Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,158 in Macao, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,158

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Macao and in Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,158 per month in Macao vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Macao $2,158
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,053 per month in Macao vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Macao $3,053
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,948 per month in Macao vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Macao $3,948
Chiang Mai $1,979

Macao costs about 131% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Macao sits 59% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.37 MOP 51.5

$2.24 ฿75.6

184.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.4 MOP 447

$19.00 ฿641

191.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 MOP 46.56

$5.55 ฿187

3.78%

Cappuccino

$4.97 MOP 40.18

$1.67 ฿56.5

197.60%

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

$1.05 MOP 8.46

$0.64 ฿21.54

64.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MOP 6.33

$0.31 ฿10.31

151.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.66 MOP 45.72

$2.36 ฿79.5

139.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 MOP 59.3

$3.66 ฿124

100.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 MOP 25.18

$1.95 ฿65.7

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 MOP 13.78

$1.44 ฿48.46

18.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MOP 13.89

$1.33 ฿45.03

29.32%

Eggs

$3.50 MOP 28.25

$2.28 ฿77.1

53.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.90 MOP 128

$16.45 ฿555

-3.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.42 MOP 157

$2.78 ฿93.9

598.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.46 MOP 238

$9.31 ฿314

216.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 MOP 20.84

$2.35 ฿79.4

9.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 MOP 23.08

$0.97 ฿32.79

194.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MOP 15.24

$1.60 ฿53.9

18.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 MOP 19.73

$1.50 ฿50.6

62.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.95 MOP 31.94

$1.28 ฿43.11

208.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 MOP 23.74

$1.10 ฿37.18

167.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 MOP 5.00

$0.71 ฿23.82

-12.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MOP 9.21

$0.49 ฿16.36

132.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.64 MOP 53.7

$4.14 ฿140

60.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 MOP 98.2

$17.52 ฿591

-30.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MOP 14.41

$1.61 ฿54.5

10.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 MOP 18.68

$2.78 ฿93.9

-16.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MOP 5.76

$0.87 ฿29.30

-18.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.93 MOP 185

$54.1 ฿1,825

-57.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MOP 21.53

$1.16 ฿39.04

129.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MOP 9.99

$0.53 ฿17.80

133.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 MOP 121

$2.42 ฿81.7

519.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 MOP 14.21

$1.45 ฿48.88

21.38%

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

$31.1K MOP 251.4K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

47.73%

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

$31.4K MOP 253.5K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

16.46%

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

$122 MOP 989

$62.2 ฿2,098

96.80%

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

$24.02 MOP 194

$12.17 ฿411

97.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.91 MOP 298

$20.12 ฿679

83.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.6 MOP 772

$37.31 ฿1,259

156.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.64 MOP 29.43

$3.77 ฿127

-3.45%

Cinema Ticket

$14.43 MOP 117

$6.49 ฿219

122.34%

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

$1,194 MOP 9,646

$736 ฿24.8K

62.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K MOP 156.7K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

31.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 MOP 556

$53.4 ฿1,801

28.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.15 MOP 268

$24.64 ฿831

34.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 MOP 739

$91.5 ฿3,087

-0.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 MOP 1,095

$71.9 ฿2,427

88.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MOP 8,850

$482 ฿16.3K

127.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 MOP 8,605

$309 ฿10.4K

244.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,089 MOP 16.9K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

107.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 MOP 11.7K

$633 ฿21.4K

129.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,783 MOP 79.0K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

313.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,861 MOP 55.4K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

331.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,042 MOP 16.5K

$590 ฿19.9K

246.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-46.14%

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

Last update for Macao: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Macao

$1.1K 49.4%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 71% $756

Groceries & Markets

Macao

$424 19.6%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 44.7% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Macao

$183 8.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 48.5% $89

Eating Out

Macao

$178 8.3%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 56.5% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Macao

$148 6.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 26.6% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Macao

$124 5.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 59.6% $74

Getting Around

Macao

$35 1.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 77.2% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,095 in Macao versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Macao are about 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Macao versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $424 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇴 Macao

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

02:32 2:32 AM

1 h behind Macao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

622,567 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Macanese Pataca MOP P

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.111 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MOP – Macanese Pataca Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇴 Macanese Pataca (P)

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.02 MOP (1 MOP = 0.111 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to MOP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Macao Chiang Mai 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Macao
Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Macao costs about 131% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,236 per month in Macao and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,095 in Macao.

Kindergarten costs $1,194 per month in Macao and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 81% more in Macao, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,158 in Macao and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Macao makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.