Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Macao

For one person, living is cheaper in Macao: $2,114 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
Learn more

Macao Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,114

/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 $2,114 in Macao, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Macao $2,114

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,990 in Macao, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Macao $2,990

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,866 in Macao, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Macao $3,866

Hong Kong costs about 41% 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 121%, Macao by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$6.26 MOP 50.6

23.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$56.2 MOP 454

15.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$6.02 MOP 48.66

2.66%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$5.06 MOP 40.87

0.40%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$1.05 MOP 8.48

24.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$0.85 MOP 6.88

28.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$5.62 MOP 45.46

32.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$7.33 MOP 59.2

-11.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$3.26 MOP 26.34

-11.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$1.70 MOP 13.72

35.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$1.66 MOP 13.38

28.31%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$3.50 MOP 28.30

0.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$16.22 MOP 131

52.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$19.56 MOP 158

-56.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$28.45 MOP 230

-36.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$2.59 MOP 20.96

61.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$2.86 MOP 23.13

-6.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$1.89 MOP 15.27

137.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$2.36 MOP 19.04

70.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$3.84 MOP 31.03

-18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$2.84 MOP 22.92

10.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$0.62 MOP 5.04

161.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$1.15 MOP 9.32

51.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$6.64 MOP 53.6

103.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$12.30 MOP 99.4

34.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$1.79 MOP 14.43

8.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$2.30 MOP 18.61

-5.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$0.73 MOP 5.88

93.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

$22.47 MOP 182

294.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$2.63 MOP 21.26

40.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$1.29 MOP 10.40

2.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$14.68 MOP 119

7.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.78 MOP 14.38

126.40%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$30.5K MOP 246.6K

46.36%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$30.9K MOP 249.8K

22.27%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$120 MOP 972

107.49%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$23.50 MOP 190

-33.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$37.25 MOP 301

-41.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$63.8 MOP 515

47.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$3.81 MOP 30.82

143.83%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$14.71 MOP 119

-5.44%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$1,231 MOP 9,951

-5.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$18.7K MOP 151.3K

16.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$68.7 MOP 555

-1.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$33.15 MOP 268

26.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$91.9 MOP 743

-13.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$135 MOP 1,091

-9.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$1,103 MOP 8,913

103.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$1,055 MOP 8,528

62.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$2,111 MOP 17.1K

138.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$1,433 MOP 11.6K

139.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

$8,352 MOP 67.5K

249.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$5,490 MOP 44.4K

220.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$2,041 MOP 16.5K

60.26%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Macao: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Macao

$1.1K 49.9% 38.6% $663

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Macao

$423 20% 3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Macao

$181 8.6% 36.9% $106

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Macao

$179 8.5% 11% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Macao

$148 7% 5.6% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Macao

$93 4.4% 23.6% $29

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Macao

$34 1.6% 67% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $1,103 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 60% 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 $65.0 in Hong Kong versus $56.0 in Macao. Groceries tell a different story – $411 in Hong Kong vs $423 in Macao – so Hong Kong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇲🇴 Macao

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 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 = 0.113 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.82 HKD (1 HKD = 0.113 EUR).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.09 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, $2,114 in Macao – roughly 41% 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 $3,171 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 $65.0 in Hong Kong and $56.0 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 $2,114 in Macao. That's a gap of about 41%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Macao, where all-in costs run around $2,114, 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 $2,114 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.