Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao (China) and the United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

For one person, living is cheaper in Macao (China): $1,996 a month against $2,478 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Macao (China)
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Macao (China) Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in the United Kingdom
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United Kingdom Living Index

Jump to prices

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$1,996

/mo nomad

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,478

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 the United Kingdom actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,996 in Macao (China) versus $2,478 in the United Kingdom.

Macao (China) $1,996
United Kingdom $2,478

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,037 in Macao (China) versus $3,608 in the United Kingdom.

Macao (China) $3,037
United Kingdom $3,608

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,078 in Macao (China) versus $4,739 in the United Kingdom.

Macao (China) $4,078
United Kingdom $4,739

Internal cost variation is higher in the United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,143 to $4,049, compared to $2,035–$2,139 in Macao (China). City choice carries more weight in the United Kingdom.

Living in Macao (China) costs about 19% less than in the United Kingdom on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Macao (China) 47% above, the United Kingdom 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 MOP 49.12

$21.61 £16.21

-71.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 MOP 442

$87.7 £65.8

-37.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 MOP 49.70

$10.82 £8.12

-43.16%

Cappuccino

$5.05 MOP 40.85

$4.77 £3.58

5.87%

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

$1.02 MOP 8.28

$2.64 £1.98

-61.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 MOP 6.35

$1.88 £1.41

-57.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 MOP 45.47

$6.59 £4.94

-14.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 MOP 59.8

$6.56 £4.92

12.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.11 MOP 25.14

$1.64 £1.23

89.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 MOP 13.72

$1.65 £1.23

3.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MOP 13.98

$2.23 £1.68

-22.42%

Eggs

$3.46 MOP 27.96

$4.06 £3.05

-14.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.90 MOP 129

$9.64 £7.23

64.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.62 MOP 159

$9.14 £6.86

114.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.68 MOP 232

$14.77 £11.08

94.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MOP 21.85

$2.92 £2.19

-7.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 MOP 23.19

$1.65 £1.24

73.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 MOP 15.62

$2.80 £2.10

-31.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MOP 19.07

$3.32 £2.49

-28.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 MOP 31.08

$1.81 £1.36

112.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 MOP 23.99

$1.56 £1.17

90.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 MOP 5.04

$1.24 £0.93

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 MOP 9.31

$1.66 £1.25

-30.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 MOP 54.7

$23.79 £17.85

-71.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.20 MOP 98.6

$10.46 £7.85

16.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MOP 14.46

$2.94 £2.21

-39.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 MOP 17.65

$3.39 £2.54

-35.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MOP 5.73

$3.51 £2.63

-79.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.62 MOP 183

$104 £78.3

-78.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 MOP 20.88

$5.42 £4.06

-52.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 MOP 10.34

$2.40 £1.80

-46.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.79 MOP 120

$27.06 £20.30

-45.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 MOP 14.95

$1.96 £1.47

-5.61%

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

$30.8K MOP 248.7K

$38.7K £29.0K

-20.47%

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

$31.1K MOP 251.7K

$41.2K £30.9K

-24.50%

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

$124 MOP 1,000

$323 £242

-61.69%

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

$23.96 MOP 194

$18.55 £13.92

29.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.38 MOP 302

$42.14 £31.61

-11.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 MOP 541

$46.76 £35.08

43.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.68 MOP 29.72

$17.95 £13.47

-79.50%

Cinema Ticket

$13.83 MOP 112

$13.85 £10.39

-0.14%

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

$1,234 MOP 9,972

$1,725 £1,294

-28.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K MOP 150.8K

$22.6K £16.9K

-17.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 MOP 569

$92.8 £69.6

-24.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.85 MOP 274

$46.58 £34.94

-27.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 MOP 752

$102 £76.5

-8.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 MOP 1,108

$102 £76.6

34.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 MOP 8,892

$1,348 £1,011

-18.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 MOP 7,529

$1,098 £824

-15.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,101 MOP 17.0K

$2,160 £1,620

-2.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MOP 13.3K

$1,745 £1,309

-5.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K MOP 87.3K

$5,578 £4,184

93.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,075 MOP 65.3K

$4,418 £3,315

82.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,031 MOP 16.4K

$3,358 £2,519

-39.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

-43.61%

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

Last update for Macao (China): October 17, 2026

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Macao (China)

$931 46.7%

United Kingdom

$1.1K 44.3% 17.9% $166

Groceries & Markets

Macao (China)

$422 21.2%

United Kingdom

$305 12.3% 27.7% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Macao (China)

$185 9.3%

United Kingdom

$384 15.5% 107% $199

Eating Out

Macao (China)

$178 8.9%

United Kingdom

$327 13.2% 83.6% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Macao (China)

$150 7.5%

United Kingdom

$155 6.2% 2.7% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Macao (China)

$95 4.7%

United Kingdom

$74 3% 21.3% $20

Getting Around

Macao (China)

$34 1.7%

United Kingdom

$136 5.5% 294% $101

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,101 in Macao (China), $1,265 in the United Kingdom. Capital cities: $1,132 in Macao vs $2,852 in London.

National salary averages: $2,054 in Macao (China), $3,250 in the United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 15% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 51% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 700% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are 58% higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🕒 Local time

19:38 7:38 PM

12:38 12:38 PM

7 h behind Macao (China)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

682,100

67,326,569

💱 Currency

Macanese Pataca MOP P

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, 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).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD to MOP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Macao (China) United Kingdom 9,600 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Macao (China)
United Kingdom

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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,996 per month in Macao (China) and $2,478 in the United Kingdom, there's a 24% 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 $1,265 in the United Kingdom and $1,101 in Macao (China). Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Macao (China), $2,500 covers most cities easily; in the United Kingdom 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: Macao (China) wins on affordability; the United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.