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

😐 Solo nomad: Sydney is 17.7% more expensive than Mackay without rent, and 35.7% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Sydney is 1.6% more expensive than Mackay without rent, and 27.1% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.43 A$23.49
$15.95 A$22.81
3.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.8 A$111
$70.8 A$101
9.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.74 A$13.93
$11.93 A$17.07
-18.36%
Cappuccino
$3.43 A$4.91
$3.99 A$5.71
-14.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 A$3.60
$3.02 A$4.32
-16.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 A$2.86
$2.55 A$3.64
-21.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.42 A$9.17
$6.55 A$9.37
-1.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.25 A$10.37
$6.36 A$9.10
13.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.62 A$2.31
$1.36 A$1.95
19.12%
White Bread (500g)
$2.68 A$3.83
$2.09 A$2.98
28.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.28 A$3.26
$2.66 A$3.80
-14.29%
Eggs
$4.92 A$7.03
$5.07 A$7.25
-2.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.68 A$12.41
$8.82 A$12.61
-1.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.32 A$11.90
$7.91 A$11.31
5.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.11 A$20.18
$15.15 A$21.66
-6.86%
Apples (1kg)
$3.25 A$4.65
$3.50 A$5.01
-7.14%
Banana (1kg)
$2.75 A$3.93
$2.87 A$4.10
-4.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.02 A$4.32
$2.89 A$4.13
4.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.41 A$6.30
$4.58 A$6.55
-3.71%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 A$3.61
$1.84 A$2.63
37.50%
Onion (1kg)
$2.32 A$3.32
$1.62 A$2.32
43.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.12 A$3.03
$1.93 A$2.75
9.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 A$1.84
$2.20 A$3.15
-41.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$32.61 A$46.63
$39.49 A$56.5
-17.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.12 A$21.62
$8.71 A$12.45
73.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.89 A$6.99
$4.70 A$6.72
4.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.41 A$7.73
$5.67 A$8.11
-4.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.30 A$4.72
$2.26 A$3.23
46.02%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$141 A$201
$64.9 A$92.9
116.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.87 A$5.53
$5.52 A$7.89
-29.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.91 A$4.16
$1.87 A$2.68
55.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$51.1 A$73.0
$32.78 A$46.87
55.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.20 A$1.72
$1.14 A$1.63
5.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.9K A$41.3K
$37.2K A$53.2K
-22.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.4K A$32.0K
$28.5K A$40.8K
-21.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$200 A$286
$183 A$261
9.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.88 A$34.15
$26.32 A$37.64
-9.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.9 A$75.7
$73.0 A$104
-27.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.7 A$86.8
$75.0 A$107
-19.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.39 A$30.58
$19.28 A$27.58
10.94%
Cinema Ticket
$15.72 A$22.48
$15.59 A$22.29
0.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,052 A$2,934
$1,732 A$2,477
18.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.4K A$26.3K
$12.1K A$17.2K
52.46%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.3 A$108
$66.8 A$95.5
12.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.3 A$81.9
$47.78 A$68.3
19.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 A$150
$111 A$159
-5.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 A$190
$97.4 A$139
36.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,157 A$3,085
$912 A$1,304
136.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,504 A$2,151
$790 A$1,130
90.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,399 A$6,290
$1,681 A$2,404
161.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,645 A$3,782
$1,660 A$2,374
59.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$12.0K A$17.1K
$6,082 A$8,697
96.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,679 A$11.0K
$5,182 A$7,411
48.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sydney
Mackay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,256 A$6,087
$5,631 A$8,053
-24.41%
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: March 2, 2026

Last update for Mackay: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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