Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Auburn, AL and Macao

For one person, living is cheaper in Auburn, AL: $2,013 a month against $2,139 in Macao, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, AL
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Auburn, AL Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Macao
Learn more

Macao Living Index

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Auburn, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,013

/mo nomad

Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Auburn, AL and in Macao

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Auburn, AL and in Macao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,013 in Auburn, AL versus $2,139 in Macao.

Auburn, AL $2,013
Macao $2,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,941 in Auburn, AL versus $3,023 in Macao.

Auburn, AL $2,941
Macao $3,023

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,870 in Auburn, AL versus $3,906 in Macao.

Auburn, AL $3,870
Macao $3,906

Living in Auburn, AL costs roughly 6% less than in Macao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Auburn, AL 49% above, Macao 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 $13.18

$6.21 MOP 50.2

112.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.90 $47.90

$55.3 MOP 447

-13.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 $10.60

$5.79 MOP 46.84

83.07%

Cappuccino

$5.11 $5.11

$4.93 MOP 39.81

3.65%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$1.01 MOP 8.13

141.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.93 MOP 7.49

84.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.84 MOP 47.17

-14.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 $6.12

$7.49 MOP 60.6

-18.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$3.23 MOP 26.10

-66.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 $3.64

$1.70 MOP 13.75

114.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$1.74 MOP 14.03

217.82%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$3.39 MOP 27.38

26.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 $11.81

$15.91 MOP 129

-25.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$19.45 MOP 157

-68.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 $10.76

$28.73 MOP 232

-62.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$2.59 MOP 20.96

92.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$2.90 MOP 23.48

-58.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.94 MOP 15.70

27.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.34 MOP 18.92

22.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$4.05 MOP 32.72

-54.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.81 MOP 22.73

-21.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.63 MOP 5.09

217.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.14 MOP 9.23

62.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.67 $6.67

$6.61 MOP 53.5

0.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.42 $12.42

$12.32 MOP 99.6

0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.70 MOP 13.77

-1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.23 MOP 18.05

129.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MOP 5.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.85 MOP 185

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 MOP 20.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MOP 10.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.67 MOP 119

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.85 MOP 14.94

-57.84%

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

$30.5K MOP 246.9K

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$31.9K MOP 258.1K

11.22%

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

$207 $207

$124 MOP 1,004

66.96%

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

$54.6 $54.6

$23.42 MOP 189

133.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 $64.1

$36.77 MOP 297

74.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.5 $64.5

$65.2 MOP 527

-0.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 MOP 30.56

Cinema Ticket

$15.19 $15.19

$14.84 MOP 120

2.36%

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

$1,197 MOP 9,679

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K MOP 153.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.99 $49.99

$69.9 MOP 565

-28.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.26 $48.26

$32.93 MOP 266

46.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 $67.9

$93.3 MOP 754

-27.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.5 $65.5

$134 MOP 1,081

-51.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 $1,288

$1,132 MOP 9,153

13.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 $910

$1,077 MOP 8,702

-15.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 $2,090

$2,106 MOP 17.0K

-0.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 $1,592

$1,474 MOP 11.9K

8.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,054 $2,054

$8,212 MOP 66.4K

-74.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,059 $2,059

$5,513 MOP 44.6K

-62.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,356 $4,356

$2,054 MOP 16.6K

112.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

113.00%

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

Last update for Auburn, AL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Macao: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Auburn, AL

$910 45.2%

Macao

$1.1K 50.3% 18.3% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Auburn, AL

$326 16.2%

Macao

$184 8.6% 43.4% $142

Groceries & Markets

Auburn, AL

$325 16.2%

Macao

$422 19.8% 29.9% $97

Eating Out

Auburn, AL

$252 12.5%

Macao

$178 8.3% 29.4% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Auburn, AL

$104 5.2%

Macao

$148 6.9% 42.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Auburn, AL

$95 4.7%

Macao

$95 4.4% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Auburn, AL

- * 0%

Macao

$34 1.6%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,288 in Auburn, AL and $1,132 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auburn, AL pays 112% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Auburn, AL vs $55.0 in Macao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $422 per month, with Auburn, AL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Auburn, AL

🇲🇴 Macao

🕒 Local time

06:37 6:37 AM

19:37 7:37 PM

13 h ahead of Auburn, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,143

622,567 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Macanese Pataca MOP P

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇴 Macanese Pataca (P)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.09 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

MOP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Auburn, AL Macao 13,600 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Auburn, AL
Macao

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

Auburn, AL vs Macao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Auburn, AL and Macao differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,013 vs $2,139 including rent). Auburn, AL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 112% higher in Auburn, AL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,288 in Auburn, AL versus $1,132 in Macao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Auburn, AL – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $55.0 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,013 per month in Auburn, AL versus $2,139 in Macao – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,013 in Auburn, AL versus $2,139 in Macao, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Auburn, AL but tight or insufficient in Macao. The gap between the two cities makes Auburn, AL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Auburn, AL and Macao are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Auburn, AL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.