Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,158 in Macao, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Macao
Learn more

Macao Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,158

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Macao and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Macao and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,158 in Macao versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Macao $2,158
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,053 in Macao versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Macao $3,053
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,948 in Macao versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Macao $3,948
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Macao is roughly 79% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Macao is 59% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.37 MOP 51.5

$10.92 MX$205

-41.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.4 MOP 447

$43.37 MX$814

27.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 MOP 46.56

$11.78 MX$221

-51.10%

Cappuccino

$4.97 MOP 40.18

$3.81 MX$71.5

30.45%

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

$1.05 MOP 8.46

$1.28 MX$24.07

-17.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MOP 6.33

$0.78 MX$14.70

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.66 MOP 45.72

$3.17 MX$59.5

78.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 MOP 59.3

$4.93 MX$92.7

48.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 MOP 25.18

$1.41 MX$26.40

121.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 MOP 13.78

$2.22 MX$41.62

-22.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MOP 13.89

$1.42 MX$26.61

21.13%

Eggs

$3.50 MOP 28.25

$2.52 MX$47.36

38.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.90 MOP 128

$7.26 MX$136

119.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.42 MOP 157

$7.70 MX$144

152.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.46 MOP 238

$12.69 MX$238

132.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 MOP 20.84

$2.78 MX$52.3

-7.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 MOP 23.08

$1.37 MX$25.68

108.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MOP 15.24

$2.55 MX$47.89

-25.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 MOP 19.73

$2.12 MX$39.86

15.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.95 MOP 31.94

$1.94 MX$36.39

103.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 MOP 23.74

$1.89 MX$35.41

55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 MOP 5.00

$1.15 MX$21.53

-46.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MOP 9.21

$1.18 MX$22.13

-3.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.64 MOP 53.7

$4.30 MX$80.6

54.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 MOP 98.2

$9.95 MX$187

22.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MOP 14.41

$1.58 MX$29.73

12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 MOP 18.68

$2.67 MX$50.1

-13.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MOP 5.76

$0.55 MX$10.39

29.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.93 MOP 185

$26.62 MX$500

-13.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MOP 21.53

$4.97 MX$93.3

-46.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MOP 9.99

$3.33 MX$62.5

-62.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 MOP 121

$5.36 MX$101

179.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 MOP 14.21

$1.44 MX$27.11

22.22%

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

$31.1K MOP 251.4K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

50.55%

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

$31.4K MOP 253.5K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

33.71%

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

$122 MOP 989

$84.8 MX$1,592

44.30%

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

$24.02 MOP 194

$23.41 MX$439

2.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.91 MOP 298

$28.66 MX$538

28.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.6 MOP 772

$57.1 MX$1,071

67.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.64 MOP 29.43

$28.91 MX$543

-87.41%

Cinema Ticket

$14.43 MOP 117

$5.14 MX$96.5

180.74%

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

$1,194 MOP 9,646

$207 MX$3,878

477.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K MOP 156.7K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

393.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 MOP 556

$43.35 MX$814

58.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.15 MOP 268

$41.44 MX$778

-20.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 MOP 739

$74.2 MX$1,393

23.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 MOP 1,095

$89.3 MX$1,676

51.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MOP 8,850

$980 MX$18.4K

11.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 MOP 8,605

$381 MX$7,150

179.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,089 MOP 16.9K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

22.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 MOP 11.7K

$1,075 MX$20.2K

35.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,783 MOP 79.0K

$3,943 MX$74.0K

148.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,861 MOP 55.4K

$6,158 MX$115.6K

11.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,042 MOP 16.5K

$735 MX$13.8K

178.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-73.80%

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

Last update for Macao: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Macao

$1.1K 49.4%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 64.2% $684

Groceries & Markets

Macao

$424 19.6%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 39.9% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Macao

$183 8.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 25.3% $46

Eating Out

Macao

$178 8.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 13.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Macao

$148 6.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 24.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Macao

$124 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 45.9% $57

Getting Around

Macao

$35 1.6%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 45.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,095 in Macao and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Macao vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $424 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇴 Macao

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:18 10:18 AM

21:18 9:18 PM

13 h behind Macao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

622,567 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Macanese Pataca MOP P

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.111 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MOP – Macanese Pataca Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇴 Macanese Pataca (P)

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.02 MOP (1 MOP = 0.111 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to MOP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Macao Playa del Carmen 14,750 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Macao
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 44% 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 in Macao is about 2.8 times higher, 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: $1,095 in Macao versus $980 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 $43 versus $55 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,158 per month in Macao versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,158 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 cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Macao on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.