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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,122 in Macao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $3,017 in Macao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,911 in Macao.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 8% more expensive than in Macao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Macao 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$6.07 MOP 49.06

189.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$55.9 MOP 451

12.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$6.04 MOP 48.83

91.72%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.98 MOP 40.22

-37.75%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.02 MOP 8.24

144.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.91 MOP 7.35

91.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$5.81 MOP 46.97

-40.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$7.37 MOP 59.6

-53.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$3.26 MOP 26.31

-64.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.77 MOP 14.27

7.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.72 MOP 13.89

-12.79%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.52 MOP 28.45

13.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$16.03 MOP 130

-17.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$19.54 MOP 158

-59.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$28.40 MOP 229

-36.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.70 MOP 21.84

-12.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.83 MOP 22.83

-38.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.87 MOP 15.07

-1.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.39 MOP 19.31

6.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$3.84 MOP 31.03

-52.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.85 MOP 23.06

-26.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.63 MOP 5.08

136.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.17 MOP 9.42

-29.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$6.50 MOP 52.5

9.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$12.36 MOP 99.9

-52.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.70 MOP 13.70

-22.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.24 MOP 18.09

-4.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.75 MOP 6.09

214.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$22.69 MOP 183

105.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$2.58 MOP 20.88

58.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.24 MOP 10.05

-8.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$14.76 MOP 119

15.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.77 MOP 14.33

30.51%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$30.6K MOP 247.3K

11.50%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$31.8K MOP 256.9K

30.14%

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

$169 €147

$121 MOP 975

39.64%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$23.66 MOP 191

-18.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$37.16 MOP 300

-9.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$65.1 MOP 526

-25.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$3.80 MOP 30.67

411.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$14.40 MOP 116

-33.54%

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

$696 €607

$1,221 MOP 9,862

-42.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$19.2K MOP 154.8K

-9.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$68.5 MOP 553

53.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$33.39 MOP 270

43.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$91.9 MOP 743

9.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$135 MOP 1,087

-7.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$1,109 MOP 8,957

49.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$1,084 MOP 8,756

14.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$2,054 MOP 16.6K

44.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,459 MOP 11.8K

40.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$8,173 MOP 66.0K

-4.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$5,659 MOP 45.7K

-21.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$2,036 MOP 16.4K

-19.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

26.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Macao: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,109 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 25% 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 $56.0 in Macao. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $424, 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 8% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $2,122 including rent). Macao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $1,109 in Macao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $1,221 in Macao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 53% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,122 in Macao versus $2,296 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 8% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.