Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brownsville, TX and Macao

For one person, living costs are similar in Brownsville, TX and in Macao: $2,055 and $2,139 a month, rent and utilities included.

Brownsville, TX, United States
Macao, Macao (China)
Brownsville, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,055
/mo nomad
Macao
🇲🇴 Macao (China)
$2,139
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brownsville, TX and in Macao

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brownsville, TX and in Macao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,055 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $2,139 in Macao, rent included.

  • Brownsville, TX $2,055
  • Macao $2,139

A couple spends around $3,122 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $3,023 in Macao, rent included.

  • Brownsville, TX $3,122
  • Macao $3,023

A family of three spends $4,189 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $3,906 in Macao, rent included.

  • Brownsville, TX $4,189
  • Macao $3,906

Brownsville, TX is about 4% cheaper than Macao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brownsville, TX and Macao sit above the global median – Brownsville, TX by 52%, Macao by 58%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brownsville, TX
Macao
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.25 $20.25
$6.21 MOP 50.2
226.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.2 $76.2
$55.3 MOP 447
37.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.44 $11.44
$5.79 MOP 46.80
97.58%
Cappuccino
$5.28 $5.28
$4.93 MOP 39.78
7.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.01 MOP 8.12
160.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 $1.97
$0.93 MOP 7.48
111.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.09 $6.09
$5.84 MOP 47.14
4.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.42 $7.42
$7.49 MOP 60.5
-0.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brownsville, TX
Macao
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.90 $0.90
$3.23 MOP 26.08
-72.14%
White Bread (500g)
$2.13 $2.13
$1.70 MOP 13.73
25.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.24 $4.24
$1.74 MOP 14.02
143.68%
Eggs
$2.83 $2.83
$3.39 MOP 27.36
-16.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.96 $8.96
$15.91 MOP 129
-43.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.52 $12.52
$19.45 MOP 157
-35.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.45 $17.45
$28.73 MOP 232
-39.26%
Apples (1kg)
$4.88 $4.88
$2.59 MOP 20.95
88.42%
Banana (1kg)
$1.72 $1.72
$2.90 MOP 23.46
-40.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.35 $4.35
$1.94 MOP 15.69
124.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.64 $4.64
$2.34 MOP 18.90
98.29%
Potato (1kg)
$2.78 $2.78
$4.05 MOP 32.69
-31.36%
Onion (1kg)
$2.94 $2.94
$2.81 MOP 22.71
4.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.10 $2.10
$0.63 MOP 5.09
233.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.21 $2.21
$1.14 MOP 9.22
93.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.57 $9.57
$6.61 MOP 53.4
44.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.42 $15.42
$12.32 MOP 99.5
25.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.02 $2.02
$1.70 MOP 13.76
18.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.23 MOP 18.03
46.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Brownsville, TX
Macao
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.09 $2.09
$0.73 MOP 5.87
186.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$22.85 MOP 185
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.42 $3.42
$2.54 MOP 20.51
34.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.24 MOP 10.00
37.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.72 $31.72
$14.67 MOP 119
116.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.87 $0.87
$1.85 MOP 14.93
-52.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.0K $31.0K
$30.5K MOP 246.7K
1.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.2K $22.2K
$31.9K MOP 257.9K
-30.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brownsville, TX
Macao
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$198 $198
$124 MOP 1,003
59.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$75.0 $75.0
$23.42 MOP 189
220.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.8 $75.8
$36.77 MOP 297
106.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brownsville, TX
Macao
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.17 $42.17
$65.2 MOP 526
-35.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.78 MOP 30.53
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.40 $14.40
$14.84 MOP 120
-2.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brownsville, TX
Macao
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,407 $1,407
$1,197 MOP 9,671
17.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.3K $20.3K
$19.0K MOP 153.8K
6.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brownsville, TX
Macao
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.2 $56.2
$69.9 MOP 565
-19.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.65 $38.65
$32.93 MOP 266
17.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 $98.5
$93.3 MOP 753
5.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 $107
$134 MOP 1,081
-19.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brownsville, TX
Macao
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$955 $955
$1,132 MOP 9,146
-15.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$785 $785
$1,077 MOP 8,695
-27.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,651 $1,651
$2,106 MOP 17.0K
-21.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,392 $1,392
$1,474 MOP 11.9K
-5.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,838 $1,838
$8,212 MOP 66.3K
-77.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,905 $1,905
$5,513 MOP 44.5K
-65.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brownsville, TX
Macao
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,198 $3,198
$2,054 MOP 16.6K
55.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.76
3
125.33%

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

Last update for Brownsville, TX: October 18, 2026

Last update for Macao: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brownsville, TX
$785
Macao
$1.1K 37.2% $292
Groceries & Markets
Brownsville, TX
$372
Macao
$422 13.4% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brownsville, TX
$348
Macao
$184 47.1% $164
Eating Out
Brownsville, TX
$323
Macao
$178 44.9% $145
Clothing & Footwear
Brownsville, TX
$135
Macao
$148 9.7% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Brownsville, TX
$71
Macao
$95 33.6% $24
Getting Around
Brownsville, TX
$20 *
Macao
$34 69.6% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $955 in Brownsville, TX versus $1,132 in Macao. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 56% higher in Brownsville, TX, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Brownsville, TX versus $55 in Macao. Groceries tell a different story – $372 in Brownsville, TX vs $422 in Macao – so Brownsville, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Brownsville, TX
🇲🇴 Macao
🕒 Local time
21:39 9:39 PM
10:39 10:39 AM
13 h ahead of Brownsville, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
186,738
622,567 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.05 MOP (1 MOP = 0.111 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brownsville, TX Macao 13,710 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brownsville, TX
  • Macao

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Brownsville, TX vs Macao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Brownsville, TX and in Macao compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,055 in Brownsville, TX, $2,139 in Macao – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Brownsville, TX compared to Macao?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,083 per month in Brownsville, TX and $3,209 in Macao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Brownsville, TX and Macao?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Brownsville, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $955 there versus $1,132 in Macao.
Which city is more expensive overall: Brownsville, TX or Macao?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,055 in Brownsville, TX and $2,139 in Macao. That’s a gap of about 4%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Brownsville, TX and Macao?
Kindergarten costs $1,407 per month in Brownsville, TX and $1,197 in Macao. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $3,000 go in Brownsville, TX compared to Macao?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,055 in Brownsville, TX and $2,139 in Macao, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Brownsville, TX and Macao?
It depends on your priorities. Macao has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,055 in Brownsville, TX to $2,139 in Macao. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Brownsville, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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