Cost of Living Comparison Between Mackay and Melbourne Cost of Living Comparison Between Mackay and Melbourne

๐Ÿ™‚ Solo nomad: Mackay is 11.6% cheaper than Melbourne without rent, and 17.7% cheaper with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Mackay is 8.2% more expensive than Melbourne without rent, and 7.3% cheaper with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Mackay
Melbourne
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.34 A$25.03
$19.2 A$29.41
-14.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.7 A$111
$78.6 A$120
-7.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.49 A$17.61
$10.02 A$15.35
14.67%
Cappuccino
$3.99 A$6.11
$3.67 A$5.62
8.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 A$4.79
$2.54 A$3.89
23.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 A$3.87
$2.28 A$3.49
10.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.33 A$9.69
$7.28 A$11.15
-13.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.32 A$9.68
$7.3 A$11.18
-13.42%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Mackay
Melbourne
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.35 A$2.07
$1.44 A$2.2
-6.25%
White Bread (500g)
$2.19 A$3.35
$2.63 A$4.02
-16.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.55 A$3.91
$2.27 A$3.48
12.33%
Eggs
$5.05 A$7.74
$4.86 A$7.45
3.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.74 A$13.39
$8.74 A$13.39
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.92 A$12.13
$9.19 A$14.07
-13.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.19 A$23.26
$14.95 A$22.9
1.61%
Apples (1kg)
$3.42 A$5.23
$3.33 A$5.1
2.70%
Banana (1kg)
$2.75 A$4.22
$2.84 A$4.35
-3.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.99 A$4.58
$3 A$4.6
-0.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.78 A$7.32
$3.95 A$6.05
21.01%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 A$2.72
$2.67 A$4.09
-33.71%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 A$2.56
$2.34 A$3.58
-28.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.91 A$2.93
$2.15 A$3.3
-11.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.17 A$3.33
$1.64 A$2.5
32.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$38.71 A$59.3
$32.11 A$49.19
20.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.96 A$12.19
$13.13 A$20.11
-39.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.82 A$7.38
$4.54 A$6.96
6.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.68 A$8.7
$5.05 A$7.74
12.48%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Mackay
Melbourne
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.31 A$3.55
$3.67 A$5.62
-37.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.2 A$101
$118 A$180
-43.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.37 A$8.23
$3.65 A$5.6
47.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.9 A$2.91
$1.34 A$2.05
41.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.85 A$50.3
$27.26 A$41.77
20.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 A$1.82
$1.19 A$1.82
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.9K A$58.1K
$28.6K A$43.9K
32.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.8K A$44.1K
$23.5K A$36K
22.53%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mackay
Melbourne
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$185 A$284
$150 A$230
23.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.9 A$41.21
$20.8 A$31.86
29.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.9 A$115
$51 A$78.2
46.77%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Mackay
Melbourne
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.3 A$112
$48.23 A$73.9
52.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.69 A$30.16
$15.91 A$24.38
23.76%
Cinema Ticket
$15.37 A$23.54
$16.53 A$25.32
-7.02%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Mackay
Melbourne
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,747 A$2,676
$1,730 A$2,651
0.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.1K A$18.5K
$19.1K A$29.3K
-36.80%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Mackay
Melbourne
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.9 A$104
$67.8 A$104
0.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.43 A$71.1
$53.7 A$82.2
-13.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 A$172
$108 A$165
4.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.9 A$148
$106 A$162
-8.59%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Mackay
Melbourne
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$918 A$1,407
$1,548 A$2,371
-40.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$772 A$1,182
$1,228 A$1,881
-37.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,682 A$2,577
$2,973 A$4,555
-43.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,655 A$2,536
$1,956 A$2,997
-15.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,027 A$4,637
$7,110 A$10.9K
-57.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,637 A$2,508
$5,790 A$8,871
-71.72%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Mackay
Melbourne
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,200 A$7,967
$4,045 A$6,198
28.55%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.7
6.19
-7.92%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mackay: October 29, 2025

Last update for Melbourne: October 28, 2025

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