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: $2,122 in Macao versus $1,776 in Paros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,990 in Macao versus $2,744 in Paros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,858 in Macao versus $3,712 in Paros.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Macao 54% above, Paros 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.30 MOP 50.9

$14.95 €12.90

-57.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 MOP 446

$59.1 €51.0

-6.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.89 MOP 47.53

$10.43 €9.00

-43.53%

Cappuccino

$5.17 MOP 41.72

$3.98 €3.44

29.90%

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

$1.02 MOP 8.21

$1.96 €1.70

-47.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 MOP 7.01

$0.60 €0.51

45.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 MOP 47.42

$5.91 €5.10

-0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.48 MOP 60.4

$5.38 €4.64

39.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.15 MOP 25.43

$1.78 €1.53

76.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 MOP 14.22

$1.54 €1.33

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MOP 13.55

$2.56 €2.21

-34.38%

Eggs

$3.38 MOP 27.33

$4.52 €3.90

-25.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.02 MOP 129

$16.32 €14.08

-1.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.37 MOP 156

$11.07 €9.55

74.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.90 MOP 233

$14.51 €12.52

99.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MOP 21.72

$2.45 €2.11

9.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 MOP 23.18

$2.21 €1.91

29.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 MOP 15.16

$1.46 €1.26

28.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 MOP 19.90

$2.02 €1.74

21.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 MOP 31.66

$1.28 €1.10

206.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 MOP 23.56

$1.25 €1.08

133.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 MOP 4.96

$0.99 €0.85

-38.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MOP 9.77

$0.76 €0.65

59.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 MOP 55.6

$5.25 €4.53

31.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.29 MOP 99.3

$7.51 €6.48

63.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MOP 13.92

$2.03 €1.75

-15.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 MOP 17.76

$1.76 €1.52

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MOP 6.23

$2.25 €1.95

-65.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.27 MOP 180

$48.48 €41.84

-54.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 MOP 20.37

$4.60 €3.97

-45.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 MOP 9.92

$1.14 €0.98

7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.91 MOP 120

$11.63 €10.04

28.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 MOP 14.97

$2.20 €1.90

-15.91%

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

$31.0K MOP 250.6K

$22.1K €19.1K

40.28%

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

$31.8K MOP 256.7K

$25.7K €22.2K

23.81%

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

$120 MOP 970

$163 €141

-26.39%

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

$23.91 MOP 193

$32.24 €27.82

-25.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.83 MOP 297

$37.54 €32.39

-1.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.0 MOP 525

$51.2 €44.13

27.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.81 MOP 30.77

$25.63 €22.12

-85.13%

Cinema Ticket

$14.53 MOP 117

$9.52 €8.21

52.63%

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

$1,217 MOP 9,832

$424 €366

186.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K MOP 151.5K

$4,137 €3,570

353.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 MOP 559

$87.6 €75.6

-21.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.86 MOP 273

$32.12 €27.71

5.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 MOP 744

$80.3 €69.3

14.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 MOP 1,102

$115 €99.1

18.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 MOP 9,105

$787 €680

43.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 MOP 8,758

$711 €613

52.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MOP 16.8K

$1,420 €1,226

46.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,472 MOP 11.9K

$1,296 €1,118

13.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,369 MOP 67.6K

$2,877 €2,483

190.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,647 MOP 45.6K

$2,460 €2,122

129.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,984 MOP 16.0K

$1,119 €965

77.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

-32.43%

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

Last update for Macao: August 30, 2026

Last update for Paros: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,127 in Macao and $787 in Paros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 77% 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 $59.0 in Paros. Groceries flip the comparison at $424 vs $299, 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

Paros wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Macao. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Paros the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 77% 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: $1,127 in Macao versus $787 in Paros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Paros – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $55.0 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,122 per month in Macao versus $1,776 in Paros – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,776 in Paros versus $2,122 in Macao, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Paros but tight or insufficient in Macao. The gap between the two cities makes Paros the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Paros delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,776 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Paros 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 Paros 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.