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: $1,721 in Macao versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,815 in Macao versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,908 in Macao versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Macao is roughly 37% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.24 MOP 50.4

$11.99 MX$210

-47.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.70 MOP 401

$41.78 MX$733

18.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.32 MOP 51.1

$10.75 MX$189

-41.21%

Cappuccino

$4.87 MOP 39.32

$3.50 MX$61.3

39.14%

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

$1.20 MOP 9.66

$1.45 MX$25.41

-17.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MOP 7.10

$0.88 MX$15.52

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 MOP 45.78

$2.95 MX$51.7

92.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 MOP 57.7

$4.51 MX$79.1

58.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.95 MOP 23.84

$1.43 MX$25.12

106.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 MOP 12.80

$1.84 MX$32.23

-13.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 MOP 12.31

$1.57 MX$27.51

-2.55%

Eggs

$3.08 MOP 24.86

$2.51 MX$44.06

22.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.32 MOP 140

$8.28 MX$145

109.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 MOP 63.0

$8.43 MX$148

-7.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.05 MOP 186

$10.68 MX$187

115.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 MOP 30.38

$2.61 MX$45.76

44.06%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 MOP 24.25

$1.44 MX$25.22

108.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 MOP 30.30

$1.96 MX$34.41

91.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 MOP 22.17

$2.09 MX$36.74

31.58%

Potato (1kg)

$4.26 MOP 34.39

$1.85 MX$32.47

130.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 MOP 27.30

$2.17 MX$38.02

55.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MOP 13.11

$1.03 MX$18.09

57.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MOP 8.77

$1.07 MX$18.84

1.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.19 MOP 49.95

$4.10 MX$72.0

50.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.27 MOP 99.0

$10.17 MX$178

20.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MOP 11.34

$1.68 MX$29.38

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MOP 16.87

$2.53 MX$44.31

-17.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MOP 6.21

$0.51 MX$8.93

50.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.92 MOP 177

$26.04 MX$457

-15.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 MOP 21.25

$3.23 MX$56.7

-18.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 MOP 9.48

$2.41 MX$42.19

-51.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.96 MOP 121

$3.23 MX$56.6

363.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 MOP 14.08

$1.32 MX$23.17

31.82%

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

$31.0K MOP 250.5K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

4.48%

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

$27.5K MOP 221.7K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

16.03%

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

$103 MOP 830

$82.0 MX$1,439

25.30%

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

$25.16 MOP 203

$22.95 MX$403

9.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.06 MOP 267

$30.11 MX$528

9.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.1 MOP 687

$52.0 MX$912

63.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.45 MOP 27.88

$18.53 MX$325

-81.38%

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 MOP 116

$4.98 MX$87.3

188.96%

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

$693 MOP 5,599

$197 MX$3,463

251.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K MOP 110.0K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

155.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.9 MOP 524

$35.60 MX$624

82.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.20 MOP 236

$40.33 MX$707

-27.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 MOP 715

$78.8 MX$1,381

12.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 MOP 820

$88.9 MX$1,560

14.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 MOP 8,567

$947 MX$16.6K

12.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MOP 6,222

$474 MX$8,314

62.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,955 MOP 15.8K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

18.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,593 MOP 12.9K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

31.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,503 MOP 68.7K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

109.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,652 MOP 45.6K

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-12.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,055 MOP 16.6K

$654 MX$11.5K

214.20%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Macao and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 214% 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 $364 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 37% 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.

Average pay runs 214% 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 $947 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 $1,721 per month in Macao versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,721 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 $1,256 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 37% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.