Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Mackay

For one person, living is cheaper in Mackay: $2,222 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Singapore outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
Learn more

Mackay Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,454 per month in Singapore vs $2,222 in Mackay, rent included.

Singapore $3,454
Mackay $2,222

A couple spends around $5,224 per month in Singapore vs $3,485 in Mackay, rent included.

Singapore $5,224
Mackay $3,485

A family of three spends $6,994 per month in Singapore vs $4,748 in Mackay, rent included.

Singapore $6,994
Mackay $4,748

Singapore costs about 55% more than Mackay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Singapore and Mackay sit above the global median – Singapore by 158%, Mackay by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.53 SGD 14.77

$17.39 A$24.89

-33.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 SGD 91.2

$75.5 A$108

-5.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 SGD 11.22

$12.53 A$17.93

-30.09%

Cappuccino

$5.25 SGD 6.73

$4.14 A$5.92

26.81%

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

$1.83 SGD 2.34

$3.38 A$4.84

-45.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 SGD 1.60

$2.71 A$3.87

-53.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 SGD 10.78

$6.85 A$9.81

22.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 SGD 12.83

$7.06 A$10.10

41.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 SGD 3.76

$1.93 A$2.77

52.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 SGD 3.16

$2.60 A$3.72

-5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SGD 3.47

$2.86 A$4.09

-5.24%

Eggs

$3.73 SGD 4.77

$5.65 A$8.09

-33.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.54 SGD 27.57

$9.63 A$13.78

123.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 SGD 12.19

$8.43 A$12.07

12.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.98 SGD 33.26

$16.28 A$23.29

59.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 SGD 5.74

$3.62 A$5.18

23.76%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 SGD 3.99

$2.99 A$4.28

4.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 SGD 5.92

$2.99 A$4.27

54.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.86

$6.62 A$9.48

-66.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 SGD 3.20

$2.50 A$3.58

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 SGD 3.05

$2.57 A$3.67

-7.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SGD 2.28

$3.08 A$4.41

-42.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SGD 1.93

$3.09 A$4.42

-51.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.18 SGD 18.15

$42.90 A$61.4

-66.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.79 SGD 30.47

$8.52 A$12.20

179.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 SGD 5.78

$4.99 A$7.14

-9.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

$6.26 A$8.96

-27.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 SGD 2.03

$2.49 A$3.57

-36.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 SGD 123

$70.7 A$101

36.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 SGD 4.65

$5.81 A$8.32

-37.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 SGD 1.02

$2.11 A$3.02

-62.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.18 SGD 20.71

$34.59 A$49.50

-53.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.51 SGD 3.21

$1.21 A$1.73

107.44%

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

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

$27.2K A$38.9K

473.05%

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

$145.8K SGD 186.6K

$35.4K A$50.7K

311.54%

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

$175 SGD 224

$230 A$329

-23.76%

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

$12.45 SGD 15.94

$29.33 A$41.97

-57.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.64 SGD 34.10

$79.5 A$114

-66.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 SGD 143

$51.8 A$74.1

115.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 SGD 15.45

$20.63 A$29.52

-41.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 SGD 14.85

$16.88 A$24.15

-31.28%

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

$1,463 SGD 1,874

$1,856 A$2,656

-21.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

$6,749 A$9,658

320.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 SGD 104

$70.6 A$101

15.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 SGD 64.8

$51.0 A$73.0

-0.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$127 A$181

-11.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SGD 166

$105 A$150

24.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,916 SGD 3,734

$947 A$1,355

208.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 SGD 2,724

$802 A$1,148

165.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,654 SGD 7,239

$1,868 A$2,674

202.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,968 SGD 5,080

$1,784 A$2,553

122.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

$3,116 A$4,459

657.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

$1,738 A$2,487

868.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,369 SGD 5,594

$5,620 A$8,043

-22.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

5.63

-56.66%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mackay: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4%

Mackay

$802 36.9% 62.3% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$457 13.2%

Mackay

$397 18.2% 13.2% $60

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.4%

Mackay

$299 13.7% 16.8% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$214 6.2%

Mackay

$338 15.5% 58% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$168 4.9%

Mackay

$159 7.3% 5.5% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$135 3.9%

Mackay

$86 3.9% 36.5% $49

Getting Around

Singapore

$110 3.2%

Mackay

$97 4.5% 12% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,916 in Singapore versus $947 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 29% 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 $71.0 in Singapore versus $75.0 in Mackay. Groceries tell a different story – $457 in Singapore vs $397 in Mackay – so Mackay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇦🇺 Mackay

🕒 Local time

12:43 12:43 PM

14:43 2:43 PM

2 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

80,455

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Mackay 5,520 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
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

Singapore vs Mackay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Singapore is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,180 per month in Singapore and $3,333 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Singapore, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Singapore and $75.0 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 $2,222, than in Singapore at $3,454. In Mackay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore 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.

If budget matters most, go with Mackay. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Singapore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.