Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Macao Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Macao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,122 in Macao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $3,017 in Macao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,911 in Macao.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 17% more expensive than in Macao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Macao 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$6.07 MOP 49.06

208.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$55.9 MOP 451

24.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$6.04 MOP 48.83

127.98%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.98 MOP 40.22

-37.75%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.02 MOP 8.24

177.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.91 MOP 7.35

106.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$5.81 MOP 46.97

-31.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$7.37 MOP 59.6

-38.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$3.26 MOP 26.31

-61.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.77 MOP 14.27

22.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.72 MOP 13.89

2.33%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.52 MOP 28.45

45.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$16.03 MOP 130

11.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$19.54 MOP 158

-50.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$28.40 MOP 229

-29.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.70 MOP 21.84

20.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.83 MOP 22.83

-21.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.87 MOP 15.07

39.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.39 MOP 19.31

15.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$3.84 MOP 31.03

-42.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.85 MOP 23.06

-25.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.63 MOP 5.08

146.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.17 MOP 9.42

-18.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$6.50 MOP 52.5

12.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$12.36 MOP 99.9

-34.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.70 MOP 13.70

-9.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.24 MOP 18.09

24.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.75 MOP 6.09

314.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$22.69 MOP 183

13.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.58 MOP 20.88

26.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.24 MOP 10.05

19.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$14.76 MOP 119

132.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.77 MOP 14.33

-2.26%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$30.6K MOP 247.3K

18.82%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$31.8K MOP 256.9K

-3.93%

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

$187 €163

$121 MOP 975

55.00%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$23.66 MOP 191

-36.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$37.16 MOP 300

1.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$65.1 MOP 526

-14.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$3.80 MOP 30.67

349.47%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$14.40 MOP 116

-20.76%

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

$997 €869

$1,221 MOP 9,862

-18.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$19.2K MOP 154.8K

-13.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$68.5 MOP 553

35.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$33.39 MOP 270

23.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$91.9 MOP 743

20.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$135 MOP 1,087

-7.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$1,109 MOP 8,957

53.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$1,084 MOP 8,756

18.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$2,054 MOP 16.6K

24.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,459 MOP 11.8K

33.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$8,173 MOP 66.0K

-6.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$5,659 MOP 45.7K

-8.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$2,036 MOP 16.4K

15.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Macao: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,109 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 15% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $56.0 in Macao. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $424, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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

Barcelona vs Macao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Macao differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $2,122 including rent). Macao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,109 in Macao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $1,221 in Macao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 26% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,122 in Macao versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macao but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Macao 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, Barcelona 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 Macao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.