A mixer includes: a magnetoresistive effect element including a fixed magnetic layer, a free magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer disposed between the fixed magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer; and a magnetic field applying unit that applies a magnetic field to the free magnetic layer. The mixer is operable, when a first high-frequency signal and a second high-frequency signal as a local signal are inputted, to multiply the first high-frequency signal and the second high-frequency signal using the magnetoresistive effect element and to generate a multiplication signal. A frequency converting apparatus includes the mixer and a filter operable, when a higher frequency and a lower frequency out of frequencies of the first high-frequency signal and the second high-frequency signal are expressed as f1 and f2 respectively, to pass one out of a frequency (f1+f2) and a frequency (f1−f2) out of the multiplication signal.