Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao (China) and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Macao (China): $2,009 a month against $2,542 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Macao (China)
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Macao (China) Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
Learn more

Australia Living Index

Jump to prices

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,009

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,542

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Macao (China) and in Australia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Macao (China) and in Australia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,009 per month in Macao (China) vs $2,542 in Australia, rent included.

Macao (China) $2,009
Australia $2,542

A couple spends around $3,040 per month in Macao (China) vs $3,717 in Australia, rent included.

Macao (China) $3,040
Australia $3,717

A family of three spends $4,070 per month in Macao (China) vs $4,893 in Australia, rent included.

Macao (China) $4,070
Australia $4,893

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,646–$3,152) than in Macao (China) ($2,021–$2,114), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Macao (China) is roughly 21% lower than in Australia on average.

Both Macao (China) and Australia are pricier than the global median – Macao (China) by 49%, Australia by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.31 MOP 51.0

$17.16 A$24.69

-63.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 MOP 452

$83.9 A$121

-33.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.22 MOP 50.3

$11.20 A$16.12

-44.46%

Cappuccino

$4.98 MOP 40.28

$3.92 A$5.64

27.04%

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

$0.98 MOP 7.95

$2.83 A$4.07

-65.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MOP 6.29

$2.30 A$3.31

-66.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 MOP 45.27

$7.68 A$11.06

-27.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 MOP 57.9

$8.25 A$11.87

-13.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 MOP 26.27

$1.76 A$2.53

84.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 MOP 14.25

$2.77 A$3.99

-36.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MOP 13.83

$2.19 A$3.16

-21.92%

Eggs

$3.37 MOP 27.22

$4.99 A$7.18

-32.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 MOP 130

$9.94 A$14.31

61.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.42 MOP 157

$9.03 A$12.99

115.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.79 MOP 233

$15.25 A$21.94

88.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 MOP 20.97

$3.67 A$5.28

-29.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 MOP 24.00

$3.05 A$4.39

-2.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 MOP 15.05

$3.12 A$4.50

-40.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 MOP 18.83

$4.56 A$6.56

-48.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.95 MOP 31.90

$2.81 A$4.04

40.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 MOP 23.55

$2.39 A$3.44

21.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 MOP 5.04

$2.35 A$3.39

-73.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MOP 9.65

$1.64 A$2.36

-27.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 MOP 53.4

$38.42 A$55.3

-82.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 MOP 101

$13.77 A$19.82

-9.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 MOP 13.76

$4.69 A$6.75

-63.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 MOP 17.94

$5.08 A$7.31

-56.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MOP 5.72

$2.72 A$3.91

-73.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.29 MOP 180

$95.8 A$138

-76.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 MOP 20.61

$3.54 A$5.10

-27.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 MOP 10.49

$1.55 A$2.23

-16.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.13 MOP 122

$40.00 A$57.6

-62.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 MOP 15.00

$1.30 A$1.87

43.08%

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

$30.6K MOP 247.4K

$28.2K A$40.5K

8.65%

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

$30.9K MOP 249.5K

$28.5K A$40.9K

8.45%

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

$121 MOP 978

$198 A$285

-38.96%

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

$23.79 MOP 192

$28.75 A$41.37

-17.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.99 MOP 299

$58.6 A$84.4

-36.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 MOP 542

$56.7 A$81.6

18.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.62 MOP 29.23

$19.08 A$27.46

-81.03%

Cinema Ticket

$14.23 MOP 115

$15.02 A$21.62

-5.26%

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

$1,228 MOP 9,922

$2,154 A$3,099

-43.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K MOP 154.6K

$17.9K A$25.8K

6.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MOP 566

$78.0 A$112

-10.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.94 MOP 274

$54.8 A$78.8

-38.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 MOP 749

$112 A$161

-17.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 MOP 1,121

$124 A$179

11.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 MOP 8,788

$1,540 A$2,215

-29.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$944 MOP 7,633

$1,222 A$1,758

-22.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,087 MOP 16.9K

$2,478 A$3,566

-15.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,626 MOP 13.1K

$1,930 A$2,778

-15.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K MOP 86.2K

$8,153 A$11.7K

30.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,982 MOP 64.5K

$6,053 A$8,711

31.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,031 MOP 16.4K

$3,944 A$5,676

-48.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

-49.41%

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

Last update for Macao (China): October 10, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Macao (China)

$944 47%

Australia

$1.2K 48.1% 29.4% $277

Groceries & Markets

Macao (China)

$424 21.1%

Australia

$370 14.6% 12.7% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Macao (China)

$182 9.1%

Australia

$286 11.2% 57.1% $104

Eating Out

Macao (China)

$178 8.9%

Australia

$293 11.5% 64.5% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Macao (China)

$151 7.5%

Australia

$166 6.5% 10.1% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Macao (China)

$95 4.8%

Australia

$87 3.4% 9.1% $8.7

Getting Around

Macao (China)

$34 1.7%

Australia

$118 4.6% 245% $84

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,078 in Macao (China) vs $1,366 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,103 in Macao and $1,716 in Canberra.

Average salary: $2,041 in Macao (China) vs $3,849 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 27% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 46% more in Australia.

Public transport is 582% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 89% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

11:33 11:33 AM

14:33 2:33 PM

3 h ahead of Macao (China)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

682,100

26,473,055

💱 Currency

Macanese Pataca MOP P

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to MOP – Macanese Pataca Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇴 Macanese Pataca (P)

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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to MOP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Macao (China) Australia 7,410 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Macao (China)
Australia

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

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

Macao (China) is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 27% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,366 versus $1,078 in Macao (China).

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Macao (China), but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Macao (China) is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.