Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,721 in Macao versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in Macao versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,908 in Macao versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Macao is roughly 38% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Macao is 29% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.24 MOP 50.4

$4.55 ฿153

37.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MOP 401

$46.18 ฿1,554

7.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.32 MOP 51.1

$8.84 ฿298

-28.51%

Cappuccino

$4.87 MOP 39.32

$3.06 ฿103

59.15%

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

$1.20 MOP 9.66

$0.73 ฿24.42

64.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MOP 7.10

$0.40 ฿13.40

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 MOP 45.78

$2.43 ฿81.8

133.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 MOP 57.7

$3.78 ฿127

88.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.95 MOP 23.84

$2.26 ฿76.0

30.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 MOP 12.80

$1.81 ฿60.9

-12.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MOP 12.31

$2.25 ฿75.8

-32.00%

Eggs

$3.08 MOP 24.86

$2.25 ฿75.6

36.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.32 MOP 140

$19.51 ฿656

-11.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 MOP 63.0

$3.65 ฿123

113.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.05 MOP 186

$13.05 ฿439

76.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 MOP 30.38

$3.23 ฿109

16.41%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 MOP 24.25

$1.62 ฿54.4

85.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 MOP 30.30

$2.38 ฿80.2

57.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 MOP 22.17

$2.03 ฿68.2

35.47%

Potato (1kg)

$4.26 MOP 34.39

$1.53 ฿51.6

178.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 MOP 27.30

$1.50 ฿50.5

125.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MOP 13.11

$0.98 ฿32.93

65.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MOP 8.77

$0.52 ฿17.40

109.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.19 MOP 49.95

$4.44 ฿149

39.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.27 MOP 99.0

$18.32 ฿616

-33.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MOP 11.34

$1.86 ฿62.7

-24.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MOP 16.87

$2.68 ฿90.2

-22.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MOP 6.21

$1.41 ฿47.49

-45.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.92 MOP 177

$11.70 ฿394

87.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 MOP 21.25

$3.11 ฿105

-15.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 MOP 9.48

$1.04 ฿35.08

12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.96 MOP 121

$14.11 ฿475

6.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 MOP 14.08

$1.31 ฿44.13

32.82%

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

$31.0K MOP 250.5K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

11.55%

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

$27.5K MOP 221.7K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-17.34%

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

$103 MOP 830

$122 ฿4,120

-16.07%

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

$25.16 MOP 203

$13.59 ฿457

85.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.06 MOP 267

$18.70 ฿629

76.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.1 MOP 687

$60.5 ฿2,035

40.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.45 MOP 27.88

$16.98 ฿572

-79.68%

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 MOP 116

$9.07 ฿305

58.65%

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

$693 MOP 5,599

$706 ฿23.8K

-1.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K MOP 110.0K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-13.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.9 MOP 524

$58.6 ฿1,970

10.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.20 MOP 236

$35.36 ฿1,190

-17.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 MOP 715

$115 ฿3,885

-23.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 MOP 820

$83.7 ฿2,818

21.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 MOP 8,567

$626 ฿21.1K

69.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MOP 6,222

$445 ฿15.0K

73.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,955 MOP 15.8K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-4.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,593 MOP 12.9K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

6.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,503 MOP 68.7K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

144.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,652 MOP 45.6K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

119.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,055 MOP 16.6K

$500 ฿16.8K

311.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

5.33

-38.46%

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

Last update for Macao: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Macao and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 311% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $289 per month, with Phuket 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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Macao. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 311% 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 $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $50.0 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,721 per month in Macao versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,721 in Macao, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Macao. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,250 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Macao and Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.