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: $1,764 in Macao versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Macao versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,787 in Macao versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Macao costs roughly 25% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Macao 32% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.19 MOP 49.95

$17.58 €15.12

-64.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.59 MOP 400

$68.4 €58.9

-27.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.05 MOP 48.87

$14.06 €12.09

-56.97%

Cappuccino

$4.86 MOP 39.22

$2.78 €2.39

74.82%

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

$1.20 MOP 9.71

$2.80 €2.41

-57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MOP 6.57

$2.06 €1.78

-60.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 MOP 47.27

$4.46 €3.84

31.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 MOP 58.3

$4.61 €3.96

56.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 MOP 23.76

$1.24 €1.07

137.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 MOP 12.89

$2.03 €1.74

-21.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MOP 12.39

$1.92 €1.65

-20.31%

Eggs

$3.17 MOP 25.62

$3.31 €2.85

-4.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.37 MOP 140

$18.43 €15.85

-5.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.56 MOP 61.1

$9.49 €8.16

-20.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.17 MOP 187

$19.16 €16.48

20.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 MOP 30.96

$2.64 €2.27

45.45%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 MOP 25.14

$2.45 €2.11

26.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 MOP 30.88

$2.12 €1.82

80.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 MOP 22.61

$2.85 €2.45

-1.75%

Potato (1kg)

$4.37 MOP 35.24

$2.04 €1.75

114.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 MOP 28.21

$1.85 €1.59

89.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 MOP 13.78

$1.47 €1.26

16.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MOP 8.80

$0.84 €0.73

29.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 MOP 49.60

$7.14 €6.14

-14.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.17 MOP 98.2

$7.88 €6.78

54.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MOP 11.01

$1.38 €1.19

-1.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 MOP 16.60

$2.31 €1.99

-10.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MOP 6.25

$2.98 €2.56

-74.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.17 MOP 179

$29.26 €25.17

-24.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 MOP 21.36

$4.60 €3.95

-42.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MOP 9.57

$2.07 €1.78

-42.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.12 MOP 122

$29.18 €25.10

-48.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 MOP 14.08

$1.84 €1.58

-5.43%

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

$31.0K MOP 250.2K

$39.0K €33.6K

-20.53%

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

$28.2K MOP 227.9K

$32.7K €28.1K

-13.65%

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

$103 MOP 835

$188 €162

-44.91%

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

$25.14 MOP 203

$22.93 €19.73

9.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.23 MOP 276

$36.71 €31.58

-6.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.3 MOP 689

$57.4 €49.35

48.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.51 MOP 28.35

$20.70 €17.80

-83.04%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 MOP 115

$11.19 €9.63

27.61%

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

$674 MOP 5,436

$721 €620

-6.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MOP 107.0K

$15.0K €12.9K

-11.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 MOP 525

$86.2 €74.2

-24.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.06 MOP 235

$37.07 €31.89

-21.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 MOP 713

$102 €87.8

-13.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 MOP 823

$116 €99.7

-11.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 MOP 8,588

$1,534 €1,319

-30.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 MOP 6,277

$1,220 €1,050

-36.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 MOP 15.9K

$2,696 €2,319

-27.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MOP 13.1K

$2,013 €1,732

-19.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K MOP 102.8K

$7,220 €6,211

76.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,010 MOP 64.6K

$5,189 €4,463

54.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,983 MOP 16.0K

$2,359 €2,029

-15.97%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,064 in Macao and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 19% 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $366 vs $318, 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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,764 vs $2,367 including rent). Macao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 19% less. 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: $1,064 in Macao versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $674 in Macao versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,764 in Macao versus $2,367 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 34% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.