Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao (China) and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $793 a month against $2,009 in Macao (China), rent and utilities included – about $14,600 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
39

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,009

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,009 in Macao (China) versus $793 in China.

Macao (China) $2,009
China $793

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,040 in Macao (China) versus $1,261 in China.

Macao (China) $3,040
China $1,261

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,070 in Macao (China) versus $1,730 in China.

Macao (China) $4,070
China $1,730

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $466 to $1,244, compared to $2,021–$2,114 in Macao (China). City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in Macao (China) is roughly 153% more expensive than in China on average.

Macao (China) (49% above) and China (41% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.31 MOP 51.0

$2.96 ¥19.76

113.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 MOP 452

$22.74 ¥152

145.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.22 MOP 50.3

$5.34 ¥35.70

16.48%

Cappuccino

$4.98 MOP 40.28

$3.04 ¥20.35

63.82%

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

$0.98 MOP 7.95

$0.48 ¥3.22

104.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MOP 6.29

$0.28 ¥1.85

178.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 MOP 45.27

$1.03 ¥6.92

443.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 MOP 57.9

$2.27 ¥15.16

215.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 MOP 26.27

$1.80 ¥12.02

80.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 MOP 14.25

$1.69 ¥11.28

4.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MOP 13.83

$1.00 ¥6.69

71.00%

Eggs

$3.37 MOP 27.22

$1.56 ¥10.42

116.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 MOP 130

$13.44 ¥89.8

19.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.42 MOP 157

$3.48 ¥23.28

458.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.79 MOP 233

$11.49 ¥76.8

150.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 MOP 20.97

$1.79 ¥12.00

44.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 MOP 24.00

$1.26 ¥8.41

135.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 MOP 15.05

$1.48 ¥9.92

25.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 MOP 18.83

$1.31 ¥8.76

77.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.95 MOP 31.90

$0.72 ¥4.84

448.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 MOP 23.55

$0.93 ¥6.24

212.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 MOP 5.04

$0.61 ¥4.11

1.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MOP 9.65

$0.58 ¥3.89

105.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 MOP 53.4

$3.84 ¥25.65

71.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 MOP 101

$11.87 ¥79.4

4.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 MOP 13.76

$0.86 ¥5.72

97.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 MOP 17.94

$1.69 ¥11.33

31.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MOP 5.72

$0.31 ¥2.07

129.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.29 MOP 180

$22.36 ¥150

-0.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 MOP 20.61

$1.47 ¥9.82

73.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 MOP 10.49

$0.38 ¥2.53

242.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.13 MOP 122

$7.03 ¥47.04

115.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 MOP 15.00

$1.24 ¥8.32

50.00%

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

$30.6K MOP 247.4K

$19.2K ¥128.5K

59.20%

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

$30.9K MOP 249.5K

$17.3K ¥115.6K

78.45%

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

$121 MOP 978

$54.3 ¥363

122.91%

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

$23.79 MOP 192

$8.34 ¥55.7

185.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.99 MOP 299

$10.77 ¥72.0

243.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 MOP 542

$40.39 ¥270

65.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.62 MOP 29.23

$14.77 ¥98.8

-75.49%

Cinema Ticket

$14.23 MOP 115

$6.89 ¥46.08

106.53%

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

$1,228 MOP 9,922

$457 ¥3,057

168.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K MOP 154.6K

$20.1K ¥134.2K

-4.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MOP 566

$45.10 ¥302

55.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.94 MOP 274

$35.65 ¥238

-4.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 MOP 749

$77.9 ¥521

18.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 MOP 1,121

$78.0 ¥522

77.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 MOP 8,788

$391 ¥2,615

178.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$944 MOP 7,633

$232 ¥1,549

307.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,087 MOP 16.9K

$816 ¥5,457

155.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,626 MOP 13.1K

$459 ¥3,070

254.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K MOP 86.2K

$4,585 ¥30.7K

132.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,982 MOP 64.5K

$2,309 ¥15.4K

245.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,031 MOP 16.4K

$1,084 ¥7,247

87.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

-13.29%

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

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

Last update for China: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Macao (China)

$944 47%

China

$232 29.2% 75.5% $713

Groceries & Markets

Macao (China)

$424 21.1%

China

$211 26.6% 50.2% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Macao (China)

$182 9.1%

China

$73 9.3% 59.6% $108

Eating Out

Macao (China)

$178 8.9%

China

$89 11.2% 50.1% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Macao (China)

$151 7.5%

China

$107 13.4% 29.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Macao (China)

$95 4.8%

China

$54 6.8% 43.3% $41

Getting Around

Macao (China)

$34 1.7%

China

$27 3.4% 21.1% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,078 in Macao (China), $298 in China. Capital cities: $1,103 in Macao vs $940 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,041 in Macao (China), $871 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 262% higher in Macao (China).

Dining out costs 167% more in Macao (China).

Public transport is 55% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 134% higher in Macao (China).

Good to know

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

14:24 2:24 PM

Same time as Macao (China)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

682,100

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Macanese Pataca MOP P

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, 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).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to MOP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Macao (China) China 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Macao (China)
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

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

At $793 per month in China and $2,009 in Macao (China), there's a 153% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,078 in Macao (China) and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In China, $2,000 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.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Macao (China) may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.