Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,122 in Macao versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,017 in Macao versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,911 in Macao versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Macao is roughly 28% more expensive than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Macao 55% above, Mexico City 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.07 MOP 49.06

$11.92 MX$206

-49.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 MOP 451

$51.6 MX$890

8.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.04 MOP 48.83

$11.41 MX$197

-47.06%

Cappuccino

$4.98 MOP 40.22

$3.99 MX$68.9

24.81%

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

$1.02 MOP 8.24

$1.66 MX$28.61

-38.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MOP 7.35

$1.33 MX$22.87

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 MOP 46.97

$3.47 MX$59.9

67.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 MOP 59.6

$5.90 MX$102

24.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 MOP 26.31

$1.88 MX$32.36

73.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 MOP 14.27

$3.25 MX$56.1

-45.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MOP 13.89

$2.16 MX$37.26

-20.37%

Eggs

$3.52 MOP 28.45

$2.90 MX$49.94

21.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.03 MOP 130

$12.86 MX$222

24.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.54 MOP 158

$10.05 MX$173

94.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.40 MOP 229

$15.86 MX$273

79.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MOP 21.84

$3.29 MX$56.8

-17.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 MOP 22.83

$2.01 MX$34.60

40.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MOP 15.07

$2.20 MX$37.93

-15.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 MOP 19.31

$2.36 MX$40.63

1.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.84 MOP 31.03

$2.05 MX$35.43

87.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 MOP 23.06

$1.90 MX$32.79

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MOP 5.08

$1.61 MX$27.68

-60.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 MOP 9.42

$1.40 MX$24.09

-16.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.50 MOP 52.5

$5.46 MX$94.2

19.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 MOP 99.9

$17.65 MX$304

-29.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 MOP 13.70

$2.06 MX$35.44

-17.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 MOP 18.09

$4.68 MX$80.8

-52.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MOP 6.09

$0.34 MX$5.84

120.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.69 MOP 183

$20.81 MX$359

9.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 MOP 20.88

$2.10 MX$36.15

22.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MOP 10.05

$0.56 MX$9.64

121.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.76 MOP 119

$5.81 MX$100

154.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 MOP 14.33

$1.61 MX$27.68

9.94%

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

$30.6K MOP 247.3K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

34.00%

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

$31.8K MOP 256.9K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

18.84%

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

$121 MOP 975

$65.2 MX$1,124

85.18%

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

$23.66 MOP 191

$30.09 MX$519

-21.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 MOP 300

$37.18 MX$641

-0.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 MOP 526

$59.8 MX$1,030

8.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.80 MOP 30.67

$26.55 MX$458

-85.69%

Cinema Ticket

$14.40 MOP 116

$7.04 MX$121

104.55%

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

$1,221 MOP 9,862

$465 MX$8,012

162.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K MOP 154.8K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

44.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.5 MOP 553

$75.9 MX$1,308

-9.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 MOP 270

$56.0 MX$965

-40.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 MOP 743

$112 MX$1,929

-17.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 MOP 1,087

$121 MX$2,078

11.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 MOP 8,957

$1,103 MX$19.0K

0.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 MOP 8,756

$721 MX$12.4K

50.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,054 MOP 16.6K

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-18.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 MOP 11.8K

$1,293 MX$22.3K

12.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 MOP 66.0K

$3,991 MX$68.8K

104.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,659 MOP 45.7K

$2,090 MX$36.0K

170.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,036 MOP 16.4K

$1,037 MX$17.9K

96.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-73.45%

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

Last update for Macao: September 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,109 in Macao and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 96% 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 $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $424 vs $345 per month, with Mexico City 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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Macao. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 96% 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 $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $52.0 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 $1,660 in Mexico City – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,660 in Mexico City versus $2,122 in Macao, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Macao. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,660 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Macao and Mexico City 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.