Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,122 in Macao versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,017 in Macao versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,911 in Macao versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Macao is roughly 26% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Macao 55% above, Medellin 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.07 MOP 49.06

$8.02 COP 25.0K

-24.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 MOP 451

$47.87 COP 149.4K

16.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.04 MOP 48.83

$9.89 COP 30.8K

-38.93%

Cappuccino

$4.98 MOP 40.22

$3.13 COP 9,767

59.11%

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

$1.02 MOP 8.24

$1.91 COP 5,954

-46.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MOP 7.35

$1.51 COP 4,712

-39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 MOP 46.97

$3.12 COP 9,747

86.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 MOP 59.6

$5.75 COP 17.9K

28.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 MOP 26.31

$1.44 COP 4,509

126.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 MOP 14.27

$2.49 COP 7,759

-28.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MOP 13.89

$1.77 COP 5,535

-2.82%

Eggs

$3.52 MOP 28.45

$2.96 COP 9,235

18.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.03 MOP 130

$10.07 COP 31.4K

59.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.54 MOP 158

$10.12 COP 31.6K

93.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.40 MOP 229

$14.30 COP 44.6K

98.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MOP 21.84

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-34.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 MOP 22.83

$1.61 COP 5,019

75.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MOP 15.07

$2.25 COP 7,007

-16.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 MOP 19.31

$2.25 COP 7,028

6.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.84 MOP 31.03

$2.04 COP 6,375

88.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 MOP 23.06

$1.54 COP 4,790

85.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MOP 5.08

$1.17 COP 3,651

-46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 MOP 9.42

$1.31 COP 4,077

-10.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.50 MOP 52.5

$3.90 COP 12.2K

66.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 MOP 99.9

$14.01 COP 43.7K

-11.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 MOP 13.70

$1.74 COP 5,439

-2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 MOP 18.09

$2.87 COP 8,956

-21.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MOP 6.09

$1.22 COP 3,792

-38.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.69 MOP 183

$80.5 COP 251.1K

-71.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 MOP 20.88

$1.31 COP 4,084

96.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MOP 10.05

$2.19 COP 6,825

-43.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.76 MOP 119

$8.71 COP 27.2K

69.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 MOP 14.33

$1.37 COP 4,260

29.20%

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

$30.6K MOP 247.3K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

9.95%

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

$31.8K MOP 256.9K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

-11.13%

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

$121 MOP 975

$177 COP 553.2K

-31.92%

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

$23.66 MOP 191

$13.88 COP 43.3K

70.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 MOP 300

$29.72 COP 92.8K

25.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 MOP 526

$44.88 COP 140.1K

45.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.80 MOP 30.67

$17.12 COP 53.4K

-77.80%

Cinema Ticket

$14.40 MOP 116

$6.65 COP 20.7K

116.54%

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

$1,221 MOP 9,862

$813 COP 2.5M

50.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K MOP 154.8K

$9,187 COP 28.7M

108.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.5 MOP 553

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-23.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 MOP 270

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-43.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 MOP 743

$138 COP 431.2K

-33.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 MOP 1,087

$102 COP 318.7K

31.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 MOP 8,957

$1,062 COP 3.3M

4.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 MOP 8,756

$663 COP 2.1M

63.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,054 MOP 16.6K

$1,888 COP 5.9M

8.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 MOP 11.8K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

42.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 MOP 66.0K

$4,183 COP 13.1M

95.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,659 MOP 45.7K

$1,675 COP 5.2M

237.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,036 MOP 16.4K

$678 COP 2.1M

200.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-72.58%

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

Last update for Macao: September 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,109 in Macao and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 200% 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: $56.0 in Macao vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $424 vs $305 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Macao. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 200% higher in Macao, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,109 in Macao versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $56.0 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,122 per month in Macao versus $1,681 in Medellin – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,122 in Macao, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Macao. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,681 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Macao and Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.