Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao (China) and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao (China) and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,095 in Macao (China) versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,096 in Macao (China) versus $1,145 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,097 in Macao (China) versus $1,570 in China.

Living in Macao (China) is roughly 191% more expensive than in China on average.

Macao (China) (52% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $458 to $1,247, compared to $2,067–$2,122 in Macao (China). City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.38 MOP 51.5

$2.90 ¥19.44

120.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 MOP 459

$22.13 ¥148

156.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.92 MOP 47.80

$5.31 ¥35.61

11.49%

Cappuccino

$4.98 MOP 40.17

$2.99 ¥20.06

66.56%

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

$1.00 MOP 8.07

$0.48 ¥3.21

108.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MOP 6.29

$0.30 ¥2.03

160.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 MOP 46.61

$1.02 ¥6.83

465.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 MOP 57.4

$2.21 ¥14.83

221.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.24 MOP 26.20

$1.74 ¥11.67

86.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 MOP 14.28

$1.68 ¥11.24

5.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MOP 13.87

$0.96 ¥6.43

79.17%

Eggs

$3.52 MOP 28.44

$1.54 ¥10.35

128.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.53 MOP 133

$13.51 ¥90.7

22.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.27 MOP 156

$3.48 ¥23.35

453.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.97 MOP 234

$11.34 ¥76.1

155.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MOP 21.73

$1.88 ¥12.59

43.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 MOP 23.97

$1.29 ¥8.68

130.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MOP 15.22

$1.52 ¥10.18

24.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MOP 19.47

$1.27 ¥8.54

89.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.97 MOP 32.10

$0.72 ¥4.83

451.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 MOP 23.11

$0.88 ¥5.90

225.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 MOP 5.37

$0.61 ¥4.06

8.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MOP 9.65

$0.55 ¥3.72

118.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 MOP 55.6

$3.73 ¥25.04

84.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.25 MOP 98.9

$11.87 ¥79.6

3.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MOP 13.65

$0.90 ¥6.04

87.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 MOP 17.74

$1.68 ¥11.28

30.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MOP 6.16

$0.29 ¥1.94

162.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.38 MOP 181

$22.23 ¥149

0.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 MOP 21.19

$1.52 ¥10.18

72.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 MOP 10.39

$0.37 ¥2.49

248.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.91 MOP 120

$7.33 ¥49.17

103.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 MOP 14.56

$1.22 ¥8.20

47.54%

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

$30.8K MOP 248.9K

$19.3K ¥129.5K

59.70%

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

$31.9K MOP 257.5K

$17.1K ¥114.9K

86.24%

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

$121 MOP 973

$53.8 ¥361

124.14%

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

$23.20 MOP 187

$8.71 ¥58.5

166.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.33 MOP 293

$10.93 ¥73.3

232.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.1 MOP 558

$40.74 ¥273

69.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.66 MOP 29.53

$14.53 ¥97.5

-74.81%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 MOP 113

$6.55 ¥43.92

113.13%

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

$1,214 MOP 9,804

$457 ¥3,065

165.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K MOP 156.6K

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-0.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 MOP 559

$45.62 ¥306

51.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.69 MOP 272

$35.90 ¥241

-6.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 MOP 754

$76.1 ¥511

22.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 MOP 1,088

$76.4 ¥513

76.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 MOP 8,970

$385 ¥2,582

188.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$941 MOP 7,597

$239 ¥1,603

293.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 MOP 16.8K

$840 ¥5,634

147.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 MOP 13.4K

$484 ¥3,246

243.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.0K MOP 89.2K

$4,581 ¥30.7K

141.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,081 MOP 65.2K

$2,266 ¥15.2K

256.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,992 MOP 16.1K

$1,065 ¥7,146

87.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

-13.54%

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

Last update for Macao (China): August 31, 2026

Last update for China: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,094 in Macao (China), $294 in China. Capital cities: $1,127 in Macao vs $959 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,984 in Macao (China), $864 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 272% higher in Macao (China).

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

Public transport is 55% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 130% higher in Macao (China), and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 $853 per month in China and $2,095 in Macao (China), there's a 146% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Macao (China) is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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.