Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Macao

For one person, living is cheaper in Macao: $2,107 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Macao
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Macao Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,107 in Macao, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Macao $2,107

A couple spends around $4,558 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,021 in Macao, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,558
Macao $3,021

A family of three spends $6,132 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,935 in Macao, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,132
Macao $3,935

Hong Kong costs about 42% more than Macao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hong Kong and Macao sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 123%, Macao by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 HK$66.4

$6.31 MOP 51.0

34.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 HK$496

$54.9 MOP 444

15.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 HK$48.66

$5.91 MOP 47.73

4.91%

Cappuccino

$4.90 HK$38.41

$4.89 MOP 39.49

0.20%

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

$1.27 HK$10.01

$1.06 MOP 8.56

19.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 HK$8.31

$0.93 MOP 7.55

13.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 HK$60.3

$5.63 MOP 45.48

36.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 HK$49.24

$7.23 MOP 58.4

-13.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 HK$22.45

$3.09 MOP 24.98

-7.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 HK$19.10

$1.67 MOP 13.50

45.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 HK$17.09

$1.73 MOP 13.97

26.01%

Eggs

$3.54 HK$27.80

$3.40 MOP 27.46

4.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.12 HK$197

$16.05 MOP 130

56.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 HK$69.8

$19.07 MOP 154

-53.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 HK$138

$29.25 MOP 236

-39.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 HK$32.22

$2.71 MOP 21.87

51.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 HK$21.32

$2.86 MOP 23.14

-4.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 HK$36.05

$1.97 MOP 15.90

132.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 HK$31.52

$2.36 MOP 19.06

70.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.50

$3.85 MOP 31.10

-15.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.70

$2.95 MOP 23.85

10.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 HK$12.54

$0.66 MOP 5.30

142.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 HK$13.56

$1.20 MOP 9.74

44.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 HK$103

$6.64 MOP 53.7

97.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.59 HK$130

$12.14 MOP 98.1

36.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 HK$15.80

$1.77 MOP 14.34

13.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.13

$2.31 MOP 18.66

-5.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 HK$11.31

$0.76 MOP 6.13

89.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 HK$699

$22.62 MOP 183

293.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 HK$28.53

$2.57 MOP 20.77

41.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.29

$1.24 MOP 9.99

5.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 HK$124

$15.00 MOP 121

5.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.06 HK$31.89

$1.76 MOP 14.22

130.68%

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

$44.4K HK$348.2K

$31.1K MOP 251.3K

42.71%

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

$37.4K HK$293.2K

$31.8K MOP 256.7K

17.65%

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

$247 HK$1,942

$124 MOP 1,002

99.55%

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

$15.89 HK$125

$23.44 MOP 189

-32.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.46 HK$168

$36.46 MOP 295

-41.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 HK$717

$63.3 MOP 511

44.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 HK$71.3

$3.78 MOP 30.57

140.21%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 HK$110

$14.73 MOP 119

-5.23%

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

$1,155 HK$9,067

$1,193 MOP 9,642

-3.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K HK$174.6K

$19.3K MOP 156.2K

15.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 HK$541

$70.0 MOP 566

-1.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 HK$317

$33.25 MOP 269

21.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 HK$627

$92.4 MOP 747

-13.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 HK$923

$134 MOP 1,084

-12.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 HK$17.1K

$1,130 MOP 9,135

92.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$1,070 MOP 8,650

60.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,047 HK$39.6K

$2,092 MOP 16.9K

141.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

$1,461 MOP 11.8K

142.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.1K HK$228.7K

$8,347 MOP 67.5K

249.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$5,538 MOP 44.8K

217.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 HK$25.3K

$2,053 MOP 16.6K

57.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

30.33%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Last update for Macao: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5%

Macao

$1.1K 50.3% 37.7% $648

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$415 13.9%

Macao

$422 19.8% 1.7% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$285 9.5%

Macao

$184 8.6% 35.4% $101

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$205 6.9%

Macao

$177 8.3% 13.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$138 4.6%

Macao

$148 7% 7.4% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$119 4%

Macao

$93 4.4% 22.3% $27

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Macao

$34 1.6% 67.2% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,180 in Hong Kong versus $1,130 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 57% higher in Hong Kong, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Hong Kong versus $55.0 in Macao. Groceries tell a different story – $415 in Hong Kong vs $422 in Macao – so Hong Kong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇲🇴 Macao

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

Same time as Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

622,567 Capital

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Macanese Pataca MOP P

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, USD, EUR to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.8 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Hong Kong Macao 65 km

From you

Hong Kong
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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

Hong Kong vs Macao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $2,107 in Macao – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $3,160 in Macao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Macao, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Hong Kong and $55.0 in Macao. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,984 in Hong Kong and $2,107 in Macao. That's a gap of about 42%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Macao, where all-in costs run around $2,107, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Macao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,107 in Macao to $2,984 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Macao. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hong Kong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.