Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mackay and Wellington

For one person, living costs are similar in Mackay and in Wellington: $2,209 and $2,313 a month, rent and utilities included.

106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
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Mackay Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index

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Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,209

/mo nomad

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mackay and in Wellington

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

A single person spends $2,209 per month in Mackay vs $2,313 in Wellington, rent included.

Mackay $2,209
Wellington $2,313

A couple spends around $3,489 per month in Mackay vs $3,422 in Wellington, rent included.

Mackay $3,489
Wellington $3,422

A family of three spends $4,769 per month in Mackay vs $4,530 in Wellington, rent included.

Mackay $4,769
Wellington $4,530

Mackay is about 5% cheaper than Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mackay and Wellington sit above the global median – Mackay by 62%, Wellington by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 A$24.49

$14.02 NZ$24.68

22.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 A$108

$66.5 NZ$117

14.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.42 A$17.67

$9.23 NZ$16.24

34.56%

Cappuccino

$4.30 A$6.12

$3.41 NZ$6.00

26.10%

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

$3.39 A$4.82

$2.43 NZ$4.28

39.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 A$3.89

$1.69 NZ$2.98

62.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 A$9.91

$7.48 NZ$13.17

-6.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 A$9.76

$6.74 NZ$11.87

1.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 A$2.70

$1.95 NZ$3.44

-2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 A$3.57

$2.25 NZ$3.97

11.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.02

$1.85 NZ$3.26

52.43%

Eggs

$6.02 A$8.56

$7.10 NZ$12.50

-15.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 A$13.79

$9.54 NZ$16.79

1.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 A$12.13

$9.62 NZ$16.93

-11.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 A$23.39

$15.26 NZ$26.86

7.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 A$5.25

$3.09 NZ$5.45

19.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.05

$2.15 NZ$3.79

32.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.26

$3.08 NZ$5.42

-2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.72 A$9.56

$6.42 NZ$11.30

4.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.59

$2.10 NZ$3.69

20.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.64

$1.23 NZ$2.17

108.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.24 A$4.61

$2.01 NZ$3.54

61.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 A$4.43

$1.16 NZ$2.04

168.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.23 A$62.9

$25.37 NZ$44.65

74.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.63 A$12.28

$11.48 NZ$20.21

-24.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.24 A$7.46

$3.12 NZ$5.49

67.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 A$8.60

$2.89 NZ$5.08

109.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.44

$2.86 NZ$5.04

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 A$97.8

$105 NZ$185

-34.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 A$8.35

$1.88 NZ$3.31

212.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 A$2.93

$1.83 NZ$3.22

12.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.28 A$50.2

$34.31 NZ$60.4

2.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.81

$1.84 NZ$3.24

-30.98%

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

$27.1K A$38.6K

$28.4K NZ$50.0K

-4.45%

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

$35.4K A$50.4K

$23.8K NZ$41.9K

48.92%

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

$235 A$334

$201 NZ$353

16.93%

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

$29.32 A$41.69

$33.35 NZ$58.7

-12.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.9 A$112

$53.7 NZ$94.4

47.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 A$74.0

$35.87 NZ$63.1

45.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.14 A$30.06

$16.18 NZ$28.48

30.66%

Cinema Ticket

$16.46 A$23.40

$11.78 NZ$20.74

39.73%

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

$1,860 A$2,644

$1,065 NZ$1,874

74.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,747 A$9,593

$13.3K NZ$23.4K

-49.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 A$101

$80.4 NZ$142

-11.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$71.1

$28.04 NZ$49.35

78.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 A$174

$102 NZ$179

20.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$150

$154 NZ$271

-31.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 A$1,359

$1,143 NZ$2,011

-16.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 A$1,179

$1,078 NZ$1,898

-23.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,903 A$2,706

$2,057 NZ$3,620

-7.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 A$2,529

$1,814 NZ$3,192

-1.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,115 A$4,429

$6,594 NZ$11.6K

-52.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,763 A$2,507

$3,655 NZ$6,432

-51.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,517 A$7,844

$2,785 NZ$4,902

98.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.39

4.45%

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

Last update for Mackay: October 24, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mackay

$829 37.5%

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6% 30% $249

Groceries & Markets

Mackay

$400 18.1%

Wellington

$348 15.1% 13% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mackay

$343 15.5%

Wellington

$288 12.4% 16.1% $55

Eating Out

Mackay

$300 13.6%

Wellington

$248 10.7% 17.2% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Mackay

$157 7.1%

Wellington

$164 7.1% 4.4% $6.8

Getting Around

Mackay

$95 4.3%

Wellington

$127 5.5% 34.6% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Mackay

$85 3.9%

Wellington

$59 2.6% 30% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Mackay versus $1,143 in Wellington. 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 98% 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 $66 in Wellington. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $348 – making Wellington the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Mackay

🇳🇿 Wellington

🕒 Local time

04:40 4:40 AM

07:40 7:40 AM

3 h ahead of Mackay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,455

215,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 NZD = 0.568 USD

1 NZD = 0.51 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, 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).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 NZD (1 NZD = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 NZD (1 NZD = 0.51 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mackay Wellington 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mackay
Wellington

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 Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Wellington is pricier by about 5%, 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 $3,470 in Wellington. 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 $1,143 in Wellington.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Wellington – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Mackay and $66 in Wellington. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Wellington has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,209 in Mackay to $2,313 in Wellington. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.