Cost of living comparison
compared to
Australia vs. Mackay Cost of Living Summary
Australia is 4.9% cheaper than Mackay.
Australia vs. Mackay Cost Breakdown
If you lived in Australia instead of Mackay, you would:
pay 11.7% less for restaurants
Mackay | Australia | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $16.35 A$23.72 | $17.15 A$24.87 | |
| Fast food combo meal McDonalds, or similar | $11.78 A$17.08 | $9.64 A$13.98 | |
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $3.11 A$4.51 | $2.63 A$3.82 | |
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $2.62 A$3.80 | $2.14 A$3.11 | |
Mackay vs. Australia - Cost of restaurants
pay 5.4% more for groceries
Mackay | Australia | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread 1 loaf | $2.16 A$3.13 | $2.39 A$3.47 | |
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $4.47 A$6.48 | $4.21 A$6.11 | |
| Milk (1 gallon) | $5.08 A$7.36 | $5.84 A$8.47 | |
| Eggs 1 dozen | $4.98 A$7.22 | $4.36 A$6.33 | |
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $3.66 A$5.31 | $3.87 A$5.61 | |
| Apples (1 lb) | $1.57 A$2.28 | $1.48 A$2.15 | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | $1.29 A$1.86 | $1.27 A$1.84 | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | $1.33 A$1.92 | $1.32 A$1.91 | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $2.15 A$3.12 | $1.93 A$2.80 | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $0.82 A$1.18 | $1.10 A$1.60 | |
| Onions (1 lb) | $0.75 A$1.09 | $0.97 A$1.41 | |
Mackay vs. Australia - Cost of groceries
pay 2.4% less for transportation
Mackay | Australia | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $4.45 A$6.46 | $4.48 A$6.49 | |
| Monthly public transit pass | $65.42 A$94.88 | $86.18 A$124.98 | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $37,614.99 A$54,553.99 | $27,666.22 A$40,125.04 | |
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $21.13 A$30.65 | $17.83 A$25.86 | |
Mackay vs. Australia - Cost of transportation
pay 5.2% more for housing
Mackay | Australia | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet connection 50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl | $73.92 A$107.21 | $54.93 A$79.67 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $910.39 A$1,320.36 | $1,188.50 A$1,723.72 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $786.10 A$1,140.10 | $962.42 A$1,395.82 | |
| Utilities for two (700 sq ft apartment) including electric, gas, water, heating | $142.57 A$206.77 | $133.71 A$193.93 | |
Mackay vs. Australia - Cost of housing
pay 15.2% less for childcare
Mackay | Australia | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $1,740.10 A$2,523.72 | $1,475.00 A$2,139.22 | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | ?? | $13,848.50 A$20,084.83 | |
Mackay vs. Australia - Cost of childcare
pay 17.1% less for entertainment and sports
Mackay | Australia | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $6.54 A$9.49 | $6.47 A$9.38 | |
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $3.99 A$5.79 | $3.56 A$5.17 | |
| Pack of cigarettes Marlboro or similar | $39.25 A$56.93 | $28.78 A$41.74 | |
| Monthly membership at local gym | $74.58 A$108.16 | $51.13 A$74.16 | |
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $15.54 A$22.53 | $13.10 A$19.00 | |
Mackay vs. Australia - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 1.3% more for clothing
Mackay | Australia | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular jeans Levi's brand | $67.60 A$98.04 | $69.65 A$101.01 | |
| Regular dress from H&M or similar store | $47.43 A$68.79 | $48.53 A$70.39 | |
| Running shoes Nike or Adidas | $112.03 A$162.48 | $99.22 A$143.90 | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $97.04 A$140.73 | $107.98 A$156.60 | |
Mackay vs. Australia - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: June 2026
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