Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Alba Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Alba

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,104 per month in Macao vs $1,705 in Alba, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,971 per month in Macao vs $2,685 in Alba, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,837 per month in Macao vs $3,665 in Alba, rent included.

Macao costs about 23% more than Alba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Macao and Alba sit above the global median – Macao by 53%, Alba by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.06 MOP 48.94

$23.97 €20.66

-74.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 MOP 444

$94.1 €81.1

-41.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 MOP 46.80

$14.10 €12.15

-58.94%

Cappuccino

$5.12 MOP 41.38

$2.22 €1.91

130.63%

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

$1.05 MOP 8.45

$3.94 €3.39

-73.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 MOP 7.05

$2.00 €1.72

-56.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 MOP 46.91

$5.96 €5.13

-2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.49 MOP 60.5

$7.00 €6.03

7.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.14 MOP 25.37

$1.79 €1.54

75.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 MOP 14.12

$3.43 €2.95

-48.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MOP 13.95

$3.92 €3.38

-55.87%

Eggs

$3.33 MOP 26.93

$5.24 €4.52

-36.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.32 MOP 132

$23.78 €20.50

-31.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.30 MOP 156

$15.11 €13.02

27.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.72 MOP 232

$23.75 €20.47

20.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MOP 21.90

$3.23 €2.78

-16.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 MOP 23.83

$2.56 €2.21

15.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MOP 15.31

$3.54 €3.05

-46.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 MOP 19.68

$4.53 €3.90

-46.14%

Potato (1kg)

$4.00 MOP 32.31

$2.45 €2.12

63.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 MOP 23.88

$2.04 €1.76

45.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 MOP 5.37

$1.83 €1.57

-63.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MOP 9.77

$0.58 €0.50

108.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 MOP 52.9

$6.87 €5.92

-4.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 MOP 100

$9.17 €7.91

35.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MOP 14.46

$2.09 €1.81

-14.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 MOP 18.01

$2.48 €2.14

-10.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MOP 6.16

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.27 MOP 180

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 MOP 21.19

$8.36 €7.20

-68.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MOP 10.08

$2.27 €1.96

-44.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.66 MOP 118

$62.9 €54.3

-76.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 MOP 14.19

$2.23 €1.92

-21.08%

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

$31.1K MOP 251.4K

$37.8K €32.6K

-17.75%

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

$32.0K MOP 258.8K

$36.9K €31.8K

-13.24%

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

$124 MOP 1,000

$260 €224

-52.36%

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

$23.69 MOP 191

$8.22 €7.09

188.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.54 MOP 303

$30.08 €25.93

24.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.2 MOP 510

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.74 MOP 30.20

Cinema Ticket

$14.64 MOP 118

$12.89 €11.11

13.58%

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

$1,229 MOP 9,926

$870 €750

41.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K MOP 153.3K

$19.7K €17.0K

-3.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 MOP 554

$109 €93.8

-36.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.13 MOP 268

$52.9 €45.58

-37.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 MOP 742

$116 €100

-21.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 MOP 1,094

$169 €146

-19.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 MOP 9,198

$555 €479

105.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 MOP 8,642

$414 €357

158.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,124 MOP 17.2K

$764 €658

178.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 MOP 11.5K

$637 €549

123.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,441 MOP 68.2K

$3,129 €2,697

169.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,667 MOP 45.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,990 MOP 16.1K

$2,708 €2,334

-26.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.17

-5.36%

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

Last update for Macao: September 5, 2026

Last update for Alba: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,139 in Macao versus $555 in Alba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 36% higher in Alba, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Macao versus $94.0 in Alba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $425 vs $435 – making Macao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 vs Alba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Macao is pricier by about 23%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,156 per month in Macao and $2,557 in Alba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Macao and $94.0 in Alba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Macao – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Alba, where all-in costs run around $1,705, than in Macao at $2,104. In Alba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Macao it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Alba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Alba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Macao makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.