For one person, living is cheaper in Italy: $1,825 a month against $1,996 in Macao (China), rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Macao (China) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.
How much you'll spend in Italy 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 Italy and in Macao (China) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,825 in Italy versus $1,996 in Macao (China).
Italy $1,825
Macao (China) $1,996
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,790 in Italy versus $3,037 in Macao (China).
Italy $2,790
Macao (China) $3,037
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,756 in Italy versus $4,078 in Macao (China).
Italy $3,756
Macao (China) $4,078
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,044 to $2,560, compared to $2,035–$2,139 in Macao (China). City choice carries more weight in Italy.
🌍
Living in Italy costs about 9% less than in Macao (China) on average.
📊
Both countries sit above the global median: Italy 35% above, Macao (China) 47% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Macao (China)
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.90€17.70
$6.08MOP 49.12
227.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.1€68.6
$54.7MOP 442
41.10%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.41€10.15
$6.15MOP 49.70
85.53%
Cappuccino
$2.01€1.78
$5.05MOP 40.85
-60.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13€2.78
$1.02MOP 8.28
206.86%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40€1.24
$0.79MOP 6.35
77.22%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.76€5.12
$5.63MOP 45.47
2.31%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.73€5.10
$7.40MOP 59.8
-22.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Macao (China)
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.62€1.44
$3.11MOP 25.14
-47.91%
White Bread(500g)
$2.38€2.12
$1.70MOP 13.72
40.00%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.92€2.60
$1.73MOP 13.98
68.79%
Eggs
$4.17€3.70
$3.46MOP 27.96
20.52%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$17.28€15.37
$15.90MOP 129
8.68%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.73€11.32
$19.62MOP 159
-35.12%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$20.39€18.13
$28.68MOP 232
-28.91%
Apples(1kg)
$2.61€2.32
$2.70MOP 21.85
-3.33%
Banana(1kg)
$2.12€1.88
$2.87MOP 23.19
-26.13%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.63€2.34
$1.93MOP 15.62
36.27%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.34€2.97
$2.36MOP 19.07
41.53%
Potato(1kg)
$2.02€1.79
$3.85MOP 31.08
-47.53%
Onion(1kg)
$1.89€1.69
$2.97MOP 23.99
-36.36%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.56€1.39
$0.62MOP 5.04
151.61%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55€0.49
$1.15MOP 9.31
-52.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.84€6.08
$6.76MOP 54.7
1.18%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.64€6.80
$12.20MOP 98.6
-37.38%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80€1.61
$1.79MOP 14.46
0.56%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40€2.14
$2.18MOP 17.65
10.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Macao (China)
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.86€1.65
$0.71MOP 5.73
161.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$43.27€38.49
$22.62MOP 183
91.29%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.64€5.01
$2.58MOP 20.88
118.60%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.71€1.52
$1.28MOP 10.34
33.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$33.04€29.39
$14.79MOP 120
123.39%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.11€1.87
$1.85MOP 14.95
14.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K€31.8K
$30.8KMOP 248.7K
16.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.4K€33.3K
$31.1KMOP 251.7K
20.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Macao (China)
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$230€204
$124MOP 1,000
85.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60€10.32
$23.96MOP 194
-51.59%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.40€27.04
$37.38MOP 302
-18.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Macao (China)
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$53.9€47.96
$66.9MOP 541
-19.38%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.24€21.56
$3.68MOP 29.72
558.70%
Cinema Ticket
$10.58€9.41
$13.83MOP 112
-23.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Macao (China)
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$545€485
$1,234MOP 9,972
-55.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.5K€10.3K
$18.7KMOP 150.8K
-38.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Macao (China)
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.4€78.7
$70.5MOP 569
25.51%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.60€35.22
$33.85MOP 274
16.99%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$101€89.8
$93.0MOP 752
8.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133€118
$137MOP 1,108
-2.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Macao (China)
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$799€711
$1,100MOP 8,892
-27.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$624€555
$931MOP 7,529
-32.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,423€1,266
$2,101MOP 17.0K
-32.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,030€916
$1,644MOP 13.3K
-37.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,601€3,203
$10.8KMOP 87.3K
-66.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,270€2,019
$8,075MOP 65.3K
-71.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Macao (China)
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,893€1,684
$2,031MOP 16.4K
-6.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.56
3
18.67%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Italy: October 18, 2026
Last update for Macao (China): October 17, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Italy
$624 34.2%
Macao (China)
$931 46.7% ↑ 49.2%$307
🛒Groceries & Markets
Italy
$350 19.2%
Macao (China)
$422 21.2% ↑ 20.8%$73
🍽Eating Out
Italy
$276 15.1%
Macao (China)
$178 8.9% ↓ 35.5%$98
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$272 14.9%
Macao (China)
$185 9.3% ↓ 31.9%$87
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$163 8.9%
Macao (China)
$150 7.5% ↓ 7.7%$12
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$75 4.1%
Macao (China)
$95 4.7% ↑ 25.9%$19
🚌Getting Around
Italy
$65 3.6%
Macao (China)
$34 1.7% ↓ 46.9%$30
🏠Accommodation & Living
Italy
$1K 27.4%
Macao (China)
$1.6K 40.3% ↑ 59.7%$615
🛒Groceries & Markets
Italy
$828 22.1%
Macao (China)
$1K 24.7% ↑ 21.6%$179
🍽Eating Out
Italy
$945 25.2%
Macao (China)
$620 15.2% ↓ 34.4%$325
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$283 7.5%
Macao (China)
$209 5.1% ↓ 26.2%$74
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$362 9.6%
Macao (China)
$334 8.2% ↓ 7.7%$28
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$174 4.6%
Macao (China)
$193 4.7% ↑ 10.5%$18
🚌Getting Around
Italy
$134 3.6%
Macao (China)
$70 1.7% ↓ 47.3%$63
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $724 in Italy, $1,101 in Macao (China). Capital cities: $1,191 in Rome vs $1,132 in Macao.
💰National salary averages: $1,892 in Italy, $2,054 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 33% more in Italy.
⭐Public transport is 273% more expensive in Italy.
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
Italy vs Macao (China): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and Macao (China)?
At $1,825 per month in Italy and $1,996 in Macao (China), there's a 9% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,101 in Macao (China) and $724 in Italy. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Italy or in Macao (China)?
In Italy, $2,500 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.
Should I move to Italy or to Macao (China)?
It depends on what you're after: Italy wins on affordability; Macao (China) may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.