Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Paros Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Paros

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,721 in Macao versus $1,787 in Paros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in Macao versus $2,353 in Paros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,908 in Macao versus $2,920 in Paros.

Living in Macao costs roughly 4% less than in Paros, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Macao 29% above, Paros 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.24 MOP 50.4

$13.91 €12.17

-55.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MOP 401

$57.6 €50.4

-13.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.32 MOP 51.1

$11.45 €10.02

-44.80%

Cappuccino

$4.87 MOP 39.32

$3.85 €3.37

26.49%

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

$1.20 MOP 9.66

$2.05 €1.79

-41.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MOP 7.10

$0.55 €0.48

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 MOP 45.78

$5.91 €5.17

-4.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 MOP 57.7

$5.85 €5.12

22.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.95 MOP 23.84

$1.77 €1.55

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 MOP 12.80

$1.50 €1.31

6.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MOP 12.31

$2.74 €2.40

-44.16%

Eggs

$3.08 MOP 24.86

$5.00 €4.37

-38.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.32 MOP 140

$16.23 €14.20

6.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 MOP 63.0

$11.58 €10.13

-32.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.05 MOP 186

$14.43 €12.63

59.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 MOP 30.38

$2.25 €1.97

67.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 MOP 24.25

$2.16 €1.89

38.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 MOP 30.30

$1.49 €1.30

151.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 MOP 22.17

$1.84 €1.61

49.46%

Potato (1kg)

$4.26 MOP 34.39

$1.32 €1.16

222.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 MOP 27.30

$1.29 €1.13

162.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MOP 13.11

$0.95 €0.83

70.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MOP 8.77

$0.67 €0.58

62.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.19 MOP 49.95

$5.48 €4.79

12.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.27 MOP 99.0

$7.45 €6.52

64.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MOP 11.34

$2.06 €1.80

-32.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MOP 16.87

$1.76 €1.54

18.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MOP 6.21

$2.28 €2.00

-66.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.92 MOP 177

$68.8 €60.2

-68.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 MOP 21.25

$4.55 €3.98

-42.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 MOP 9.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.96 MOP 121

$11.68 €10.22

28.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 MOP 14.08

$2.19 €1.92

-20.55%

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

$31.0K MOP 250.5K

$22.1K €19.4K

40.20%

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

$27.5K MOP 221.7K

$26.2K €22.9K

4.69%

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

$103 MOP 830

$164 €143

-37.24%

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

$25.16 MOP 203

$23.36 €20.44

7.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.06 MOP 267

$37.21 €32.56

-11.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.1 MOP 687

$35.19 €30.79

141.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.45 MOP 27.88

$26.37 €23.07

-86.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 MOP 116

$9.08 €7.95

58.48%

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

$693 MOP 5,599

$427 €373

62.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K MOP 110.0K

$4,122 €3,606

230.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.9 MOP 524

$97.5 €85.3

-33.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.20 MOP 236

$31.78 €27.80

-8.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 MOP 715

$78.5 €68.7

12.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 MOP 820

$114 €99.4

-10.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 MOP 8,567

$756 €662

40.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MOP 6,222

$700 €612

10.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,955 MOP 15.8K

$1,438 €1,258

35.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,593 MOP 12.9K

$620 €543

156.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,503 MOP 68.7K

$2,874 €2,514

195.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,652 MOP 45.6K

$2,380 €2,082

137.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,055 MOP 16.6K

$1,122 €981

83.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

4.44

-26.13%

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

Last update for Macao: July 11, 2026

Last update for Paros: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Macao and $756 in Paros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 83% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Macao vs $58.0 in Paros. Groceries flip the comparison at $364 vs $300, with Paros 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 Paros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Macao wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Paros. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Macao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 83% 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: $1,061 in Macao versus $756 in Paros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Macao – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $58.0 in Paros. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,721 per month in Macao versus $1,787 in Paros – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,721 in Macao versus $1,787 in Paros, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macao but tight or insufficient in Paros. The gap between the two cities makes Macao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Macao delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,721 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Macao hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Macao and Paros 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 Macao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Paros. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.