Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,837 a month against $2,107 in Macao, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Macao outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

104

Cost of Living Index in Macao
Learn more

Macao Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
Learn more

Nosara Living Index

Jump to prices

Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,107

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Macao and in Nosara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in Macao versus $1,837 in Nosara.

Macao $2,107
Nosara $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,021 in Macao versus $2,775 in Nosara.

Macao $3,021
Nosara $2,775

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,935 in Macao versus $3,712 in Nosara.

Macao $3,935
Nosara $3,712

Living in Macao is roughly 15% more expensive than in Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Macao 57% above, Nosara 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.31 MOP 51.0

$12.22 ₡5,509

-48.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 MOP 444

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-8.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.91 MOP 47.73

$7.54 ₡3,399

-21.62%

Cappuccino

$4.89 MOP 39.49

$4.31 ₡1,941

13.46%

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

$1.06 MOP 8.56

$1.72 ₡773

-38.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MOP 7.55

$1.35 ₡608

-31.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 MOP 45.49

$3.24 ₡1,459

73.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 MOP 58.4

$4.48 ₡2,018

61.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 MOP 24.98

$1.57 ₡707

96.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 MOP 13.50

$3.17 ₡1,429

-47.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MOP 13.97

$2.42 ₡1,091

-28.51%

Eggs

$3.40 MOP 27.46

$3.57 ₡1,609

-4.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 MOP 130

$7.43 ₡3,349

116.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.07 MOP 154

$10.42 ₡4,697

83.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.25 MOP 236

$13.66 ₡6,156

114.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MOP 21.87

$2.32 ₡1,044

16.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 MOP 23.14

$1.61 ₡728

77.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 MOP 15.90

$4.74 ₡2,138

-58.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MOP 19.06

$1.66 ₡747

42.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 MOP 31.10

$3.72 ₡1,679

3.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 MOP 23.86

$3.57 ₡1,611

-17.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 MOP 5.30

$1.10 ₡497

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MOP 9.74

$2.55 ₡1,149

-52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.64 MOP 53.7

$4.95 ₡2,232

34.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 MOP 98.1

$20.01 ₡9,020

-39.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MOP 14.34

$2.79 ₡1,256

-36.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 MOP 18.66

$3.53 ₡1,589

-34.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MOP 6.13

$1.19 ₡537

-36.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.62 MOP 183

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-68.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 MOP 20.78

$2.24 ₡1,011

14.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MOP 9.99

$1.55 ₡701

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 MOP 121

$8.86 ₡3,993

69.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 MOP 14.22

$1.57 ₡708

12.10%

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

$31.1K MOP 251.3K

$21.8K ₡9.8M

42.59%

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

$31.8K MOP 256.7K

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-8.31%

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

$124 MOP 1,002

$93.5 ₡42.1K

32.70%

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

$23.44 MOP 189

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-33.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.46 MOP 295

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-29.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 MOP 511

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-11.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 MOP 30.57

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-89.33%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 MOP 119

$7.84 ₡3,535

87.88%

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

$1,193 MOP 9,642

$490 ₡220.7K

143.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K MOP 156.2K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

62.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MOP 566

$53.5 ₡24.1K

30.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.25 MOP 269

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-40.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 MOP 747

$79.3 ₡35.7K

16.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 MOP 1,084

$78.9 ₡35.6K

69.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 MOP 9,136

$786 ₡354.3K

43.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 MOP 8,651

$780 ₡351.6K

37.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,092 MOP 16.9K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-45.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,461 MOP 11.8K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

3.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,347 MOP 67.5K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

19.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,538 MOP 44.8K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

361.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,053 MOP 16.6K

$876 ₡395.0K

134.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-65.20%

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

Last update for Macao: October 3, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Macao

$1.1K 50.3%

Nosara

$780 43% 27.1% $290

Groceries & Markets

Macao

$422 19.8%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 17.2% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Macao

$184 8.6%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 2.1% $3.9

Eating Out

Macao

$177 8.3%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 18.1% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Macao

$148 7%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 18.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Macao

$93 4.4%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 6.1% $5.6

Getting Around

Macao

$34 1.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 153% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,130 in Macao and $786 in Nosara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 134% 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: $55.0 in Macao vs $60.0 in Nosara. Groceries flip the comparison at $422 vs $350, with Nosara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇴 Macao

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

10:22 10:22 AM

20:22 8:22 PM

14 h behind Macao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

622,567 Capital

4,912

💱 Currency

Macanese Pataca MOP P

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MOP – Macanese Pataca Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇴 Macanese Pataca (P)

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.07 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MOP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Macao Nosara 15,870 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Macao
Nosara

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 Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nosara wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Macao. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nosara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 134% 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: $1,130 in Macao versus $786 in Nosara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nosara – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $55.0 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,107 per month in Macao versus $1,837 in Nosara – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,837 in Nosara versus $2,107 in Macao, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nosara but tight or insufficient in Macao. The gap between the two cities makes Nosara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nosara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,837 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nosara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Macao and Nosara 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 Nosara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.