Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mackay and Kitchener

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.

106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
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Mackay Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Kitchener
Learn more

Kitchener Living Index

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Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,209

/mo nomad

Kitchener

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,460

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mackay and in Kitchener

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

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

Mackay $2,209
Kitchener $2,460

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

Mackay $3,489
Kitchener $3,450

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

Mackay $4,769
Kitchener $4,441

Living in Mackay costs roughly 10% less than in Kitchener.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 A$24.47

$18.05 CA$25.34

-4.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 A$108

$70.2 CA$98.5

7.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.42 A$17.65

$10.75 CA$15.09

15.53%

Cappuccino

$4.30 A$6.11

$4.11 CA$5.77

4.62%

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

$3.39 A$4.82

$2.29 CA$3.21

48.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 A$3.89

$2.13 CA$2.99

28.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 A$9.90

$5.87 CA$8.24

18.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 A$9.76

$5.99 CA$8.41

14.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 A$2.70

$2.25 CA$3.16

-15.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 A$3.57

$2.92 CA$4.10

-14.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.01

$3.49 CA$4.90

-19.20%

Eggs

$6.02 A$8.55

$3.30 CA$4.63

82.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 A$13.78

$11.18 CA$15.69

-13.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 A$12.12

$13.17 CA$18.49

-35.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 A$23.37

$14.62 CA$20.51

12.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 A$5.24

$4.07 CA$5.71

-9.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.05

$1.91 CA$2.68

49.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.26

$4.00 CA$5.61

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.72 A$9.55

$4.40 CA$6.17

52.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.59

$2.64 CA$3.71

-4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.64

$2.57 CA$3.60

-0.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.24 A$4.61

$2.51 CA$3.52

29.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 A$4.43

$1.88 CA$2.63

65.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.23 A$62.8

$15.02 CA$21.07

194.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.63 A$12.27

$12.56 CA$17.63

-31.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.24 A$7.45

$2.65 CA$3.72

97.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 A$8.59

$3.25 CA$4.56

86.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.43

$2.80 CA$3.93

-13.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 A$97.8

$72.5 CA$102

-5.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 A$8.35

$2.46 CA$3.45

139.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 A$2.92

$1.77 CA$2.48

16.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.28 A$50.1

$28.25 CA$39.65

24.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.81

$1.21 CA$1.70

4.96%

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

$27.1K A$38.5K

$26.9K CA$37.8K

0.75%

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

$35.4K A$50.4K

$21.4K CA$30.1K

65.48%

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

$235 A$334

$158 CA$221

49.01%

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

$29.32 A$41.66

$39.46 CA$55.4

-25.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.9 A$112

$59.1 CA$83.0

33.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 A$73.9

$27.97 CA$39.25

86.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.14 A$30.04

$27.18 CA$38.15

-22.22%

Cinema Ticket

$16.46 A$23.38

$16.64 CA$23.36

-1.08%

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

$1,860 A$2,642

$577 CA$810

222.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,747 A$9,586

$16.5K CA$23.1K

-59.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 A$101

$55.1 CA$77.3

28.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$71.0

$38.51 CA$54.0

29.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 A$174

$78.5 CA$110

56.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$150

$99.3 CA$139

5.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 A$1,358

$1,317 CA$1,849

-27.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 A$1,178

$1,258 CA$1,765

-34.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,903 A$2,704

$2,082 CA$2,922

-8.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 A$2,527

$1,727 CA$2,424

2.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,115 A$4,426

$3,956 CA$5,552

-21.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,763 A$2,505

$3,279 CA$4,602

-46.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,517 A$7,839

$3,036 CA$4,261

81.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

4.67

20.56%

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

Last update for Mackay: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kitchener: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mackay

$829 37.5%

Kitchener

$1.3K 51.1% 51.7% $428

Groceries & Markets

Mackay

$400 18.1%

Kitchener

$382 15.6% 4.5% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mackay

$343 15.5%

Kitchener

$256 10.4% 25.3% $87

Eating Out

Mackay

$300 13.6%

Kitchener

$285 11.6% 4.9% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Mackay

$157 7.1%

Kitchener

$122 5% 22.2% $35

Getting Around

Mackay

$95 4.3%

Kitchener

$95 3.9% 0.4% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Mackay

$85 3.9%

Kitchener

$61 2.5% 27.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Mackay and $1,317 in Kitchener. 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: $76 in Mackay vs $70 in Kitchener for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $382 per month, with Kitchener cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Mackay

🇨🇦 Kitchener

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

14:39 2:39 PM

14 h behind Mackay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,455

256,855

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

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).

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).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mackay Kitchener 14,830 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Mackay
Kitchener

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 Kitchener: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mackay and Kitchener differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,209 vs $2,460 including rent). Mackay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 82% higher in Mackay, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Mackay versus $1,317 in Kitchener. 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. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,860 in Mackay versus $577 in Kitchener. 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, Mackay and Kitchener are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.