Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Macao (China)

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.

🇮🇹 Italy
$1,825
/mo nomad
🇲🇴 Macao (China)
$1,996
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Macao (China)
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.90 €17.70
$6.08 MOP 49.12
227.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.1 €68.6
$54.7 MOP 442
41.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.41 €10.15
$6.15 MOP 49.70
85.53%
Cappuccino
$2.01 €1.78
$5.05 MOP 40.85
-60.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 €2.78
$1.02 MOP 8.28
206.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 €1.24
$0.79 MOP 6.35
77.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.76 €5.12
$5.63 MOP 45.47
2.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.73 €5.10
$7.40 MOP 59.8
-22.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Macao (China)
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.62 €1.44
$3.11 MOP 25.14
-47.91%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 €2.12
$1.70 MOP 13.72
40.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.92 €2.60
$1.73 MOP 13.98
68.79%
Eggs
$4.17 €3.70
$3.46 MOP 27.96
20.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.28 €15.37
$15.90 MOP 129
8.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.73 €11.32
$19.62 MOP 159
-35.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.39 €18.13
$28.68 MOP 232
-28.91%
Apples (1kg)
$2.61 €2.32
$2.70 MOP 21.85
-3.33%
Banana (1kg)
$2.12 €1.88
$2.87 MOP 23.19
-26.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.63 €2.34
$1.93 MOP 15.62
36.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.34 €2.97
$2.36 MOP 19.07
41.53%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 €1.79
$3.85 MOP 31.08
-47.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 €1.69
$2.97 MOP 23.99
-36.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.56 €1.39
$0.62 MOP 5.04
151.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$1.15 MOP 9.31
-52.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.84 €6.08
$6.76 MOP 54.7
1.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.64 €6.80
$12.20 MOP 98.6
-37.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.79 MOP 14.46
0.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 €2.14
$2.18 MOP 17.65
10.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Macao (China)
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.86 €1.65
$0.71 MOP 5.73
161.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.27 €38.49
$22.62 MOP 183
91.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.64 €5.01
$2.58 MOP 20.88
118.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.71 €1.52
$1.28 MOP 10.34
33.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.04 €29.39
$14.79 MOP 120
123.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.11 €1.87
$1.85 MOP 14.95
14.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K €31.8K
$30.8K MOP 248.7K
16.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.4K €33.3K
$31.1K MOP 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
$124 MOP 1,000
85.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60 €10.32
$23.96 MOP 194
-51.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.40 €27.04
$37.38 MOP 302
-18.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Macao (China)
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.9 €47.96
$66.9 MOP 541
-19.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.24 €21.56
$3.68 MOP 29.72
558.70%
Cinema Ticket
$10.58 €9.41
$13.83 MOP 112
-23.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Macao (China)
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$545 €485
$1,234 MOP 9,972
-55.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K €10.3K
$18.7K MOP 150.8K
-38.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Macao (China)
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.4 €78.7
$70.5 MOP 569
25.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.60 €35.22
$33.85 MOP 274
16.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 €89.8
$93.0 MOP 752
8.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133 €118
$137 MOP 1,108
-2.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Macao (China)
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$799 €711
$1,100 MOP 8,892
-27.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$624 €555
$931 MOP 7,529
-32.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,423 €1,266
$2,101 MOP 17.0K
-32.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,030 €916
$1,644 MOP 13.3K
-37.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,601 €3,203
$10.8K MOP 87.3K
-66.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,270 €2,019
$8,075 MOP 65.3K
-71.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Macao (China)
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,893 €1,684
$2,031 MOP 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.
Accommodation & Living
Italy
$624
Macao (China)
$931 49.2% $307
Groceries & Markets
Italy
$350
Macao (China)
$422 20.8% $73
Eating Out
Italy
$276
Macao (China)
$178 35.5% $98
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$272
Macao (China)
$185 31.9% $87
Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$163
Macao (China)
$150 7.7% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$75
Macao (China)
$95 25.9% $19
Getting Around
Italy
$65
Macao (China)
$34 46.9% $30

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.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Italy
🇲🇴 Macao (China)
🕒 Local time
19:00 7:00 PM
01:00 1:00 AM
6 h ahead of Italy
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
58,850,717
682,100
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.09 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Italy Macao (China) 9,240 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Italy
  • Macao (China)

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.

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