Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,387 a month against $2,107 in Macao, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Macao
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Macao Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,107

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Macao and in Almaty

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

A single person spends $2,107 per month in Macao vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Macao $2,107
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $3,021 per month in Macao vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Macao $3,021
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $3,935 per month in Macao vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Macao $3,935
Almaty $2,883

Macao costs about 52% more than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Macao and Almaty sit above the global median – Macao by 57%, Almaty by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.31 MOP 51.0

$13.31 ₸5,991

-52.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 MOP 444

$43.37 ₸19.5K

26.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.91 MOP 47.73

$8.80 ₸3,959

-32.84%

Cappuccino

$4.89 MOP 39.49

$3.30 ₸1,486

48.18%

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

$1.06 MOP 8.56

$1.37 ₸616

-22.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MOP 7.55

$0.90 ₸406

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 MOP 45.49

$3.13 ₸1,409

79.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 MOP 58.4

$4.10 ₸1,847

76.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 MOP 24.98

$1.66 ₸749

86.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 MOP 13.50

$0.90 ₸403

85.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MOP 13.97

$2.06 ₸927

-16.02%

Eggs

$3.40 MOP 27.46

$2.37 ₸1,067

43.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 MOP 130

$12.64 ₸5,689

26.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.07 MOP 154

$6.62 ₸2,978

188.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.25 MOP 236

$10.87 ₸4,893

169.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MOP 21.87

$1.86 ₸839

45.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 MOP 23.14

$2.37 ₸1,067

20.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 MOP 15.90

$2.99 ₸1,348

-34.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MOP 19.06

$2.83 ₸1,273

-16.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 MOP 31.10

$0.77 ₸345

400.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 MOP 23.86

$0.58 ₸262

408.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 MOP 5.30

$1.59 ₸718

-58.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MOP 9.74

$0.99 ₸446

21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.64 MOP 53.7

$2.54 ₸1,145

161.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 MOP 98.1

$11.04 ₸4,969

9.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MOP 14.34

$1.21 ₸546

46.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 MOP 18.66

$2.41 ₸1,085

-4.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MOP 6.13

$0.25 ₸113

204.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.62 MOP 183

$21.84 ₸9,831

3.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 MOP 20.78

$1.28 ₸577

100.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MOP 9.99

$0.64 ₸289

93.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 MOP 121

$10.74 ₸4,836

39.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 MOP 14.22

$0.69 ₸312

155.07%

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

$31.1K MOP 251.3K

$22.3K ₸10.0M

39.57%

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

$31.8K MOP 256.7K

$29.3K ₸13.2M

8.25%

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

$124 MOP 1,002

$87.8 ₸39.5K

41.31%

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

$23.44 MOP 189

$10.83 ₸4,874

116.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.46 MOP 295

$17.40 ₸7,831

109.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 MOP 511

$69.7 ₸31.4K

-9.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 MOP 30.57

$26.58 ₸12.0K

-85.78%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 MOP 119

$6.68 ₸3,009

120.51%

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

$1,193 MOP 9,642

$446 ₸200.8K

167.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K MOP 156.2K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

62.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MOP 566

$93.7 ₸42.2K

-25.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.25 MOP 269

$46.91 ₸21.1K

-29.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 MOP 747

$143 ₸64.3K

-35.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 MOP 1,084

$133 ₸60.1K

0.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 MOP 9,136

$773 ₸348.1K

46.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 MOP 8,651

$497 ₸223.9K

115.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,092 MOP 16.9K

$1,390 ₸625.9K

50.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,461 MOP 11.8K

$880 ₸396.0K

66.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,347 MOP 67.5K

$2,546 ₸1.1M

227.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,538 MOP 44.8K

$1,506 ₸678.2K

267.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,053 MOP 16.6K

$834 ₸375.2K

146.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

-85.47%

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

Last update for Macao: October 3, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Macao

$1.1K 50.3%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 53.5% $573

Groceries & Markets

Macao

$422 19.8%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 40.5% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Macao

$184 8.6%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 36.9% $68

Eating Out

Macao

$177 8.3%

Almaty

$205 15% 15.8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Macao

$148 7%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 26.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Macao

$93 4.4%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 10.4% $9.7

Getting Around

Macao

$34 1.6%

Almaty

$27 2% 20.6% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,130 in Macao versus $773 in Almaty. 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 146% higher in Macao, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Macao versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $422 vs $251 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇴 Macao

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

09:37 9:37 AM

07:37 7:37 AM

2 h behind Macao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

622,567 Capital

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Macanese Pataca MOP P

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to MOP – Macanese Pataca Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇴 Macanese Pataca (P)

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.07 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MOP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Macao Almaty 4,100 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Macao
Almaty

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 vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Macao is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,160 per month in Macao and $2,080 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Almaty, 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 $43.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,107 in Macao and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 52%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,387, than in Macao at $2,107. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Macao it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Almaty – 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 Almaty. 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.