Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mackay and Hong Kong

For one person, living is cheaper in Mackay: $2,222 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hong Kong outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
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Mackay Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index

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Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,222

/mo nomad

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mackay and in Hong Kong

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

A single person spends $2,222 per month in Mackay vs $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Mackay $2,222
Hong Kong $2,984

A couple spends around $3,485 per month in Mackay vs $4,558 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Mackay $3,485
Hong Kong $4,558

A family of three spends $4,748 per month in Mackay vs $6,132 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Mackay $4,748
Hong Kong $6,132

Mackay is about 26% cheaper than Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mackay and Hong Kong sit above the global median – Mackay by 66%, Hong Kong by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 A$24.89

$8.46 HK$66.4

105.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 A$108

$63.2 HK$496

19.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.53 A$17.93

$6.20 HK$48.66

102.10%

Cappuccino

$4.14 A$5.92

$4.90 HK$38.41

-15.51%

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

$3.38 A$4.84

$1.27 HK$10.01

166.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 A$3.87

$1.06 HK$8.31

155.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 A$9.81

$7.68 HK$60.3

-10.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 A$10.10

$6.28 HK$49.24

12.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 A$2.77

$2.86 HK$22.45

-32.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 A$3.72

$2.43 HK$19.10

7.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 A$4.09

$2.18 HK$17.09

31.19%

Eggs

$5.65 A$8.09

$3.54 HK$27.80

59.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 A$13.78

$25.12 HK$197

-61.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 A$12.07

$8.89 HK$69.8

-5.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.28 A$23.29

$17.63 HK$138

-7.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 A$5.18

$4.11 HK$32.22

-11.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 A$4.28

$2.72 HK$21.32

9.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 A$4.27

$4.59 HK$36.05

-34.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.62 A$9.48

$4.02 HK$31.52

64.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.58

$3.25 HK$25.50

-23.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.67

$3.27 HK$25.70

-21.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.08 A$4.41

$1.60 HK$12.54

92.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 A$4.42

$1.73 HK$13.56

78.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.90 A$61.4

$13.14 HK$103

226.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.52 A$12.20

$16.59 HK$130

-48.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.99 A$7.14

$2.01 HK$15.80

148.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 A$8.96

$2.18 HK$17.13

187.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 A$3.57

$1.44 HK$11.31

72.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.7 A$101

$89.1 HK$699

-20.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 A$8.32

$3.64 HK$28.53

59.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 A$3.02

$1.31 HK$10.29

61.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.59 A$49.50

$15.82 HK$124

118.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.73

$4.06 HK$31.89

-70.20%

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

$27.2K A$38.9K

$44.4K HK$348.2K

-38.69%

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

$35.4K A$50.7K

$37.4K HK$293.2K

-5.21%

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

$230 A$329

$247 HK$1,942

-7.23%

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

$29.33 A$41.97

$15.89 HK$125

84.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.5 A$114

$21.46 HK$168

270.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 A$74.1

$91.4 HK$717

-43.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.63 A$29.52

$9.08 HK$71.3

127.20%

Cinema Ticket

$16.88 A$24.15

$13.96 HK$110

20.92%

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

$1,856 A$2,656

$1,155 HK$9,067

60.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,749 A$9,658

$22.3K HK$174.6K

-69.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 A$101

$68.9 HK$541

2.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 A$73.0

$40.44 HK$317

26.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 A$181

$79.9 HK$627

58.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$150

$118 HK$923

-11.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 A$1,355

$2,180 HK$17.1K

-56.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$802 A$1,148

$1,718 HK$13.5K

-53.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,868 A$2,674

$5,047 HK$39.6K

-62.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 A$2,553

$3,543 HK$27.8K

-49.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,116 A$4,459

$29.1K HK$228.7K

-89.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,738 A$2,487

$17.6K HK$137.9K

-90.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,620 A$8,043

$3,228 HK$25.3K

74.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

3.91

43.99%

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

Last update for Mackay: October 5, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mackay

$802 36.9%

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5% 114% $916

Groceries & Markets

Mackay

$397 18.2%

Hong Kong

$415 13.9% 4.5% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mackay

$338 15.5%

Hong Kong

$285 9.5% 15.8% $54

Eating Out

Mackay

$299 13.7%

Hong Kong

$205 6.9% 31.4% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Mackay

$159 7.3%

Hong Kong

$138 4.6% 13.1% $21

Getting Around

Mackay

$97 4.5%

Hong Kong

$105 3.5% 8.2% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Mackay

$86 3.9%

Hong Kong

$119 4% 39.5% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Mackay versus $2,180 in Hong Kong. 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 74% 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 $75.0 in Mackay versus $63.0 in Hong Kong. Groceries tell a different story – $397 in Mackay vs $415 in Hong Kong – so Mackay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Mackay

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🕒 Local time

11:40 11:40 AM

09:40 9:40 AM

2 h behind Mackay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,455

1,367,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HKD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

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).

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.8 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Mackay Hong Kong 6,140 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Mackay
Hong Kong

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 Hong Kong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,222 in Mackay, $2,984 in Hong Kong – roughly 34% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,333 per month in Mackay and $4,476 in Hong Kong. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Mackay and $63.0 in Hong Kong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,222 in Mackay and $2,984 in Hong Kong. That's a gap of about 34%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Mackay, where all-in costs run around $2,222, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Mackay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,222 in Mackay to $2,984 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Mackay. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hong Kong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.