Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mackay and Lisbon

For one person, living costs are similar in Mackay and in Lisbon: $2,209 and $2,210 a month, rent and utilities included.

106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
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Mackay Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

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Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,209

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mackay and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,209 in Mackay versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Mackay $2,209
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,489 in Mackay versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Mackay $3,489
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,769 in Mackay versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Mackay $4,769
Lisbon $4,341

Monthly costs are close between Mackay and Lisbon; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 A$24.50

$16.65 €14.92

3.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 A$108

$61.7 €55.3

22.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.42 A$17.67

$11.36 €10.18

9.33%

Cappuccino

$4.30 A$6.12

$2.97 €2.66

44.78%

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

$3.39 A$4.82

$2.29 €2.05

48.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 A$3.89

$1.74 €1.56

57.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 A$9.91

$3.40 €3.05

105.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 A$9.77

$3.31 €2.97

107.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 A$2.71

$1.16 €1.04

63.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 A$3.57

$1.91 €1.71

31.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.02

$1.51 €1.36

86.75%

Eggs

$6.02 A$8.56

$4.02 €3.60

49.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 A$13.80

$12.94 €11.59

-25.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 A$12.13

$7.77 €6.97

9.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 A$23.40

$17.76 €15.92

-7.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 A$5.25

$2.30 €2.06

60.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.05

$1.73 €1.55

64.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.27

$1.86 €1.66

61.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.72 A$9.56

$2.59 €2.32

159.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.59

$1.82 €1.63

39.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.64

$1.97 €1.76

29.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.24 A$4.61

$1.47 €1.32

120.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 A$4.43

$0.72 €0.65

331.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.23 A$62.9

$6.58 €5.90

572.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.63 A$12.28

$5.61 €5.02

53.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.24 A$7.46

$1.36 €1.22

285.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 A$8.60

$2.14 €1.91

182.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.44

$2.33 €2.09

3.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 A$97.9

$44.68 €40.04

53.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 A$8.36

$3.85 €3.45

52.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 A$2.93

$1.07 €0.96

92.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.28 A$50.2

$16.46 €14.75

114.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.81

$2.20 €1.97

-42.27%

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

$27.1K A$38.6K

$34.2K €30.6K

-20.67%

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

$35.4K A$50.4K

$38.7K €34.7K

-8.48%

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

$235 A$334

$161 €144

45.64%

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

$29.32 A$41.70

$18.41 €16.50

59.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.9 A$112

$32.74 €29.34

140.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 A$74.0

$44.55 €39.92

16.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.14 A$30.07

$19.10 €17.11

10.68%

Cinema Ticket

$16.46 A$23.40

$9.60 €8.60

71.46%

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

$1,860 A$2,645

$668 €598

178.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,747 A$9,596

$17.6K €15.8K

-61.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 A$101

$102 €91.4

-30.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$71.1

$44.46 €39.85

12.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 A$175

$98.5 €88.3

24.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$150

$124 €111

-14.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 A$1,360

$1,608 €1,441

-40.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 A$1,180

$1,190 €1,066

-30.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,903 A$2,707

$2,812 €2,520

-32.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 A$2,530

$2,013 €1,804

-11.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,115 A$4,430

$7,839 €7,025

-60.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,763 A$2,508

$4,576 €4,100

-61.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,517 A$7,846

$1,575 €1,411

250.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

3.85

46.23%

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

Last update for Mackay: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mackay

$829 37.5%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 43.5% $361

Groceries & Markets

Mackay

$400 18.1%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 32% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mackay

$343 15.5%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 38.1% $131

Eating Out

Mackay

$300 13.6%

Lisbon

$243 11% 19.1% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Mackay

$157 7.1%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 5.6% $8.9

Getting Around

Mackay

$95 4.3%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 33.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Mackay

$85 3.9%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 25% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Mackay and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mackay pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $76 in Mackay vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Mackay

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

17:00 5:00 PM

07:00 7:00 AM

10 h behind Mackay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,455

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mackay Lisbon 17,170 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Mackay
Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay in Mackay is about 3.5 times higher, 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 $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 35% less than in Mackay. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Mackay gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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