Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mackay and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico City: $1,608 a month against $2,209 in Mackay, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
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Mackay Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,209

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mackay and in Mexico City

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

A single person spends $2,209 per month in Mackay vs $1,608 in Mexico City, rent included.

Mackay $2,209
Mexico City $1,608

A couple spends around $3,489 per month in Mackay vs $2,549 in Mexico City, rent included.

Mackay $3,489
Mexico City $2,549

A family of three spends $4,769 per month in Mackay vs $3,490 in Mexico City, rent included.

Mackay $4,769
Mexico City $3,490

Mackay costs about 37% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mackay and Mexico City sit above the global median – Mackay by 62%, Mexico City by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 A$24.49

$10.62 MX$198

62.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 A$108

$48.35 MX$900

56.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.42 A$17.67

$10.35 MX$193

20.00%

Cappuccino

$4.30 A$6.12

$3.69 MX$68.7

16.53%

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

$3.39 A$4.82

$1.67 MX$31.03

102.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 A$3.89

$1.27 MX$23.56

115.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 A$9.91

$3.19 MX$59.4

118.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 A$9.76

$5.31 MX$98.8

29.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 A$2.70

$1.72 MX$32.11

10.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 A$3.57

$3.04 MX$56.6

-17.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.02

$1.94 MX$36.14

45.36%

Eggs

$6.02 A$8.56

$2.89 MX$53.8

108.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 A$13.79

$10.97 MX$204

-11.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 A$12.13

$9.25 MX$172

-7.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 A$23.39

$15.13 MX$282

8.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 A$5.25

$3.05 MX$56.8

20.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.05

$1.94 MX$36.14

46.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.26

$2.03 MX$37.70

47.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.72 A$9.56

$2.31 MX$43.09

190.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.59

$2.04 MX$37.88

24.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.64

$1.80 MX$33.51

42.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.24 A$4.61

$1.48 MX$27.54

118.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 A$4.43

$1.27 MX$23.60

144.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.23 A$62.9

$5.30 MX$98.7

734.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.63 A$12.28

$16.10 MX$300

-46.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.24 A$7.46

$1.98 MX$36.92

164.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 A$8.60

$4.25 MX$79.2

42.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.44

$0.31 MX$5.68

680.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 A$97.8

$19.73 MX$367

248.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 A$8.35

$1.84 MX$34.21

219.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 A$2.93

$0.53 MX$9.93

288.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.28 A$50.2

$5.30 MX$98.6

565.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.81

$1.51 MX$28.12

-15.89%

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

$27.1K A$38.6K

$21.8K MX$405.0K

24.69%

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

$35.4K A$50.4K

$24.0K MX$446.5K

47.76%

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

$235 A$334

$63.0 MX$1,172

272.82%

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

$29.32 A$41.69

$27.39 MX$510

7.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.9 A$112

$35.67 MX$664

121.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 A$74.0

$58.9 MX$1,097

-11.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.14 A$30.06

$23.64 MX$440

-10.58%

Cinema Ticket

$16.46 A$23.40

$6.40 MX$119

157.19%

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

$1,860 A$2,644

$432 MX$8,035

330.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,747 A$9,593

$11.4K MX$212.7K

-40.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 A$101

$68.2 MX$1,270

4.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$71.1

$53.1 MX$989

-5.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 A$174

$108 MX$2,006

13.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$150

$117 MX$2,183

-10.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 A$1,359

$1,113 MX$20.7K

-14.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 A$1,179

$710 MX$13.2K

16.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,903 A$2,706

$2,588 MX$48.2K

-26.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 A$2,529

$1,406 MX$26.2K

26.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,115 A$4,429

$3,631 MX$67.6K

-14.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,763 A$2,507

$2,135 MX$39.7K

-17.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,517 A$7,844

$946 MX$17.6K

483.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

11.35

-50.40%

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

Last update for Mackay: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mackay

$829 37.5%

Mexico City

$710 44.2% 14.3% $119

Groceries & Markets

Mackay

$400 18.1%

Mexico City

$320 19.9% 20.2% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mackay

$343 15.5%

Mexico City

$126 7.8% 63.3% $217

Eating Out

Mackay

$300 13.6%

Mexico City

$199 12.4% 33.7% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Mackay

$157 7.1%

Mexico City

$156 9.7% 0.7% $1.2

Getting Around

Mackay

$95 4.3%

Mexico City

$25 1.6% 73.1% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Mackay

$85 3.9%

Mexico City

$72 4.5% 15.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Mackay versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mackay are about 5.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Mackay versus $48 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $320 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Mackay

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

17:12 5:12 PM

01:12 1:12 AM

16 h behind Mackay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,455

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.83 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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 = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.62 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.72 MXN (100 MXN = 4.83 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mackay Mexico City 12,950 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mackay
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mackay is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,314 per month in Mackay and $2,412 in Mexico City. 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 $1,113 in Mexico City.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Mackay, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Mackay and $48 in Mexico City. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,209 in Mackay and $1,608 in Mexico City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Mexico City has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,608 in Mexico City to $2,209 in Mackay. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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