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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,787 in Macao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $2,811 in Macao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $3,834 in Macao.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 31% more expensive than Macao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Macao 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$6.14 MOP 49.53

178.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$49.55 MOP 400

39.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$6.24 MOP 50.4

120.83%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$4.62 MOP 37.32

-40.26%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.20 MOP 9.66

132.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.87 MOP 7.04

128.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$5.88 MOP 47.41

-25.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$7.17 MOP 57.9

-33.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$2.92 MOP 23.54

-55.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.52 MOP 12.29

34.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.46 MOP 11.75

36.30%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.01 MOP 24.27

12.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$17.47 MOP 141

7.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$7.68 MOP 62.0

21.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$22.48 MOP 181

-14.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.84 MOP 30.99

-29.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$3.00 MOP 24.24

-22.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.75 MOP 30.26

-43.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.74 MOP 22.08

4.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$4.46 MOP 35.95

-55.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$3.47 MOP 28.03

-48.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.68 MOP 13.57

-13.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.08 MOP 8.74

-20.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$6.03 MOP 48.68

12.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$12.30 MOP 99.3

-35.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.36 MOP 10.95

2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.05 MOP 16.51

15.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.72 MOP 5.85

305.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$22.76 MOP 184

26.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.66 MOP 21.48

67.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.23 MOP 9.92

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$14.97 MOP 121

97.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.74 MOP 14.06

4.60%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$31.0K MOP 249.9K

25.37%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$28.3K MOP 228.1K

17.08%

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

$189 €163

$103 MOP 831

83.66%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$25.35 MOP 205

-10.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$33.22 MOP 268

13.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$86.2 MOP 695

-32.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$3.45 MOP 27.82

501.16%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$14.19 MOP 114

-23.75%

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

$728 €628

$690 MOP 5,566

5.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$13.3K MOP 107.0K

11.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$65.3 MOP 527

35.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$28.67 MOP 231

28.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$89.3 MOP 721

14.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$100 MOP 810

15.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$1,081 MOP 8,721

45.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$780 MOP 6,295

56.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,945 MOP 15.7K

43.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$1,618 MOP 13.1K

22.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$8,534 MOP 68.9K

-9.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$5,595 MOP 45.1K

-7.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$2,026 MOP 16.4K

15.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.28

3.35%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Macao: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $1,081 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 16% 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 $50.0 in Macao. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $362, 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 31% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,787 including rent). Macao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 16% more on average, 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $1,081 in Macao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $690 in Macao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,787 in Macao versus $2,337 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 31% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.