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: $1,764 in Macao versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Macao versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,787 in Macao versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Macao is roughly 74% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Macao is 32% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.19 MOP 49.95

$5.99 COP 21.4K

3.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.59 MOP 400

$32.86 COP 117.4K

50.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.05 MOP 48.87

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-14.67%

Cappuccino

$4.86 MOP 39.22

$1.71 COP 6,115

184.21%

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

$1.20 MOP 9.71

$1.10 COP 3,924

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MOP 6.57

$0.78 COP 2,781

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 MOP 47.27

$1.68 COP 5,997

248.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 MOP 58.3

$3.07 COP 11.0K

135.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 MOP 23.76

$1.09 COP 3,906

169.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 MOP 12.89

$1.26 COP 4,508

26.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MOP 12.39

$1.38 COP 4,922

10.87%

Eggs

$3.17 MOP 25.62

$2.19 COP 7,827

44.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.37 MOP 140

$4.40 COP 15.7K

294.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.56 MOP 61.1

$5.63 COP 20.1K

34.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.17 MOP 187

$8.89 COP 31.8K

160.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 MOP 30.96

$2.34 COP 8,349

64.10%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 MOP 25.14

$1.06 COP 3,777

193.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 MOP 30.88

$1.50 COP 5,374

155.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 MOP 22.61

$1.38 COP 4,924

102.90%

Potato (1kg)

$4.37 MOP 35.24

$1.15 COP 4,111

280.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 MOP 28.21

$1.16 COP 4,155

201.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 MOP 13.78

$0.89 COP 3,182

92.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MOP 8.80

$0.84 COP 2,997

29.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 MOP 49.60

$2.28 COP 8,145

169.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.17 MOP 98.2

$10.64 COP 38.0K

14.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MOP 11.01

$1.20 COP 4,284

13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 MOP 16.60

$2.47 COP 8,824

-16.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MOP 6.25

$0.86 COP 3,056

-10.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.17 MOP 179

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-46.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 MOP 21.36

$1.47 COP 5,264

80.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MOP 9.57

$1.96 COP 7,009

-39.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.12 MOP 122

$7.74 COP 27.6K

95.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 MOP 14.08

$0.95 COP 3,409

83.16%

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

$31.0K MOP 250.2K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

70.99%

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

$28.2K MOP 227.9K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

6.61%

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

$103 MOP 835

$82.3 COP 293.7K

25.80%

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

$25.14 MOP 203

$9.50 COP 33.9K

164.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.23 MOP 276

$24.23 COP 86.5K

41.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.3 MOP 689

$25.89 COP 92.4K

229.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.51 MOP 28.35

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-81.53%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 MOP 115

$3.93 COP 14.0K

263.36%

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

$674 MOP 5,436

$309 COP 1.1M

117.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MOP 107.0K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

122.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 MOP 525

$58.7 COP 209.5K

10.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.06 MOP 235

$32.35 COP 115.5K

-10.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 MOP 713

$103 COP 366.4K

-13.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 MOP 823

$108 COP 387.2K

-5.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 MOP 8,588

$476 COP 1.7M

123.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 MOP 6,277

$379 COP 1.4M

105.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 MOP 15.9K

$838 COP 3.0M

134.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MOP 13.1K

$724 COP 2.6M

124.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K MOP 102.8K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

356.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,010 MOP 64.6K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

561.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,983 MOP 16.0K

$512 COP 1.8M

287.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

13.43

-75.58%

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

Last update for Macao: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,064 in Macao and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 287% 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 $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $188 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 74% 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.

Macao pays 287% more on average, 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: $1,064 in Macao versus $476 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 $33.00 versus $50.0 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,764 per month in Macao versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,764 in Macao, a $1,500 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 $1,013 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 74% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.