Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Auburn, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Auburn, AL: $2,013 a month against $2,139 in Macao, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
98

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, AL
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Auburn, AL Living Index

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Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,139

/mo nomad

Auburn, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,013

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Macao and in Auburn, AL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,139 in Macao versus $2,013 in Auburn, AL.

Macao $2,139
Auburn, AL $2,013

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,023 in Macao versus $2,941 in Auburn, AL.

Macao $3,023
Auburn, AL $2,941

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,906 in Macao versus $3,870 in Auburn, AL.

Macao $3,906
Auburn, AL $3,870

Living in Macao is roughly 6% more expensive than in Auburn, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Macao 58% above, Auburn, AL 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.21 MOP 50.2

$13.18 $13.18

-52.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 MOP 447

$47.90 $47.90

15.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 MOP 46.84

$10.60 $10.60

-45.38%

Cappuccino

$4.93 MOP 39.81

$5.11 $5.11

-3.52%

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

$1.01 MOP 8.13

$2.44 $2.44

-58.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MOP 7.49

$1.72 $1.72

-45.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 MOP 47.17

$4.97 $4.97

17.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.49 MOP 60.6

$6.12 $6.12

22.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.23 MOP 26.10

$1.09 $1.09

196.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 MOP 13.75

$3.64 $3.64

-53.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 MOP 14.03

$5.53 $5.53

-68.54%

Eggs

$3.39 MOP 27.38

$4.28 $4.28

-20.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 MOP 129

$11.81 $11.81

34.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.45 MOP 157

$6.21 $6.21

213.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.73 MOP 232

$10.76 $10.76

167.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 MOP 20.96

$4.99 $4.99

-48.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 MOP 23.48

$1.19 $1.19

143.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MOP 15.70

$2.48 $2.48

-21.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MOP 18.92

$2.86 $2.86

-18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 MOP 32.72

$1.85 $1.85

118.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 MOP 22.73

$2.20 $2.20

27.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MOP 5.09

$2.00 $2.00

-68.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MOP 9.23

$1.85 $1.85

-38.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 MOP 53.5

$6.67 $6.67

-0.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.32 MOP 99.6

$12.42 $12.42

-0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 MOP 13.77

$1.68 $1.68

1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 MOP 18.05

$5.11 $5.11

-56.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MOP 5.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.85 MOP 185

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 MOP 20.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MOP 10.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.67 MOP 119

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 MOP 14.94

$0.78 $0.78

137.18%

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

$30.5K MOP 246.9K

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

$31.9K MOP 258.1K

$35.5K $35.5K

-10.09%

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

$124 MOP 1,004

$207 $207

-40.10%

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

$23.42 MOP 189

$54.6 $54.6

-57.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.77 MOP 297

$64.1 $64.1

-42.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.2 MOP 527

$64.5 $64.5

0.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 MOP 30.56

Cinema Ticket

$14.84 MOP 120

$15.19 $15.19

-2.30%

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

$1,197 MOP 9,679

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K MOP 153.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.9 MOP 565

$49.99 $49.99

39.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.93 MOP 266

$48.26 $48.26

-31.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 MOP 754

$67.9 $67.9

37.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 MOP 1,081

$65.5 $65.5

104.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 MOP 9,153

$1,288 $1,288

-12.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 MOP 8,702

$910 $910

18.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 MOP 17.0K

$2,090 $2,090

0.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,474 MOP 11.9K

$1,592 $1,592

-7.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,212 MOP 66.4K

$2,054 $2,054

299.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,513 MOP 44.6K

$2,059 $2,059

167.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,054 MOP 16.6K

$4,356 $4,356

-52.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

-53.05%

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

Last update for Macao: October 18, 2026

Last update for Auburn, AL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Macao

$1.1K 50.3%

Auburn, AL

$910 45.2% 15.5% $166

Groceries & Markets

Macao

$422 19.8%

Auburn, AL

$325 16.2% 23% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Macao

$184 8.6%

Auburn, AL

$326 16.2% 76.8% $142

Eating Out

Macao

$178 8.3%

Auburn, AL

$252 12.5% 41.7% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Macao

$148 6.9%

Auburn, AL

$104 5.2% 29.8% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Macao

$95 4.4%

Auburn, AL

$95 4.7% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Macao

$34 1.6%

Auburn, AL

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,132 in Macao and $1,288 in Auburn, AL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auburn, AL pays 112% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55.0 in Macao vs $48.00 in Auburn, AL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $422 vs $325 per month, with Auburn, AL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇴 Macao

🇺🇸 Auburn, AL

🕒 Local time

00:56 12:56 AM

11:56 11:56 AM

13 h behind Macao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

622,567 Capital

76,143

💱 Currency

Macanese Pataca MOP P

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MOP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Macao Auburn, AL 13,600 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Macao
Auburn, AL

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 Auburn, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Macao and Auburn, AL differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,139 vs $2,013 including rent). Auburn, AL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 112% lower in Auburn, AL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,132 in Macao versus $1,288 in Auburn, AL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Auburn, AL – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $55.0 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,139 per month in Macao versus $2,013 in Auburn, AL – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,013 in Auburn, AL versus $2,139 in Macao, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Auburn, AL but tight or insufficient in Macao. The gap between the two cities makes Auburn, AL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Macao and Auburn, AL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Auburn, AL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.