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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,766 in Macao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $2,816 in Macao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $3,867 in Macao.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 34% more expensive than in Macao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Macao 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$6.32 MOP 51.1

171.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$49.67 MOP 401

37.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$6.11 MOP 49.38

123.24%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$4.71 MOP 38.02

-40.98%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.26 MOP 10.18

123.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.88 MOP 7.14

122.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$5.74 MOP 46.32

-22.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$7.38 MOP 59.6

-37.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$2.85 MOP 23.03

-55.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.59 MOP 12.85

33.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.53 MOP 12.37

30.07%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.14 MOP 25.34

7.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$17.41 MOP 141

8.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$7.74 MOP 62.5

23.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$23.14 MOP 187

-19.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.76 MOP 30.39

-29.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$3.07 MOP 24.84

-23.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$3.86 MOP 31.22

-45.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$2.79 MOP 22.51

-2.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$4.22 MOP 34.12

-53.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$3.40 MOP 27.49

-46.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.65 MOP 13.36

-8.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.09 MOP 8.81

-18.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$6.09 MOP 49.19

11.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$12.55 MOP 101

-36.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.41 MOP 11.35

-2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.11 MOP 17.02

13.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.75 MOP 6.10

288.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$21.97 MOP 177

30.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.67 MOP 21.58

71.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.17 MOP 9.49

74.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$15.14 MOP 122

89.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.75 MOP 14.16

4.00%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$30.8K MOP 248.9K

27.56%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$27.9K MOP 225.4K

16.38%

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

$187 €162

$100 MOP 811

85.81%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$25.70 MOP 208

-13.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$33.42 MOP 270

8.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$85.3 MOP 689

-32.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$3.33 MOP 26.93

522.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$14.12 MOP 114

-23.73%

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

$725 €628

$690 MOP 5,572

5.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$13.5K MOP 109.0K

12.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$65.3 MOP 527

34.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$28.27 MOP 228

30.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$89.0 MOP 719

16.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$102 MOP 820

16.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$1,077 MOP 8,700

41.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$789 MOP 6,370

55.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,996 MOP 16.1K

36.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$1,623 MOP 13.1K

22.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$8,233 MOP 66.5K

-9.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$5,500 MOP 44.4K

-4.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$2,045 MOP 16.5K

17.01%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Macao: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $1,077 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 17% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $50.0 in Macao. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $366, 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 34% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,766 including rent). Macao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $1,077 in Macao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 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 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,766 in Macao versus $2,359 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 34% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.