Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Mackay

For one person, living is cheaper in Mackay: $2,209 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Mackay
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Mackay Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Mackay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,267 per month in Sydney vs $2,209 in Mackay, rent included.

Sydney $3,267
Mackay $2,209

A couple spends around $4,847 per month in Sydney vs $3,489 in Mackay, rent included.

Sydney $4,847
Mackay $3,489

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Sydney vs $4,769 in Mackay, rent included.

Sydney $6,428
Mackay $4,769

Sydney costs about 48% more than Mackay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Mackay sit above the global median – Sydney by 140%, Mackay by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.89

$17.22 A$24.50

1.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$129

$75.8 A$108

19.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.01

$12.42 A$17.67

-3.70%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.69

$4.30 A$6.12

-6.98%

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

$2.81 A$4.00

$3.39 A$4.82

-17.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.16

$2.74 A$3.89

-18.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.57

$6.97 A$9.91

16.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.24

$6.87 A$9.77

4.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.42

$1.90 A$2.71

-10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.18

$2.51 A$3.57

17.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.58

$2.82 A$4.02

-10.99%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.05

$6.02 A$8.56

-5.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.37

$9.70 A$13.80

25.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.25

$8.53 A$12.13

9.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$24.00

$16.45 A$23.40

2.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.55

$3.69 A$5.25

5.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.59

$2.85 A$4.05

12.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.88

$3.00 A$4.27

14.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.16

$6.72 A$9.56

-35.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.76

$2.53 A$3.59

32.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.41

$2.56 A$3.64

-6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.33

$3.24 A$4.61

-27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.65

$3.11 A$4.43

-62.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.7

$44.23 A$62.9

2.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.90

$8.63 A$12.28

62.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.84

$5.24 A$7.46

-21.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.94

$6.05 A$8.60

-30.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.44

$2.42 A$3.44

28.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$216

$68.8 A$97.9

120.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.92

$5.88 A$8.36

-41.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.22

$2.06 A$2.93

-24.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.2

$35.28 A$50.2

12.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.27 A$1.81

14.17%

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

$29.9K A$42.5K

$27.1K A$38.6K

10.23%

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

$27.5K A$39.1K

$35.4K A$50.4K

-22.36%

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

$251 A$357

$235 A$334

6.83%

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

$27.76 A$39.48

$29.32 A$41.70

-5.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.5

$78.9 A$112

-26.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$101

$52.0 A$74.0

35.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$33.07

$21.14 A$30.07

9.98%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.35

$16.46 A$23.40

8.32%

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

$2,358 A$3,354

$1,860 A$2,645

26.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.7K

$6,747 A$9,596

302.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$71.1 A$101

13.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$98.6

$50.0 A$71.1

38.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$123 A$175

-9.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$105 A$150

21.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,649

$956 A$1,360

168.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,549

$829 A$1,180

116.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,399

$1,903 A$2,707

173.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,489

$1,779 A$2,530

77.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$3,115 A$4,430

329.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.4K

$1,763 A$2,508

394.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,857

$5,517 A$7,846

-25.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.63

5.15%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mackay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Mackay

$829 37.5% 53.7% $963

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Mackay

$400 18.1% 4.8% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Mackay

$343 15.5% 1.9% $6.4

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Mackay

$300 13.6% 0.2% $0.7

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Mackay

$95 4.3% 46.1% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Mackay

$157 7.1% 10% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Mackay

$85 3.9% 20.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,566 in Sydney 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 34% 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 $90 in Sydney versus $76 in Mackay. Groceries tell a different story – $382 in Sydney vs $400 in Mackay – so Sydney wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Mackay

🕒 Local time

00:40 12:40 AM

23:40 11:40 PM

1 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

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

Sydney Mackay 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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

Sydney vs Mackay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,900 per month in Sydney 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 $2,566 in Sydney.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Sydney – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney 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 Sydney at $3,267. In Mackay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney 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.