Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Mackay Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Mackay

😐 Solo nomad: Sydney is 13.5% more expensive than Mackay without rent, and 40.1% more expensive with rent.
🙂 Family of 3: Sydney is 5.7% cheaper than Mackay without rent, and 26.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.02 A$24.54
$16.34 A$25.03
-1.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.1 A$118
$72.7 A$111
6.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.6 A$14.7
$11.49 A$17.61
-16.45%
Cappuccino
$3.33 A$5.11
$3.99 A$6.11
-16.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.5 A$3.83
$3.13 A$4.79
-20.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2 A$3.06
$2.53 A$3.87
-20.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.33 A$9.69
$6.33 A$9.69
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.09 A$10.86
$6.32 A$9.68
12.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 A$2.59
$1.35 A$2.07
25.19%
White Bread (500g)
$2.7 A$4.13
$2.19 A$3.35
23.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.34 A$3.59
$2.55 A$3.91
-8.24%
Eggs
$5.05 A$7.74
$5.05 A$7.74
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.65 A$13.25
$8.74 A$13.39
-1.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.45 A$12.95
$7.92 A$12.13
6.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.8 A$21.14
$15.19 A$23.26
-9.15%
Apples (1kg)
$3.18 A$4.88
$3.42 A$5.23
-7.02%
Banana (1kg)
$2.67 A$4.09
$2.75 A$4.22
-2.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.13 A$4.8
$2.99 A$4.58
4.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.36 A$6.67
$4.78 A$7.32
-8.79%
Potato (1kg)
$2.56 A$3.92
$1.77 A$2.72
44.63%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 A$3.62
$1.67 A$2.56
41.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.16 A$3.31
$1.91 A$2.93
13.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 A$1.91
$2.17 A$3.33
-42.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$31.93 A$48.92
$38.71 A$59.3
-17.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.43 A$20.58
$7.96 A$12.19
68.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.8 A$7.35
$4.82 A$7.38
-0.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.26 A$8.06
$5.68 A$8.7
-7.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.19 A$4.88
$2.31 A$3.55
38.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$139 A$212
$66.2 A$101
109.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.79 A$5.81
$5.37 A$8.23
-29.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.96 A$4.54
$1.9 A$2.91
55.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$51.4 A$78.7
$32.85 A$50.3
56.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.2 A$1.84
$1.19 A$1.82
0.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.3K A$44.9K
$37.9K A$58.1K
-22.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.2K A$34K
$28.8K A$44.1K
-22.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$201 A$308
$185 A$284
8.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.73 A$36.35
$26.9 A$41.21
-11.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 A$81.3
$74.9 A$115
-29.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.5 A$94.2
$73.3 A$112
-16.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.64 A$31.62
$19.69 A$30.16
4.82%
Cinema Ticket
$15.47 A$23.7
$15.37 A$23.54
0.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,109 A$3,231
$1,747 A$2,676
20.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K A$28.8K
$12.1K A$18.5K
55.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.8 A$115
$67.9 A$104
10.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.4 A$89.5
$46.43 A$71.1
25.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 A$165
$112 A$172
-4.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 A$203
$96.9 A$148
36.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,205 A$3,378
$918 A$1,407
140.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,462 A$2,239
$772 A$1,182
89.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,389 A$6,724
$1,682 A$2,577
160.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,669 A$4,090
$1,655 A$2,536
61.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$12.7K A$19.5K
$3,027 A$4,637
321.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,165 A$11K
$1,637 A$2,508
337.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,965 A$6,074
$5,200 A$7,967
-23.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.34
5.7
11.23%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 28, 2025

Last update for Mackay: October 29, 2025

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