Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mackay and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Mackay: $2,209 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
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Mackay Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,209

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mackay and in Sydney

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

A single person spends $2,209 per month in Mackay vs $3,267 in Sydney, rent included.

Mackay $2,209
Sydney $3,267

A couple spends around $3,489 per month in Mackay vs $4,847 in Sydney, rent included.

Mackay $3,489
Sydney $4,847

A family of three spends $4,769 per month in Mackay vs $6,428 in Sydney, rent included.

Mackay $4,769
Sydney $6,428

Mackay is about 32% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mackay and Sydney sit above the global median – Mackay by 62%, Sydney by 140%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 A$24.50

$17.50 A$24.89

-1.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 A$108

$90.4 A$129

-16.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.42 A$17.67

$11.96 A$17.01

3.85%

Cappuccino

$4.30 A$6.12

$4.00 A$5.69

7.50%

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

$3.39 A$4.82

$2.81 A$4.00

20.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 A$3.89

$2.22 A$3.16

23.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 A$9.91

$8.13 A$11.57

-14.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 A$9.77

$7.20 A$10.24

-4.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 A$2.71

$1.70 A$2.42

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 A$3.57

$2.94 A$4.18

-14.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.02

$2.51 A$3.58

12.35%

Eggs

$6.02 A$8.56

$5.66 A$8.05

6.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 A$13.80

$12.22 A$17.37

-20.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 A$12.13

$9.31 A$13.25

-8.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 A$23.40

$16.87 A$24.00

-2.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 A$5.25

$3.90 A$5.55

-5.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.05

$3.22 A$4.59

-11.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.27

$3.43 A$4.88

-12.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.72 A$9.56

$4.33 A$6.16

55.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.59

$3.35 A$4.76

-24.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.64

$2.40 A$3.41

6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.24 A$4.61

$2.34 A$3.33

38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 A$4.43

$1.16 A$1.65

168.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.23 A$62.9

$45.47 A$64.7

-2.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.63 A$12.28

$13.99 A$19.90

-38.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.24 A$7.46

$4.11 A$5.84

27.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 A$8.60

$4.18 A$5.94

44.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.44

$3.12 A$4.44

-22.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 A$97.9

$152 A$216

-54.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 A$8.36

$3.46 A$4.92

69.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 A$2.93

$1.56 A$2.22

32.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.28 A$50.2

$39.54 A$56.2

-10.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.81

$1.45 A$2.06

-12.41%

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

$27.1K A$38.6K

$29.9K A$42.5K

-9.28%

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

$35.4K A$50.4K

$27.5K A$39.1K

28.80%

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

$235 A$334

$251 A$357

-6.39%

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

$29.32 A$41.70

$27.76 A$39.48

5.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.9 A$112

$58.0 A$82.5

36.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 A$74.0

$70.7 A$101

-26.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.14 A$30.07

$23.25 A$33.07

-9.08%

Cinema Ticket

$16.46 A$23.40

$17.83 A$25.35

-7.68%

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

$1,860 A$2,645

$2,358 A$3,354

-21.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,747 A$9,596

$27.2K A$38.7K

-75.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 A$101

$80.5 A$114

-11.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$71.1

$69.3 A$98.6

-27.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 A$175

$111 A$157

10.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$150

$127 A$181

-17.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 A$1,360

$2,566 A$3,649

-62.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 A$1,180

$1,792 A$2,549

-53.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,903 A$2,707

$5,202 A$7,399

-63.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 A$2,530

$3,156 A$4,489

-43.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,115 A$4,430

$13.4K A$19.0K

-76.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,763 A$2,508

$8,727 A$12.4K

-79.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,517 A$7,846

$4,118 A$5,857

33.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.92

-4.90%

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

Last update for Mackay: October 24, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mackay

$829 37.5%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 116% $963

Groceries & Markets

Mackay

$400 18.1%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 4.6% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mackay

$343 15.5%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 1.9% $6.4

Eating Out

Mackay

$300 13.6%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 0.2% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Mackay

$157 7.1%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 11.2% $18

Getting Around

Mackay

$95 4.3%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 85.5% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Mackay

$85 3.9%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 25.2% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Mackay versus $2,566 in Sydney. 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 34% 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 $76 in Mackay versus $90 in Sydney. Groceries tell a different story – $400 in Mackay vs $382 in Sydney – so Sydney wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Mackay

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

13:16 1:16 PM

1 h ahead of Mackay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,455

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mackay Sydney 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mackay
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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 Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,314 per month in Mackay and $4,900 in Sydney. 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 $2,566 in Sydney.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Sydney – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Mackay and $90 in Sydney. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Mackay, where all-in costs run around $2,209, than in Sydney at $3,267. In Mackay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mackay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.