Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gwangju and Macao

For one person, living is cheaper in Gwangju: $1,341 a month against $2,158 in Macao, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Gwangju
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Gwangju Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Macao
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Macao Living Index

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Gwangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,341

/mo nomad

Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,158

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gwangju 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 Gwangju and in Macao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,341 in Gwangju versus $2,158 in Macao.

Gwangju $1,341
Macao $2,158

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,048 in Gwangju versus $3,053 in Macao.

Gwangju $2,048
Macao $3,053

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,756 in Gwangju versus $3,948 in Macao.

Gwangju $2,756
Macao $3,948

Living in Gwangju costs roughly 38% less than in Macao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gwangju is 2% below, Macao is 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.02 ₩8,034

$6.37 MOP 51.5

-5.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.32 ₩45.8K

$55.4 MOP 447

-38.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 ₩7,772

$5.76 MOP 46.56

1.04%

Cappuccino

$3.17 ₩4,234

$4.97 MOP 40.18

-36.22%

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

$1.59 ₩2,128

$1.05 MOP 8.46

51.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₩843

$0.78 MOP 6.33

-19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₩3,179

$5.66 MOP 45.72

-57.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 ₩6,135

$7.34 MOP 59.3

-37.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ₩2,299

$3.12 MOP 25.18

-44.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 ₩3,329

$1.71 MOP 13.78

45.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 ₩3,057

$1.72 MOP 13.89

33.14%

Eggs

$2.64 ₩3,521

$3.50 MOP 28.25

-24.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$15.90 MOP 128

-44.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.82 ₩10.4K

$19.42 MOP 157

-59.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 ₩14.9K

$29.46 MOP 238

-62.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₩6,894

$2.58 MOP 20.84

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 ₩4,027

$2.86 MOP 23.08

5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 ₩4,971

$1.89 MOP 15.24

96.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 ₩4,120

$2.44 MOP 19.73

26.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 ₩4,807

$3.95 MOP 31.94

-8.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 ₩2,527

$2.94 MOP 23.74

-35.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 ₩2,822

$0.62 MOP 5.00

240.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,715

$1.14 MOP 9.21

12.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 ₩4,489

$6.64 MOP 53.7

-49.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 ₩14.9K

$12.16 MOP 98.2

-7.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₩2,019

$1.78 MOP 14.41

-15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₩3,083

$2.31 MOP 18.68

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₩1,343

$0.71 MOP 5.76

42.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 ₩91.9K

$22.93 MOP 185

200.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 ₩4,079

$2.66 MOP 21.53

15.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩849

$1.24 MOP 9.99

-48.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ₩10.5K

$15.00 MOP 121

-47.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₩1,607

$1.76 MOP 14.21

-31.82%

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

$28.1K ₩37.5M

$31.1K MOP 251.4K

-9.79%

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

$35.2K ₩47.0M

$31.4K MOP 253.5K

12.26%

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

$212 ₩282.8K

$122 MOP 989

73.15%

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

$44.13 ₩58.9K

$24.02 MOP 194

83.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.64 ₩27.5K

$36.91 MOP 298

-44.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 ₩73.9K

$95.6 MOP 772

-42.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.36 ₩19.2K

$3.64 MOP 29.43

294.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 ₩15.0K

$14.43 MOP 117

-22.38%

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

$299 ₩398.9K

$1,194 MOP 9,646

-74.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K ₩23.4M

$19.4K MOP 156.7K

-9.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.50 ₩43.4K

$68.8 MOP 556

-52.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.36 ₩35.2K

$33.15 MOP 268

-20.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.9 ₩85.3K

$91.5 MOP 739

-30.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 ₩120.0K

$136 MOP 1,095

-33.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 ₩678.7K

$1,095 MOP 8,850

-53.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 ₩493.5K

$1,065 MOP 8,605

-65.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 ₩1.6M

$2,089 MOP 16.9K

-44.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 ₩992.9K

$1,452 MOP 11.7K

-48.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,980 ₩10.7M

$9,783 MOP 79.0K

-18.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,343 ₩8.5M

$6,861 MOP 55.4K

-7.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,834 ₩3.8M

$2,042 MOP 16.5K

38.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

20.00%

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

Last update for Gwangju: October 24, 2026

Last update for Macao: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gwangju

$370 27.6%

Macao

$1.1K 49.4% 188% $695

Groceries & Markets

Gwangju

$308 23%

Macao

$424 19.6% 37.6% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gwangju

$277 20.6%

Macao

$183 8.5% 33.7% $93

Eating Out

Gwangju

$134 10%

Macao

$178 8.3% 33.3% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Gwangju

$96 7.1%

Macao

$148 6.9% 54.7% $52

Getting Around

Gwangju

$79 5.9%

Macao

$35 1.6% 56.2% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Gwangju

$78 5.8%

Macao

$124 5.8% 60.1% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Gwangju and $1,095 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gwangju pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34 in Gwangju vs $55 in Macao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $424 per month, with Gwangju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gwangju

🇲🇴 Macao

🕒 Local time

14:08 2:08 PM

13:08 1:08 PM

1 h behind Gwangju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,467,996

622,567 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Macanese Pataca MOP P

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.111 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.02 MOP (1 MOP = 0.111 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gwangju Macao 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Gwangju
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

Gwangju vs Macao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gwangju is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Gwangju, 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: $508 in Gwangju versus $1,095 in Macao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Gwangju – a meal for two runs $34 versus $55 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,341 per month in Gwangju versus $2,158 in Macao – Gwangju is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,341 in Gwangju versus $2,158 in Macao, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gwangju but tight or insufficient in Macao. The gap between the two cities makes Gwangju 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, Gwangju and Macao are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.