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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,783 in Macao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,831 in Macao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,878 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 75% above, Macao 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$6.22 MOP 50.2

183.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$50.0 MOP 404

37.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$6.23 MOP 50.3

120.71%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$4.72 MOP 38.07

-41.53%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$1.24 MOP 10.01

124.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.84 MOP 6.76

144.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$5.86 MOP 47.28

-21.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$7.03 MOP 56.7

-34.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$2.98 MOP 24.01

-57.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.57 MOP 12.70

34.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.52 MOP 12.24

29.61%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.09 MOP 24.90

11.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$17.72 MOP 143

6.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$7.92 MOP 63.9

19.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$22.60 MOP 182

-15.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$3.68 MOP 29.68

-26.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$3.14 MOP 25.33

-24.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$3.88 MOP 31.34

-46.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$2.83 MOP 22.86

-2.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$4.39 MOP 35.42

-55.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$3.44 MOP 27.76

-47.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.69 MOP 13.63

-10.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.05 MOP 8.45

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$6.23 MOP 50.3

8.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$12.09 MOP 97.5

-37.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.36 MOP 10.96

5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.10 MOP 16.96

14.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.77 MOP 6.19

293.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$22.57 MOP 182

25.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.66 MOP 21.51

66.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.22 MOP 9.81

68.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$14.68 MOP 118

99.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.75 MOP 14.13

8.00%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$31.1K MOP 251.0K

24.57%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$27.4K MOP 221.0K

18.17%

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

$189 €161

$100.0 MOP 807

88.68%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$25.61 MOP 207

-13.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$33.53 MOP 271

9.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$87.8 MOP 708

-33.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$3.34 MOP 26.97

528.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$14.28 MOP 115

-22.62%

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

$726 €622

$671 MOP 5,418

8.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$13.2K MOP 106.6K

15.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$65.4 MOP 527

35.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$29.11 MOP 235

27.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$90.9 MOP 733

12.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$100 MOP 809

18.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$1,043 MOP 8,414

46.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$780 MOP 6,297

56.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,944 MOP 15.7K

43.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$1,607 MOP 13.0K

26.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$12.6K MOP 101.7K

-43.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$7,775 MOP 62.7K

-37.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$2,032 MOP 16.4K

18.32%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Macao: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $1,043 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 18% 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 $320 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 31% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,783 including rent). Macao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 18% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $1,043 in Macao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $671 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 $1,783 in Macao versus $2,341 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.