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: $2,122 in Macao versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,017 in Macao versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,911 in Macao versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Macao is roughly 68% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Macao is 55% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.07 MOP 49.06

$11.60 MX$200

-47.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 MOP 451

$47.11 MX$812

18.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.04 MOP 48.83

$11.88 MX$205

-49.16%

Cappuccino

$4.98 MOP 40.22

$3.98 MX$68.6

25.13%

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

$1.02 MOP 8.24

$1.43 MX$24.60

-28.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MOP 7.35

$0.82 MX$14.22

10.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 MOP 46.97

$3.19 MX$55.0

82.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 MOP 59.6

$6.79 MX$117

8.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 MOP 26.31

$1.68 MX$28.89

94.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 MOP 14.27

$2.20 MX$37.88

-19.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MOP 13.89

$1.71 MX$29.45

0.58%

Eggs

$3.52 MOP 28.45

$2.74 MX$47.26

28.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.03 MOP 130

$9.58 MX$165

67.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.54 MOP 158

$9.01 MX$155

116.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.40 MOP 229

$12.81 MX$221

121.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MOP 21.84

$2.89 MX$49.81

-6.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 MOP 22.83

$1.50 MX$25.81

88.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MOP 15.07

$2.15 MX$37.03

-13.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 MOP 19.31

$2.26 MX$38.96

5.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.84 MOP 31.03

$1.98 MX$34.15

93.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 MOP 23.06

$1.99 MX$34.30

43.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 MOP 5.08

$1.23 MX$21.28

-48.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 MOP 9.42

$1.20 MX$20.63

-2.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.50 MOP 52.5

$4.55 MX$78.5

42.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 MOP 99.9

$10.37 MX$179

19.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 MOP 13.70

$1.62 MX$27.91

4.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 MOP 18.09

$2.88 MX$49.67

-22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MOP 6.09

$0.60 MX$10.35

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.69 MOP 183

$28.80 MX$497

-21.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 MOP 20.88

$5.39 MX$92.9

-52.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MOP 10.05

$3.73 MX$64.3

-66.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.76 MOP 119

$5.77 MX$99.5

155.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 MOP 14.33

$1.54 MX$26.48

14.94%

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

$30.6K MOP 247.3K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

35.74%

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

$31.8K MOP 256.9K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

22.01%

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

$121 MOP 975

$91.4 MX$1,576

32.09%

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

$23.66 MOP 191

$25.20 MX$435

-6.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 MOP 300

$31.24 MX$539

18.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 MOP 526

$67.2 MX$1,159

-3.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.80 MOP 30.67

$29.11 MX$502

-86.95%

Cinema Ticket

$14.40 MOP 116

$4.86 MX$83.8

196.30%

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

$1,221 MOP 9,862

$224 MX$3,856

445.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K MOP 154.8K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

353.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.5 MOP 553

$47.10 MX$812

45.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 MOP 270

$44.29 MX$764

-24.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 MOP 743

$80.1 MX$1,381

14.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 MOP 1,087

$92.7 MX$1,598

45.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 MOP 8,957

$1,063 MX$18.3K

4.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 MOP 8,756

$390 MX$6,728

177.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,054 MOP 16.6K

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-4.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 MOP 11.8K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

14.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 MOP 66.0K

$4,001 MX$69.0K

104.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,659 MOP 45.7K

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-12.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,036 MOP 16.4K

$758 MX$13.1K

168.51%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,109 in Macao and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 169% 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: $56.0 in Macao vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $424 vs $276 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 68% 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 169% 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: $1,109 in Macao versus $1,063 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 $47.00 versus $56.0 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,122 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 $1,266 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 68% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.