Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Mackay

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.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
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Mackay Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City 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 Mexico City and in Mackay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Mexico City $1,608
Mackay $2,209

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

Mexico City $2,549
Mackay $3,489

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

Mexico City $3,490
Mackay $4,769

Mexico City is about 27% cheaper than Mackay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$200

$17.22 A$24.50

-38.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$909

$75.8 A$108

-36.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$194

$12.42 A$17.67

-16.67%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$69.4

$4.30 A$6.12

-14.19%

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

$1.67 MX$31.32

$3.39 A$4.82

-50.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.78

$2.74 A$3.89

-53.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$60.0

$6.97 A$9.91

-54.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$99.7

$6.87 A$9.77

-22.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.41

$1.90 A$2.71

-9.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$57.1

$2.51 A$3.57

21.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$2.82 A$4.02

-31.21%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$54.3

$6.02 A$8.56

-51.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$206

$9.70 A$13.80

13.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$174

$8.53 A$12.13

8.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$284

$16.45 A$23.40

-8.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$57.3

$3.69 A$5.25

-17.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.48

$2.85 A$4.05

-31.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.06

$3.00 A$4.27

-32.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.50

$6.72 A$9.56

-65.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.25

$2.53 A$3.59

-19.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.83

$2.56 A$3.64

-29.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.80

$3.24 A$4.61

-54.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.82

$3.11 A$4.43

-59.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$99.7

$44.23 A$62.9

-88.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$303

$8.63 A$12.28

86.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.27

$5.24 A$7.46

-62.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.9

$6.05 A$8.60

-29.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.73

$2.42 A$3.44

-87.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$371

$68.8 A$97.9

-71.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$5.88 A$8.36

-68.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$10.03

$2.06 A$2.93

-74.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$99.5

$35.28 A$50.2

-84.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.39

$1.27 A$1.81

18.90%

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

$21.8K MX$408.8K

$27.1K A$38.6K

-19.80%

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

$24.0K MX$450.8K

$35.4K A$50.4K

-32.32%

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

$63.0 MX$1,184

$235 A$334

-73.18%

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

$27.39 MX$515

$29.32 A$41.70

-6.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$670

$78.9 A$112

-54.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,108

$52.0 A$74.0

13.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$444

$21.14 A$30.07

11.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$120

$16.46 A$23.40

-61.12%

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

$432 MX$8,111

$1,860 A$2,645

-76.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$214.7K

$6,747 A$9,596

69.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,282

$71.1 A$101

-3.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$999

$50.0 A$71.1

6.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,026

$123 A$175

-12.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,204

$105 A$150

11.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.9K

$956 A$1,360

16.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.4K

$829 A$1,180

-14.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.6K

$1,903 A$2,707

36.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.4K

$1,779 A$2,530

-20.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$68.2K

$3,115 A$4,430

16.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$40.1K

$1,763 A$2,508

21.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.8K

$5,517 A$7,846

-82.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

5.63

101.60%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mackay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Mackay

$829 37.5% 16.7% $119

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Mackay

$400 18.1% 25.3% $81

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Mackay

$300 13.6% 50.9% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Mackay

$157 7.1% 0.7% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Mackay

$343 15.5% 172% $217

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Mackay

$85 3.9% 18.4% $13

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Mackay

$95 4.3% 272% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,113 in Mexico City 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 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 $48 in Mexico City versus $76 in Mackay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $400 – making Mexico City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇦🇺 Mackay

🕒 Local time

19:33 7:33 PM

11:33 11:33 AM

16 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

80,455

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Mexico City
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

Mexico City vs Mackay: 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 $2,412 per month in Mexico City 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 $1,113 in Mexico City.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Mackay, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Mexico City and $76 in Mackay. 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 $1,608 in Mexico City and $2,209 in Mackay, 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mackay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.