Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Mackay

For one person, living is cheaper in Mackay: $2,209 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
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Mackay Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,080 per month in Perth vs $2,209 in Mackay, rent included.

Perth $3,080
Mackay $2,209

A couple spends around $4,194 per month in Perth vs $3,489 in Mackay, rent included.

Perth $4,194
Mackay $3,489

A family of three spends $5,309 per month in Perth vs $4,769 in Mackay, rent included.

Perth $5,309
Mackay $4,769

Perth costs about 39% more than Mackay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Perth and Mackay sit above the global median – Perth by 126%, Mackay by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.45 A$30.51

$17.22 A$24.50

24.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.5 A$122

$75.8 A$108

12.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 A$15.53

$12.42 A$17.67

-12.08%

Cappuccino

$4.55 A$6.48

$4.30 A$6.12

5.81%

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

$2.79 A$3.96

$3.39 A$4.82

-17.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.22

$2.74 A$3.89

-17.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 A$11.82

$6.97 A$9.91

19.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 A$12.17

$6.87 A$9.77

24.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.39

$1.90 A$2.71

-11.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 A$4.52

$2.51 A$3.57

26.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.88

$2.82 A$4.02

-28.37%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.52

$6.02 A$8.56

-12.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 A$13.52

$9.70 A$13.80

-1.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.10

$8.53 A$12.13

7.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 A$19.90

$16.45 A$23.40

-14.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 A$6.54

$3.69 A$5.25

24.66%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.49

$2.85 A$4.05

10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 A$5.01

$3.00 A$4.27

17.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.89

$6.72 A$9.56

-27.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.97

$2.53 A$3.59

10.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.68

$2.56 A$3.64

-26.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.14

$3.24 A$4.61

-31.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.90

$3.11 A$4.43

-56.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.80 A$60.9

$44.23 A$62.9

-3.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.99

$8.63 A$12.28

46.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.19

$5.24 A$7.46

-16.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 A$4.79

$6.05 A$8.60

-44.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.42 A$3.44

-0.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 A$142

$68.8 A$97.9

44.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.10

$5.88 A$8.36

-38.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.07

$2.06 A$2.93

-29.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.46 A$57.6

$35.28 A$50.2

14.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.92

$1.27 A$1.81

6.30%

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

$29.6K A$42.0K

$27.1K A$38.6K

8.99%

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

$28.1K A$40.0K

$35.4K A$50.4K

-20.66%

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

$204 A$290

$235 A$334

-13.30%

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

$33.62 A$47.82

$29.32 A$41.70

14.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 A$92.2

$78.9 A$112

-17.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 A$76.8

$52.0 A$74.0

3.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.16 A$30.09

$21.14 A$30.07

0.09%

Cinema Ticket

$17.29 A$24.59

$16.46 A$23.40

5.04%

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

$2,300 A$3,271

$1,860 A$2,645

23.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K A$32.9K

$6,747 A$9,596

242.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 A$110

$71.1 A$101

9.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 A$90.6

$50.0 A$71.1

27.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$123 A$175

-1.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 A$236

$105 A$150

57.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 A$2,853

$956 A$1,360

109.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 A$2,380

$829 A$1,180

101.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 A$4,010

$1,903 A$2,707

48.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,067

$1,779 A$2,530

21.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,504 A$12.1K

$3,115 A$4,430

173.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,037 A$8,587

$1,763 A$2,508

242.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$6,008

$5,517 A$7,846

-23.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.63

5.86%

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

Last update for Perth: 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

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Mackay

$829 37.5% 50.4% $844

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$365 11.9%

Mackay

$400 18.1% 9.6% $35

Eating Out

Perth

$338 11%

Mackay

$300 13.6% 11.3% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 9.8%

Mackay

$343 15.5% 13.6% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$193 6.3%

Mackay

$157 7.1% 18.5% $36

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Mackay

$95 4.3% 21.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$89 2.9%

Mackay

$85 3.9% 4.1% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,006 in Perth 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 31% 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 $86 in Perth versus $76 in Mackay. Groceries tell a different story – $365 in Perth vs $400 in Mackay – so Perth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Mackay

🕒 Local time

10:58 10:58 AM

12:58 12:58 PM

2 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

80,455

💱 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

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Between locations

Perth Mackay 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Perth
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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

Perth vs Mackay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Perth is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,620 per month in Perth 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 $2,006 in Perth.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Perth – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Perth 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 Perth at $3,080. In Mackay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Perth 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.