Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Macao (China) Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Macao (China)

Name: Macao (China)
Address: MO

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,718 in Italy versus $1,778 in Macao (China).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,621 in Italy versus $2,855 in Macao (China).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,524 in Italy versus $3,932 in Macao (China).

Living in Italy costs about 3% less than in Macao (China) on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Italy 29% above, Macao (China) 33% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,176 to $2,467, compared to $1,721–$1,835 in Macao (China). City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.40

$6.26 MOP 50.6

180.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 €72.2

$56.6 MOP 457

45.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.26

$6.06 MOP 48.91

93.40%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.68

$4.79 MOP 38.72

-59.92%

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

$2.99 €2.62

$0.95 MOP 7.69

214.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.19

$0.76 MOP 6.16

78.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €5.04

$5.93 MOP 47.88

-2.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 €4.57

$7.28 MOP 58.8

-28.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.48

$2.69 MOP 21.75

-37.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.04

$1.58 MOP 12.77

47.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.67

$1.49 MOP 12.01

104.70%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.49

$3.00 MOP 24.22

33.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 €14.61

$19.15 MOP 155

-12.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.57 €11.01

$7.75 MOP 62.6

62.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.53 €17.98

$22.72 MOP 184

-9.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.24

$3.89 MOP 31.41

-34.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.93

$3.09 MOP 24.98

-28.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.35

$3.82 MOP 30.84

-29.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.95

$2.77 MOP 22.36

21.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.79

$4.28 MOP 34.57

-52.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

$3.35 MOP 27.09

-43.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$1.66 MOP 13.38

-11.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$1.04 MOP 8.40

-48.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.13

$6.09 MOP 49.18

14.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 €6.21

$12.24 MOP 98.9

-42.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.35 MOP 10.89

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.20

$2.03 MOP 16.42

23.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.72 MOP 5.84

172.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.58 €36.42

$22.23 MOP 180

87.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 €5.08

$2.56 MOP 20.65

126.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.16 MOP 9.41

37.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.07 €30.71

$14.81 MOP 120

136.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.87

$1.77 MOP 14.29

20.34%

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

$32.6K €28.5K

$31.4K MOP 253.9K

3.60%

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

$33.8K €29.6K

$28.2K MOP 227.7K

19.81%

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

$225 €197

$92.7 MOP 749

142.61%

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

$13.14 €11.51

$25.14 MOP 203

-47.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.19 €27.31

$34.99 MOP 283

-10.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €50.1

$76.9 MOP 621

-25.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.85 €22.64

$2.73 MOP 22.05

846.89%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 €9.05

$14.23 MOP 115

-27.34%

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

$564 €494

$677 MOP 5,464

-16.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €9,057

$13.3K MOP 107.5K

-22.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €80.5

$65.5 MOP 529

40.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €35.51

$28.63 MOP 231

41.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 €86.0

$91.0 MOP 735

7.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €116

$99.7 MOP 805

32.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 €749

$1,168 MOP 9,434

-26.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 €581

$850 MOP 6,867

-21.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,333

$2,083 MOP 16.8K

-26.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €954

$1,743 MOP 14.1K

-37.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,747 €3,282

$11.0K MOP 88.7K

-65.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,299 €2,013

$8,003 MOP 64.6K

-71.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,897 €1,661

$2,022 MOP 16.3K

-6.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

3.21

37.38%

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

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Last update for Macao (China): July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $742 in Italy, $1,129 in Macao (China). Capital cities: $1,328 in Rome vs $1,061 in Macao.

National salary averages: $1,912 in Italy, $2,055 in Macao (China). Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 52% higher in Macao (China).

Dining out costs 48% more in Italy.

Public transport is 300% more expensive in Italy.

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

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

At $1,822 per month in Italy and $1,778 in Macao (China), there's a 2% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Macao (China): lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy is consistently higher than in Macao (China) across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Macao (China), $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Italy 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: Macao (China) wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.