Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Macao Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Macao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,721 in Macao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,815 in Macao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,908 in Macao.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 33% more expensive than in Macao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Macao 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$6.24 MOP 50.4

159.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$49.70 MOP 401

27.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$6.32 MOP 51.1

63.29%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$4.87 MOP 39.33

-41.89%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.20 MOP 9.66

90.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.88 MOP 7.10

79.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$5.67 MOP 45.78

-40.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$7.14 MOP 57.7

-43.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$2.95 MOP 23.84

-63.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.59 MOP 12.81

10.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.53 MOP 12.32

15.03%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.08 MOP 24.86

2.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$17.32 MOP 140

-23.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$7.80 MOP 63.0

2.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$23.05 MOP 186

-32.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.76 MOP 30.39

-36.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$3.00 MOP 24.26

-43.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.75 MOP 30.31

-46.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.75 MOP 22.17

-11.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$4.26 MOP 34.40

-58.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.38 MOP 27.30

-39.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.62 MOP 13.11

18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.09 MOP 8.77

-22.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$6.19 MOP 49.96

6.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$12.27 MOP 99.1

-54.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.40 MOP 11.34

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.09 MOP 16.87

42.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.77 MOP 6.21

196.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$21.92 MOP 177

108.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.63 MOP 21.25

60.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.17 MOP 9.49

-30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$14.96 MOP 121

23.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.74 MOP 14.09

19.54%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$31.0K MOP 250.6K

11.74%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$27.5K MOP 221.7K

42.62%

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

$148 €130

$103 MOP 830

44.07%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$25.16 MOP 203

-18.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$33.06 MOP 267

19.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$85.1 MOP 687

-43.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$3.45 MOP 27.88

439.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$14.39 MOP 116

-35.93%

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

$616 €540

$693 MOP 5,599

-11.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$13.6K MOP 110.0K

20.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$64.9 MOP 524

58.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$29.20 MOP 236

42.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$88.5 MOP 715

7.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$102 MOP 820

20.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$1,061 MOP 8,568

53.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$771 MOP 6,223

59.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,955 MOP 15.8K

58.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,593 MOP 12.9K

27.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$8,503 MOP 68.7K

-7.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$5,652 MOP 45.6K

-22.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$2,055 MOP 16.6K

-21.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.28

16.16%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Macao: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $1,061 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $50.0 in Macao. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $364, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Lisbon vs Macao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Macao differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,721 including rent). Macao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Macao. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $1,061 in Macao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $693 in Macao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 36% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,721 in Macao versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macao but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Macao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Macao are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Macao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.