Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Macao (China)

Name: Macao (China)
Address: MO

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $800 a month against $1,996 in Macao (China), rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Macao (China)
Learn more

Macao (China) Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$1,996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Macao (China)

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $793 in China versus $2,009 in Macao (China).

China $793
Macao (China) $2,009

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,261 in China versus $3,040 in Macao (China).

China $1,261
Macao (China) $3,040

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,730 in China versus $4,070 in Macao (China).

China $1,730
Macao (China) $4,070

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $466 to $1,244, compared to $2,021–$2,114 in Macao (China). City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China costs about 61% less than in Macao (China) on average.

China (41% below) and Macao (China) (49% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.50

$6.08 MOP 49.12

-51.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.45 ¥150

$54.7 MOP 442

-58.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 ¥35.65

$6.15 MOP 49.70

-13.33%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.34

$5.05 MOP 40.85

-39.80%

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

$0.48 ¥3.23

$1.02 MOP 8.28

-52.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.79 MOP 6.35

-62.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.12

$5.63 MOP 45.47

-80.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$7.40 MOP 59.8

-69.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.70

$3.11 MOP 25.14

-43.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.80

$1.70 MOP 13.72

-4.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$1.73 MOP 13.98

-42.77%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.44

$3.46 MOP 27.96

-54.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$15.90 MOP 129

-16.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.50

$19.62 MOP 159

-82.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ¥76.2

$28.68 MOP 232

-60.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.19

$2.70 MOP 21.85

-32.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$2.87 MOP 23.19

-56.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$1.93 MOP 15.62

-19.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.55

$2.36 MOP 19.07

-45.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$3.85 MOP 31.08

-81.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.75

$2.97 MOP 23.99

-71.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.36

$0.62 MOP 5.04

4.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$1.15 MOP 9.31

-48.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 ¥25.14

$6.76 MOP 54.7

-44.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 ¥78.6

$12.20 MOP 98.6

-3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$1.79 MOP 14.46

-49.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.86

$2.18 MOP 17.65

-25.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.71 MOP 5.73

-56.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.75 ¥152

$22.62 MOP 183

0.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$2.58 MOP 20.88

-41.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$1.28 MOP 10.34

-71.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.66

$14.79 MOP 120

-50.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$1.85 MOP 14.95

-32.43%

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

$19.4K ¥129.7K

$30.8K MOP 248.7K

-36.96%

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

$17.1K ¥114.4K

$31.1K MOP 251.7K

-45.03%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$124 MOP 1,000

-55.15%

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

$8.29 ¥55.4

$23.96 MOP 194

-65.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.97 ¥73.3

$37.38 MOP 302

-70.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 ¥270

$66.9 MOP 541

-39.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 ¥98.7

$3.68 MOP 29.72

301.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ¥45.18

$13.83 MOP 112

-51.12%

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

$465 ¥3,108

$1,234 MOP 9,972

-62.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$18.7K MOP 150.8K

5.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.32 ¥310

$70.5 MOP 569

-34.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.30 ¥243

$33.85 MOP 274

7.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 ¥510

$93.0 MOP 752

-18.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 ¥527

$137 MOP 1,108

-42.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 ¥2,646

$1,100 MOP 8,892

-64.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ¥1,604

$931 MOP 7,529

-74.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,499

$2,101 MOP 17.0K

-60.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥3,116

$1,644 MOP 13.3K

-71.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,544 ¥30.4K

$10.8K MOP 87.3K

-57.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 ¥15.3K

$8,075 MOP 65.3K

-71.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 ¥7,188

$2,031 MOP 16.4K

-47.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

15.33%

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

Last update for China: October 19, 2026

Last update for Macao (China): October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

China

$240 30%

Macao (China)

$931 46.7% 288% $692

Groceries & Markets

China

$209 26.1%

Macao (China)

$422 21.2% 102% $214

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

Macao (China)

$150 7.5% 40.7% $44

Eating Out

China

$89 11.1%

Macao (China)

$178 8.9% 100% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.3%

Macao (China)

$185 9.3% 148% $110

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.7%

Macao (China)

$95 4.7% 75.4% $41

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Macao (China)

$34 1.7% 25.7% $7

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $1,078 in Macao (China). Capital cities: $940 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,103 in Macao.

National salary averages: $871 in China, $2,041 in Macao (China). Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 262% higher in Macao (China).

Dining out costs 167% more in Macao (China).

Public transport is 55% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 134% higher in Macao (China).

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

🕒 Local time

17:55 5:55 PM

Same time as China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

682,100

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Macanese Pataca MOP P

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.09 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Macao (China) 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Macao (China)

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

China vs Macao (China): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $793 per month in China and $2,009 in Macao (China), there's a 153% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,078 in Macao (China) and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Macao (China) it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Macao (China) may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.