Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,764 in Macao versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,775 in Macao versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,787 in Macao versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Macao is roughly 36% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Macao is 32% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.19 MOP 49.95

$11.73 MX$203

-47.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.59 MOP 400

$41.62 MX$720

19.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.05 MOP 48.87

$10.64 MX$184

-43.14%

Cappuccino

$4.86 MOP 39.22

$3.52 MX$60.9

38.07%

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

$1.20 MOP 9.71

$1.51 MX$26.12

-20.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MOP 6.57

$0.97 MX$16.84

-16.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 MOP 47.27

$2.95 MX$51.0

98.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 MOP 58.3

$4.45 MX$77.0

62.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 MOP 23.76

$1.38 MX$23.93

113.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 MOP 12.89

$1.89 MX$32.72

-15.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MOP 12.39

$1.64 MX$28.32

-6.71%

Eggs

$3.17 MOP 25.62

$2.51 MX$43.34

26.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.37 MOP 140

$8.34 MX$144

108.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.56 MOP 61.1

$8.34 MX$144

-9.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.17 MOP 187

$10.73 MX$186

115.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 MOP 30.96

$2.60 MX$45.04

47.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 MOP 25.14

$1.46 MX$25.20

113.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 MOP 30.88

$1.90 MX$32.87

101.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 MOP 22.61

$2.08 MX$35.91

34.62%

Potato (1kg)

$4.37 MOP 35.24

$1.78 MX$30.71

145.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 MOP 28.21

$2.19 MX$37.80

59.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 MOP 13.78

$1.04 MX$17.99

64.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MOP 8.80

$1.08 MX$18.62

0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 MOP 49.60

$4.08 MX$70.6

50.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.17 MOP 98.2

$10.32 MX$178

17.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MOP 11.01

$1.71 MX$29.61

-20.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 MOP 16.60

$2.58 MX$44.54

-20.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MOP 6.25

$0.51 MX$8.81

50.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.17 MOP 179

$26.46 MX$458

-16.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 MOP 21.36

$3.26 MX$56.4

-18.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MOP 9.57

$2.49 MX$43.09

-52.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.12 MOP 122

$3.25 MX$56.2

365.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 MOP 14.08

$1.31 MX$22.61

32.82%

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

$31.0K MOP 250.2K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

2.39%

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

$28.2K MOP 227.9K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

20.51%

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

$103 MOP 835

$82.9 MX$1,433

24.86%

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

$25.14 MOP 203

$22.22 MX$384

13.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.23 MOP 276

$29.34 MX$507

16.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.3 MOP 689

$51.6 MX$893

65.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.51 MOP 28.35

$18.32 MX$317

-80.84%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 MOP 115

$5.07 MX$87.6

181.66%

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

$674 MOP 5,436

$201 MX$3,473

235.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MOP 107.0K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

154.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 MOP 525

$36.92 MX$639

76.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.06 MOP 235

$39.79 MX$688

-26.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 MOP 713

$78.5 MX$1,357

12.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 MOP 823

$87.1 MX$1,506

17.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 MOP 8,588

$973 MX$16.8K

9.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 MOP 6,277

$468 MX$8,090

66.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 MOP 15.9K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

19.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MOP 13.1K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

32.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K MOP 102.8K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

222.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,010 MOP 64.6K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

23.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,983 MOP 16.0K

$664 MX$11.5K

198.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

11.42

-71.28%

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

Last update for Macao: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,064 in Macao and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 199% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Macao. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Macao pays 199% 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 $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $50.0 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,764 per month in Macao versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,764 in Macao, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Macao. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,297 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Macao and Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.