Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Macao (China) Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Macao (China)

Name: Macao (China)
Address: MO

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,538 per month in Australia vs $2,095 in Macao (China), rent included.

A couple spends around $3,664 per month in Australia vs $3,096 in Macao (China), rent included.

A family of three spends $4,789 per month in Australia vs $4,097 in Macao (China), rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 21% higher than in Macao (China) on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and Macao (China) are pricier than the global median – Australia by 85%, Macao (China) by 52%.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,207–$3,344) than in Macao (China) ($2,067–$2,122), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.15 A$25.19

$6.38 MOP 51.5

184.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 A$121

$56.9 MOP 459

53.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 A$15.33

$5.92 MOP 47.80

86.49%

Cappuccino

$4.01 A$5.56

$4.98 MOP 40.17

-19.48%

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

$2.97 A$4.13

$1.00 MOP 8.07

197.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 A$3.31

$0.78 MOP 6.29

205.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 A$10.98

$5.77 MOP 46.61

37.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 A$11.05

$7.11 MOP 57.4

11.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 A$2.54

$3.24 MOP 26.20

-43.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 A$4.00

$1.77 MOP 14.28

62.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.32

$1.72 MOP 13.87

38.95%

Eggs

$5.19 A$7.20

$3.52 MOP 28.44

47.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 A$13.80

$16.53 MOP 133

-39.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 A$12.69

$19.27 MOP 156

-52.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 A$21.21

$28.97 MOP 234

-47.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 A$5.08

$2.69 MOP 21.73

36.06%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.27

$2.97 MOP 23.97

3.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.49

$1.89 MOP 15.22

71.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 A$6.52

$2.41 MOP 19.47

95.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.02

$3.97 MOP 32.10

-26.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.41

$2.86 MOP 23.11

-13.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 A$3.46

$0.66 MOP 5.37

278.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 A$2.44

$1.20 MOP 9.65

46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.84 A$53.9

$6.88 MOP 55.6

464.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.50 A$20.13

$12.25 MOP 98.9

18.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.92 A$6.83

$1.69 MOP 13.65

191.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.10

$2.20 MOP 17.74

132.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.10

$0.76 MOP 6.16

288.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.9 A$132

$22.38 MOP 181

323.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.07

$2.62 MOP 21.19

39.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.23

$1.29 MOP 10.39

24.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.79 A$56.6

$14.91 MOP 120

173.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.80

$1.80 MOP 14.56

-27.78%

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

$28.2K A$39.2K

$30.8K MOP 248.9K

-8.52%

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

$29.5K A$41.0K

$31.9K MOP 257.5K

-7.36%

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

$204 A$283

$121 MOP 973

68.93%

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

$29.50 A$40.95

$23.20 MOP 187

27.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.7 A$81.5

$36.33 MOP 293

61.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 A$79.6

$69.1 MOP 558

-17.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.45 A$27.01

$3.66 MOP 29.53

431.42%

Cinema Ticket

$15.70 A$21.79

$13.96 MOP 113

12.46%

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

$2,139 A$2,970

$1,214 MOP 9,804

76.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K A$25.6K

$19.4K MOP 156.6K

-4.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.7 A$112

$69.3 MOP 559

16.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 A$79.8

$33.69 MOP 272

70.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 A$162

$93.3 MOP 754

25.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 A$177

$135 MOP 1,088

-5.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 A$2,269

$1,111 MOP 8,970

47.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 A$1,790

$941 MOP 7,597

37.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,474 A$3,435

$2,077 MOP 16.8K

19.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 A$2,722

$1,662 MOP 13.4K

17.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,452 A$11.7K

$11.0K MOP 89.2K

-23.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,152 A$8,540

$8,081 MOP 65.2K

-23.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,067 A$5,646

$1,992 MOP 16.1K

104.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

97.33%

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

Last update for Australia: August 31, 2026

Last update for Macao (China): August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,423 in Australia vs $1,094 in Macao (China). For reference, capital cities sit at $1,824 in Canberra and $1,127 in Macao.

Average salary: $3,932 in Australia vs $1,984 in Macao (China). The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 30% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 52% more in Australia.

Public transport is 627% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 98% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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

Australia vs Macao (China): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Macao (China) is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 9% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Macao (China), contributing to the overall 9% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Macao (China), but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Macao (China) is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.