Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Brownsville, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Macao and in Brownsville, TX: $2,139 and $2,055 a month, rent and utilities included.

104

Cost of Living Index in Macao
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Macao Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Brownsville, TX
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Brownsville, TX Living Index

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Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,139

/mo nomad

Brownsville, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Macao and in Brownsville, TX

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 Brownsville, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,139 per month in Macao vs $2,055 in Brownsville, TX, rent included.

Macao $2,139
Brownsville, TX $2,055

A couple spends around $3,023 per month in Macao vs $3,122 in Brownsville, TX, rent included.

Macao $3,023
Brownsville, TX $3,122

A family of three spends $3,906 per month in Macao vs $4,189 in Brownsville, TX, rent included.

Macao $3,906
Brownsville, TX $4,189

Macao costs about 4% more than Brownsville, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Macao and Brownsville, TX sit above the global median – Macao by 58%, Brownsville, TX by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.21 MOP 50.2

$20.25 $20.25

-69.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 MOP 447

$76.2 $76.2

-27.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 MOP 46.80

$11.44 $11.44

-49.39%

Cappuccino

$4.93 MOP 39.79

$5.28 $5.28

-6.63%

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

$1.01 MOP 8.12

$2.63 $2.63

-61.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MOP 7.48

$1.97 $1.97

-52.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 MOP 47.14

$6.09 $6.09

-4.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.49 MOP 60.5

$7.42 $7.42

0.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.23 MOP 26.08

$0.90 $0.90

258.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 MOP 13.74

$2.13 $2.13

-20.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 MOP 14.02

$4.24 $4.24

-58.96%

Eggs

$3.39 MOP 27.36

$2.83 $2.83

19.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 MOP 129

$8.96 $8.96

77.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.45 MOP 157

$12.52 $12.52

55.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.73 MOP 232

$17.45 $17.45

64.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 MOP 20.95

$4.88 $4.88

-46.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 MOP 23.46

$1.72 $1.72

68.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MOP 15.69

$4.35 $4.35

-55.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MOP 18.90

$4.64 $4.64

-49.57%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 MOP 32.69

$2.78 $2.78

45.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 MOP 22.71

$2.94 $2.94

-4.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MOP 5.09

$2.10 $2.10

-70.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MOP 9.22

$2.21 $2.21

-48.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 MOP 53.4

$9.57 $9.57

-30.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.32 MOP 99.6

$15.42 $15.42

-20.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 MOP 13.77

$2.02 $2.02

-15.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 MOP 18.03

$3.26 $3.26

-31.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MOP 5.87

$2.09 $2.09

-65.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.85 MOP 185

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 MOP 20.51

$3.42 $3.42

-25.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MOP 10.00

$1.71 $1.71

-27.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.67 MOP 119

$31.72 $31.72

-53.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 MOP 14.93

$0.87 $0.87

112.64%

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

$30.5K MOP 246.7K

$31.0K $31.0K

-1.52%

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

$31.9K MOP 257.9K

$22.2K $22.2K

43.69%

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

$124 MOP 1,003

$198 $198

-37.13%

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

$23.42 MOP 189

$75.0 $75.0

-68.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.77 MOP 297

$75.8 $75.8

-51.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.2 MOP 526

$42.17 $42.17

54.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 MOP 30.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.84 MOP 120

$14.40 $14.40

3.06%

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

$1,197 MOP 9,672

$1,407 $1,407

-14.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K MOP 153.8K

$20.3K $20.3K

-6.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.9 MOP 565

$56.2 $56.2

24.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.93 MOP 266

$38.65 $38.65

-14.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 MOP 753

$98.5 $98.5

-5.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 MOP 1,081

$107 $107

24.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 MOP 9,147

$955 $955

18.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 MOP 8,696

$785 $785

37.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 MOP 17.0K

$1,651 $1,651

27.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,474 MOP 11.9K

$1,392 $1,392

5.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,212 MOP 66.3K

$1,838 $1,838

346.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,513 MOP 44.5K

$1,905 $1,905

189.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,054 MOP 16.6K

$3,198 $3,198

-35.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

-55.62%

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

Last update for Macao: October 18, 2026

Last update for Brownsville, TX: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Macao

$1.1K 50.3%

Brownsville, TX

$785 38.2% 27.1% $292

Groceries & Markets

Macao

$422 19.8%

Brownsville, TX

$372 18.1% 11.8% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Macao

$184 8.6%

Brownsville, TX

$348 17% 88.9% $164

Eating Out

Macao

$178 8.3%

Brownsville, TX

$323 15.7% 81.6% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Macao

$148 6.9%

Brownsville, TX

$135 6.6% 8.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Macao

$95 4.4%

Brownsville, TX

$71 3.5% 25.2% $24

Getting Around

Macao

$34 1.6%

Brownsville, TX

$20 * 1% 41% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,132 in Macao versus $955 in Brownsville, TX. 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 56% higher in Brownsville, TX, 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 in Macao versus $76 in Brownsville, TX. Groceries tell a different story – $422 in Macao vs $372 in Brownsville, TX – so Brownsville, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇴 Macao

🇺🇸 Brownsville, TX

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

22:28 10:28 PM

13 h behind Macao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

622,567 Capital

186,738

💱 Currency

Macanese Pataca MOP P

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 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 26, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.05 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to MOP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Macao Brownsville, TX 13,710 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Macao
Brownsville, TX

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 Brownsville, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,139 in Macao, $2,055 in Brownsville, TX – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,209 per month in Macao and $3,083 in Brownsville, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brownsville, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $955 there versus $1,132 in Macao.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,139 in Macao and $2,055 in Brownsville, TX. That’s a gap of about 4%.

Kindergarten costs $1,197 per month in Macao and $1,407 in Brownsville, TX. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,139 in Macao and $2,055 in Brownsville, TX, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Macao has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,055 in Brownsville, TX to $2,139 in Macao. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.