Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,721 in Macao versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in Macao versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,908 in Macao versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Macao costs roughly 26% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Macao 29% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.24 MOP 50.4

$17.66 €15.45

-64.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MOP 401

$69.7 €61.0

-28.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.32 MOP 51.1

$14.16 €12.39

-55.37%

Cappuccino

$4.87 MOP 39.32

$2.80 €2.45

73.93%

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

$1.20 MOP 9.66

$2.81 €2.46

-57.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MOP 7.10

$2.06 €1.81

-57.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 MOP 45.78

$4.60 €4.02

23.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 MOP 57.7

$4.69 €4.10

52.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.95 MOP 23.84

$1.23 €1.08

139.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 MOP 12.80

$2.03 €1.78

-21.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MOP 12.31

$1.98 €1.73

-22.73%

Eggs

$3.08 MOP 24.86

$3.49 €3.05

-11.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.32 MOP 140

$18.33 €16.04

-5.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 MOP 63.0

$9.83 €8.60

-20.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.05 MOP 186

$19.13 €16.73

20.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 MOP 30.38

$2.73 €2.38

37.73%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 MOP 24.25

$2.38 €2.09

26.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 MOP 30.30

$2.08 €1.82

80.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 MOP 22.17

$2.75 €2.41

Potato (1kg)

$4.26 MOP 34.39

$1.96 €1.72

117.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 MOP 27.30

$1.79 €1.57

88.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MOP 13.11

$1.48 €1.29

9.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MOP 8.77

$0.91 €0.80

19.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.19 MOP 49.95

$7.13 €6.24

-13.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.27 MOP 99.0

$7.88 €6.89

55.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MOP 11.34

$1.38 €1.21

1.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MOP 16.87

$2.39 €2.09

-12.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MOP 6.21

$3.01 €2.63

-74.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.92 MOP 177

$29.35 €25.68

-25.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 MOP 21.25

$4.36 €3.82

-39.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 MOP 9.48

$2.13 €1.86

-45.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.96 MOP 121

$29.60 €25.90

-49.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 MOP 14.08

$1.82 €1.59

-4.40%

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

$31.0K MOP 250.5K

$37.9K €33.1K

-18.11%

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

$27.5K MOP 221.7K

$32.4K €28.3K

-15.21%

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

$103 MOP 830

$189 €165

-45.64%

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

$25.16 MOP 203

$22.29 €19.50

12.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.06 MOP 267

$37.16 €32.51

-11.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.1 MOP 687

$58.0 €50.8

46.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.45 MOP 27.88

$20.66 €18.08

-83.30%

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 MOP 116

$10.87 €9.51

32.38%

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

$693 MOP 5,599

$706 €618

-1.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K MOP 110.0K

$14.9K €13.0K

-8.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.9 MOP 524

$89.4 €78.3

-27.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.20 MOP 236

$36.60 €32.02

-20.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 MOP 715

$104 €91.0

-14.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 MOP 820

$119 €104

-14.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 MOP 8,567

$1,579 €1,381

-32.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MOP 6,222

$1,238 €1,083

-37.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,955 MOP 15.8K

$2,712 €2,373

-27.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,593 MOP 12.9K

$2,039 €1,784

-21.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,503 MOP 68.7K

$7,527 €6,585

12.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,652 MOP 45.6K

$5,239 €4,584

7.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,055 MOP 16.6K

$2,364 €2,068

-13.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

3.39

-3.24%

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

Last update for Macao: July 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Macao and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 15% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $50.0 in Macao vs $70.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $364 vs $320, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Macao and Barcelona differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,721 vs $2,320 including rent). Macao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Barcelona. 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: $1,061 in Macao versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Macao versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,721 in Macao versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macao but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Macao 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 Barcelona 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 Macao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.