spends $4,748 per month in Mackay vs $2,904 in Bali, rent included.

  • Mackay $4,748
  • Bali $2,904

Mackay costs about 81% more than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mackay sits 66% above the global median, while Bali is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mackay
Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.39 A$24.89
$2.74 Rp 49.0K
534.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.5 A$108
$29.64 Rp 529.8K
154.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.53 A$17.93
$4.74 Rp 84.7K
164.35%
Cappuccino
$4.14 A$5.92
$2.22 Rp 39.7K
86.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.38 A$4.84
$1.37 Rp 24.5K
146.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 A$3.87
$0.66 Rp 11.8K
310.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.85 A$9.81
$2.21 Rp 39.4K
209.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.06 A$10.10
$3.62 Rp 64.7K
95.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mackay
Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.93 A$2.77
$1.44 Rp 25.8K
34.03%
White Bread (500g)
$2.60 A$3.72
$2.17 Rp 38.7K
19.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.86 A$4.09
$1.12 Rp 20.0K
155.36%
Eggs
$5.65 A$8.09
$1.97 Rp 35.2K
186.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.63 A$13.78
$16.41 Rp 293.2K
-41.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.43 A$12.07
$3.63 Rp 65.0K
132.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.28 A$23.29
$11.53 Rp 206.2K
41.20%
Apples (1kg)
$3.62 A$5.18
$3.37 Rp 60.2K
7.42%
Banana (1kg)
$2.99 A$4.28
$1.46 Rp 26.0K
104.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.99 A$4.27
$2.15 Rp 38.4K
39.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.62 A$9.48
$1.90 Rp 34.0K
248.42%
Potato (1kg)
$2.50 A$3.58
$1.80 Rp 32.2K
38.89%
Onion (1kg)
$2.57 A$3.67
$2.24 Rp 40.0K
14.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.08 A$4.41
$0.94 Rp 16.8K
227.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.09 A$4.42
$0.48 Rp 8,577
543.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$42.90 A$61.4
$2.14 Rp 38.2K
1904.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.52 A$12.20
$21.94 Rp 392.2K
-61.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.99 A$7.14
$2.26 Rp 40.4K
120.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.26 A$8.96
$2.77 Rp 49.6K
125.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Mackay
Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.49 A$3.57
$0.26 Rp 4,661
857.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$70.7 A$101
$8.08 Rp 144.4K
774.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.81 A$8.32
$0.44 Rp 7,853
1220.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.11 A$3.02
$0.42 Rp 7,491
402.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.59 A$49.50
$5.66 Rp 101.1K
511.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 A$1.73
$0.90 Rp 16.0K
34.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K A$38.9K
$24.2K Rp 433.4M
12.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K A$50.7K
$31.5K Rp 563.1M
12.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mackay
Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$230 A$329
$80.1 Rp 1.4M
186.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.33 A$41.97
$6.63 Rp 118.5K
342.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$79.5 A$114
$18.33 Rp 327.6K
333.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mackay
Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.8 A$74.1
$45.56 Rp 814.4K
13.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.63 A$29.52
$15.24 Rp 272.4K
35.37%
Cinema Ticket
$16.88 A$24.15
$3.71 Rp 66.4K
354.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mackay
Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,856 A$2,656
$442 Rp 7.9M
319.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,749 A$9,658
$5,246 Rp 93.8M
28.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mackay
Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.6 A$101
$44.18 Rp 789.6K
59.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.0 A$73.0
$34.13 Rp 610.1K
49.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$127 A$181
$77.2 Rp 1.4M
64.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 A$150
$75.0 Rp 1.3M
39.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mackay
Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$947 A$1,355
$994 Rp 17.8M
-4.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$802 A$1,148
$588 Rp 10.5M
36.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,868 A$2,674
$3,084 Rp 55.1M
-39.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,784 A$2,553
$1,496 Rp 26.7M
19.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,116 A$4,459
$2,383 Rp 42.6M
30.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,738 A$2,487
$2,015 Rp 36.0M
-13.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mackay
Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,620 A$8,043
$223 Rp 4.0M
2419.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.63
13.78
-59.14%

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

Last update for Mackay: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mackay
$802
Bali
$588 26.6% $214
Groceries & Markets
Mackay
$397
Bali
$274 30.9% $123
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mackay
$338
Bali
$105 69% $233
Eating Out
Mackay
$299
Bali
$89 70.2% $210
Clothing & Footwear
Mackay
$159
Bali
$104 34.7% $55
Getting Around
Mackay
$97
Bali
$12 88% $85
Sport & Entertainment
Mackay
$86
Bali
$53 38% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Mackay versus $994 in Bali. 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 2420% higher in Mackay, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Mackay versus $30.00 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $274 – making Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Mackay
🇮🇩 Bali
🕒 Local time
13:09 1:09 PM
11:09 11:09 AM
2 h behind Mackay
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
80,455
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mackay Bali 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mackay
  • Bali

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
Mackay vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mackay or Bali?
Mackay costs about 81% more than Bali, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Mackay and in Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,333 per month in Mackay and $1,836 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Mackay or Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Mackay and in Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Mackay and $30.00 in Bali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Mackay compared to Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,222 in Mackay and $1,224 in Bali. That's a gap of about 81%.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Mackay or in Bali?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,224, than in Mackay at $2,222. In Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mackay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Mackay or Bali?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bali costs $1,224 versus $2,222 in Mackay. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Mackay compared to Bali?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Mackay or to Bali?
If budget matters most, go with Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mackay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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