Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mackay and Brisbane

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.

106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
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Mackay Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,209

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mackay and in Brisbane

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 Brisbane actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Mackay $2,209
Brisbane $2,630

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

Mackay $3,489
Brisbane $3,801

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

Mackay $4,769
Brisbane $4,972

Mackay is about 16% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 A$24.49

$17.61 A$25.04

-2.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 A$108

$80.0 A$114

-5.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.42 A$17.67

$11.43 A$16.25

8.66%

Cappuccino

$4.30 A$6.12

$4.51 A$6.42

-4.66%

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

$3.39 A$4.82

$2.95 A$4.20

14.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 A$3.89

$2.39 A$3.40

14.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 A$9.91

$8.61 A$12.24

-19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 A$9.76

$8.36 A$11.89

-17.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 A$2.70

$1.62 A$2.30

17.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 A$3.57

$2.65 A$3.77

-5.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.02

$2.32 A$3.30

21.55%

Eggs

$6.02 A$8.56

$4.94 A$7.02

21.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 A$13.79

$9.08 A$12.91

6.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 A$12.13

$9.12 A$12.97

-6.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 A$23.39

$14.34 A$20.39

14.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 A$5.25

$4.14 A$5.89

-10.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.05

$3.07 A$4.36

-7.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.26

$3.05 A$4.33

-1.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.72 A$9.56

$4.89 A$6.95

37.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.59

$2.81 A$4.00

-9.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.64

$2.48 A$3.52

3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.24 A$4.61

$2.41 A$3.42

34.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 A$4.43

$1.19 A$1.69

161.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.23 A$62.9

$38.54 A$54.8

14.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.63 A$12.28

$12.65 A$17.98

-31.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.24 A$7.46

$5.22 A$7.42

0.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 A$8.60

$4.87 A$6.92

24.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.44

$0.34 A$0.48

611.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 A$97.8

$20.97 A$29.82

228.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 A$8.35

$3.05 A$4.34

92.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 A$2.93

$1.89 A$2.69

8.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.28 A$50.2

$40.76 A$58.0

-13.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.81

$1.45 A$2.06

-12.41%

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

$27.1K A$38.6K

$29.7K A$42.2K

-8.69%

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

$35.4K A$50.4K

$25.6K A$36.4K

38.45%

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

$235 A$334

$158 A$224

48.82%

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

$29.32 A$41.69

$26.05 A$37.05

12.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.9 A$112

$61.1 A$86.9

29.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 A$74.0

$61.2 A$87.0

-14.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.14 A$30.06

$22.36 A$31.79

-5.46%

Cinema Ticket

$16.46 A$23.40

$13.95 A$19.84

17.99%

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

$1,860 A$2,644

$2,044 A$2,907

-9.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,747 A$9,593

$12.9K A$18.3K

-47.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 A$101

$82.4 A$117

-13.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$71.1

$43.63 A$62.0

14.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 A$174

$113 A$161

8.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$150

$111 A$158

-5.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 A$1,359

$1,944 A$2,764

-50.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 A$1,179

$1,431 A$2,035

-42.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,903 A$2,706

$3,484 A$4,955

-45.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 A$2,529

$2,240 A$3,186

-20.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,115 A$4,429

$9,322 A$13.3K

-66.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,763 A$2,507

$7,003 A$9,958

-74.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,517 A$7,844

$4,144 A$5,893

33.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.81

-3.10%

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

Last update for Mackay: October 24, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mackay

$829 37.5%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4% 72.6% $602

Groceries & Markets

Mackay

$400 18.1%

Brisbane

$362 13.8% 9.6% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mackay

$343 15.5%

Brisbane

$245 9.3% 28.6% $98

Eating Out

Mackay

$300 13.6%

Brisbane

$310 11.8% 3.6% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Mackay

$157 7.1%

Brisbane

$158 6% 0.4% $0.7

Getting Around

Mackay

$95 4.3%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 63.2% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Mackay

$85 3.9%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 4.8% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Mackay versus $1,944 in Brisbane. 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 $76 in Mackay versus $80 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $400 in Mackay vs $362 in Brisbane – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Mackay

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

02:47 2:47 AM

Same time as Mackay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,455

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mackay Brisbane 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mackay
Brisbane

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 Brisbane: 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 $3,314 per month in Mackay and $3,945 in Brisbane. 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, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Mackay and $80 in Brisbane. 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 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.