Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Mackay

For one person, living is cheaper in Mackay: $2,209 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
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Mackay Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Mackay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Melbourne and in Mackay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,849 per month in Melbourne vs $2,209 in Mackay, rent included.

Melbourne $2,849
Mackay $2,209

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Melbourne vs $3,489 in Mackay, rent included.

Melbourne $4,274
Mackay $3,489

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Melbourne vs $4,769 in Mackay, rent included.

Melbourne $5,699
Mackay $4,769

Melbourne costs about 29% more than Mackay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Melbourne and Mackay sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Mackay by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.86

$17.22 A$24.47

1.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$75.8 A$108

11.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.29

$12.42 A$17.65

-2.01%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.79

$4.30 A$6.11

-5.35%

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

$3.18 A$4.52

$3.39 A$4.82

-6.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.55

$2.74 A$3.89

-8.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.60

$6.97 A$9.90

37.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.72

$6.87 A$9.76

20.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.90 A$2.70

-21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.22

$2.51 A$3.57

18.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.81

$2.82 A$4.01

-4.96%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.75

$6.02 A$8.55

-9.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.22

$9.70 A$13.78

10.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.28

$8.53 A$12.12

17.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.31

$16.45 A$23.37

-8.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.78

$3.69 A$5.24

10.30%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.46

$2.85 A$4.05

10.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.43

$3.00 A$4.26

4.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.72

$6.72 A$9.55

-29.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.23

$2.53 A$3.59

17.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.55

$2.56 A$3.64

-2.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$3.24 A$4.61

-23.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.27

$3.11 A$4.43

-48.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.4

$44.23 A$62.8

0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.02

$8.63 A$12.27

46.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.88

$5.24 A$7.45

5.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.37

$6.05 A$8.59

-14.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.45

$2.42 A$3.43

58.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$197

$68.8 A$97.8

101.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.19

$5.88 A$8.35

-25.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$2.06 A$2.92

-33.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.23

$35.28 A$50.1

-15.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.11

$1.27 A$1.81

17.32%

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

$29.1K A$41.3K

$27.1K A$38.5K

7.24%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

$35.4K A$50.4K

-27.57%

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

$236 A$335

$235 A$334

0.37%

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

$28.01 A$39.80

$29.32 A$41.66

-4.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.3

$78.9 A$112

-27.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.8

$52.0 A$73.9

-7.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.50

$21.14 A$30.04

1.51%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.10

$16.46 A$23.38

7.35%

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

$2,461 A$3,497

$1,860 A$2,642

32.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.2K

$6,747 A$9,586

340.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$115

$71.1 A$101

14.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.0

$50.0 A$71.0

-1.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$170

$123 A$174

-2.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$105 A$150

24.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,419

$956 A$1,358

78.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,002

$829 A$1,178

69.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,967

$1,903 A$2,704

83.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,590

$1,779 A$2,527

42.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

$3,115 A$4,426

156.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,805

$1,763 A$2,505

291.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,049

$5,517 A$7,839

-22.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.63

4.80%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mackay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Mackay

$829 37.5% 41.1% $579

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Mackay

$400 18.1% 3.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Mackay

$343 15.5% 6.9% $22

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Mackay

$300 13.6% 4.1% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Mackay

$157 7.1% 8.4% $14

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Mackay

$95 4.3% 42.7% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Mackay

$85 3.9% 1.5% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,703 in Melbourne versus $956 in Mackay. 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 30% 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 $84 in Melbourne versus $76 in Mackay. Groceries tell a different story – $386 in Melbourne vs $400 in Mackay – so Melbourne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Mackay

🕒 Local time

03:45 3:45 AM

02:45 2:45 AM

1 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

80,455

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Mackay 1,900 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Mackay

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

Melbourne vs Mackay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,273 per month in Melbourne and $3,314 in Mackay. 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 $1,703 in Melbourne.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Melbourne – 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 $84 in Melbourne and $76 in Mackay. 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 Melbourne at $2,849. In Mackay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne 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 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.