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

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Melbourne is 13.1% more expensive than Mackay without rent, and 21.5% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ™‚ Family of 3: Melbourne is 7.6% cheaper than Mackay without rent, and 7.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Melbourne
Mackay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.2 A$29.41
$16.34 A$25.03
17.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.6 A$120
$72.7 A$111
8.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.02 A$15.35
$11.49 A$17.61
-12.79%
Cappuccino
$3.67 A$5.62
$3.99 A$6.11
-8.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 A$3.89
$3.13 A$4.79
-18.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 A$3.49
$2.53 A$3.87
-9.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.28 A$11.15
$6.33 A$9.69
15.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.3 A$11.18
$6.32 A$9.68
15.51%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
Mackay
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 A$2.2
$1.35 A$2.07
6.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.63 A$4.02
$2.19 A$3.35
20.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.27 A$3.48
$2.55 A$3.91
-10.98%
Eggs
$4.86 A$7.45
$5.05 A$7.74
-3.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.74 A$13.39
$8.74 A$13.39
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.19 A$14.07
$7.92 A$12.13
16.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.95 A$22.9
$15.19 A$23.26
-1.58%
Apples (1kg)
$3.33 A$5.1
$3.42 A$5.23
-2.63%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 A$4.35
$2.75 A$4.22
3.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$3 A$4.6
$2.99 A$4.58
0.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.95 A$6.05
$4.78 A$7.32
-17.36%
Potato (1kg)
$2.67 A$4.09
$1.77 A$2.72
50.85%
Onion (1kg)
$2.34 A$3.58
$1.67 A$2.56
40.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.15 A$3.3
$1.91 A$2.93
12.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 A$2.5
$2.17 A$3.33
-24.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$32.11 A$49.19
$38.71 A$59.3
-17.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.13 A$20.11
$7.96 A$12.19
64.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.54 A$6.96
$4.82 A$7.38
-5.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.05 A$7.74
$5.68 A$8.7
-11.09%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Melbourne
Mackay
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.67 A$5.62
$2.31 A$3.55
58.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$118 A$180
$66.2 A$101
77.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.65 A$5.6
$5.37 A$8.23
-32.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.34 A$2.05
$1.9 A$2.91
-29.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.26 A$41.77
$32.85 A$50.3
-17.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 A$1.82
$1.19 A$1.82
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.6K A$43.9K
$37.9K A$58.1K
-24.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K A$36K
$28.8K A$44.1K
-18.39%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
Mackay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$150 A$230
$185 A$284
-18.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.8 A$31.86
$26.9 A$41.21
-22.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51 A$78.2
$74.9 A$115
-31.86%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
Mackay
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.23 A$73.9
$73.3 A$112
-34.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.91 A$24.38
$19.69 A$30.16
-19.20%
Cinema Ticket
$16.53 A$25.32
$15.37 A$23.54
7.55%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Melbourne
Mackay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,730 A$2,651
$1,747 A$2,676
-0.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.1K A$29.3K
$12.1K A$18.5K
58.24%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
Mackay
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 A$104
$67.9 A$104
-0.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.7 A$82.2
$46.43 A$71.1
15.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 A$165
$112 A$172
-4.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 A$162
$96.9 A$148
9.40%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
Mackay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,548 A$2,371
$918 A$1,407
68.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,228 A$1,881
$772 A$1,182
59.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,973 A$4,555
$1,682 A$2,577
76.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,956 A$2,997
$1,655 A$2,536
18.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,110 A$10.9K
$3,027 A$4,637
134.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,790 A$8,871
$1,637 A$2,508
253.64%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Melbourne
Mackay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,045 A$6,198
$5,200 A$7,967
-22.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.19
5.7
8.60%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 28, 2025

Last update for Mackay: October 29, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter โ€“ low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.