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: $1,764 in Macao versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Macao versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,787 in Macao versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Macao is roughly 20% more expensive than Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Macao 32% above, Mexico City 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.19 MOP 49.95

$13.18 MX$228

-53.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.59 MOP 400

$53.9 MX$932

-8.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.05 MOP 48.87

$9.42 MX$163

-35.77%

Cappuccino

$4.86 MOP 39.22

$3.55 MX$61.4

36.90%

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

$1.20 MOP 9.71

$1.62 MX$27.98

-25.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MOP 6.57

$1.11 MX$19.27

-27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 MOP 47.27

$3.12 MX$54.0

87.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 MOP 58.3

$4.63 MX$80.1

56.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 MOP 23.76

$1.70 MX$29.43

72.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 MOP 12.89

$2.72 MX$47.02

-41.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MOP 12.39

$1.91 MX$33.07

-19.90%

Eggs

$3.17 MOP 25.62

$2.54 MX$43.86

24.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.37 MOP 140

$10.03 MX$174

73.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.56 MOP 61.1

$8.09 MX$140

-6.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.17 MOP 187

$11.62 MX$201

99.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 MOP 30.96

$2.97 MX$51.3

29.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 MOP 25.14

$1.81 MX$31.24

71.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 MOP 30.88

$2.01 MX$34.82

90.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 MOP 22.61

$2.03 MX$35.20

37.93%

Potato (1kg)

$4.37 MOP 35.24

$2.12 MX$36.75

106.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 MOP 28.21

$2.27 MX$39.25

54.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 MOP 13.78

$1.40 MX$24.22

22.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MOP 8.80

$1.13 MX$19.55

-3.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 MOP 49.60

$4.27 MX$73.9

43.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.17 MOP 98.2

$15.56 MX$269

-21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MOP 11.01

$1.76 MX$30.39

-22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 MOP 16.60

$3.60 MX$62.2

-42.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MOP 6.25

$0.38 MX$6.62

102.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.17 MOP 179

$19.18 MX$332

15.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 MOP 21.36

$1.38 MX$23.79

92.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MOP 9.57

$0.28 MX$4.78

325.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.12 MOP 122

$5.45 MX$94.2

177.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 MOP 14.08

$1.30 MX$22.55

33.85%

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

$31.0K MOP 250.2K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

65.90%

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

$28.2K MOP 227.9K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

22.07%

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

$103 MOP 835

$40.86 MX$707

153.23%

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

$25.14 MOP 203

$26.81 MX$464

-6.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.23 MOP 276

$29.96 MX$518

14.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.3 MOP 689

$52.0 MX$900

64.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.51 MOP 28.35

$26.84 MX$464

-86.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 MOP 115

$6.30 MX$109

126.67%

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

$674 MOP 5,436

$436 MX$7,544

54.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MOP 107.0K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

27.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 MOP 525

$56.7 MX$980

14.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.06 MOP 235

$44.38 MX$768

-34.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 MOP 713

$103 MX$1,780

-14.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 MOP 823

$106 MX$1,825

-3.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 MOP 8,588

$1,022 MX$17.7K

4.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 MOP 6,277

$631 MX$10.9K

23.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 MOP 15.9K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-7.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MOP 13.1K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

30.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K MOP 102.8K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

226.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,010 MOP 64.6K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

288.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,983 MOP 16.0K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

77.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

11.34

-71.08%

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

Last update for Macao: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,064 in Macao and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 78% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $366 vs $288, with Mexico City cheaper for home cooking.

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 20% 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.

Macao pays 78% 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 $1,022 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 $54.0 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 $1,467 in Mexico City – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,764 in Macao, a $2,000 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 $1,467 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 20% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.