Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Sarnia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarnia: $2,026 a month against $2,194 in Macao, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Macao
Learn more

Macao Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Sarnia
Learn more

Sarnia Living Index

Jump to prices

Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,194

/mo nomad

Sarnia

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,026

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Macao and in Sarnia

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 Sarnia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,194 in Macao versus $2,026 in Sarnia.

Macao $2,194
Sarnia $2,026

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,072 in Macao versus $2,729 in Sarnia.

Macao $3,072
Sarnia $2,729

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,951 in Macao versus $3,433 in Sarnia.

Macao $3,951
Sarnia $3,433

Living in Macao is roughly 8% more expensive than in Sarnia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Macao 62% above, Sarnia 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.27 MOP 50.6

$12.84 CA$17.92

-51.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 MOP 441

$39.22 CA$54.8

39.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.01 MOP 48.58

$10.55 CA$14.73

-43.03%

Cappuccino

$5.16 MOP 41.67

$3.13 CA$4.38

64.86%

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

$1.01 MOP 8.16

$1.85 CA$2.58

-45.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 MOP 7.01

$1.29 CA$1.80

-32.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.59 MOP 45.20

$4.35 CA$6.07

28.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 MOP 59.5

$5.65 CA$7.89

30.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.19 MOP 25.77

$1.32 CA$1.84

141.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 MOP 14.26

$2.40 CA$3.36

-26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MOP 14.00

$2.48 CA$3.46

-30.24%

Eggs

$3.46 MOP 27.92

$3.00 CA$4.19

15.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.51 MOP 133

$11.20 CA$15.64

47.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.30 MOP 156

$11.53 CA$16.09

67.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.89 MOP 233

$14.25 CA$19.89

102.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 MOP 21.65

$3.30 CA$4.60

-18.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 MOP 22.88

$1.24 CA$1.73

128.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 MOP 15.22

$3.19 CA$4.46

-41.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 MOP 19.87

$3.34 CA$4.66

-26.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.83 MOP 30.94

$1.36 CA$1.89

181.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 MOP 23.25

$1.91 CA$2.67

50.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 MOP 5.36

$1.76 CA$2.46

-62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MOP 9.56

$1.23 CA$1.72

-4.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 MOP 53.3

$12.42 CA$17.34

-46.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 MOP 98.0

$10.11 CA$14.12

19.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MOP 14.40

$2.54 CA$3.54

-29.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 MOP 17.83

$2.70 CA$3.77

-18.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 MOP 5.73

$2.33 CA$3.26

-69.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.73 MOP 184

$62.2 CA$86.8

-63.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 MOP 21.27

$3.31 CA$4.62

-20.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 MOP 9.82

$1.81 CA$2.53

-32.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 MOP 121

$29.07 CA$40.58

-48.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 MOP 14.84

$1.27 CA$1.77

44.88%

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

$31.3K MOP 252.6K

$26.2K CA$36.6K

19.29%

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

$31.5K MOP 254.1K

$21.3K CA$29.7K

47.97%

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

$122 MOP 986

$145 CA$203

-15.94%

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

$23.46 MOP 190

$27.37 CA$38.20

-14.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.68 MOP 296

$42.99 CA$60.0

-14.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.7 MOP 773

$20.88 CA$29.14

358.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.65 MOP 29.51

$17.70 CA$24.71

-79.38%

Cinema Ticket

$14.54 MOP 117

$10.79 CA$15.06

34.75%

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

$1,224 MOP 9,891

$349 CA$488

250.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K MOP 138.2K

$15.7K CA$21.9K

8.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 MOP 561

$58.9 CA$82.2

17.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.01 MOP 275

$33.08 CA$46.17

2.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 MOP 758

$74.8 CA$104

25.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 MOP 1,113

$77.3 CA$108

78.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 MOP 8,864

$1,397 CA$1,949

-21.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 MOP 8,859

$1,042 CA$1,455

5.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 MOP 17.0K

$2,086 CA$2,912

1.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 MOP 11.7K

$1,316 CA$1,837

10.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.0K MOP 81.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,952 MOP 56.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,992 MOP 16.1K

$3,072 CA$4,288

-35.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.73

-36.58%

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

Last update for Macao: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sarnia: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Macao

$1.1K 50%

Sarnia

$1K 51.4% 5% $54

Groceries & Markets

Macao

$425 19.4%

Sarnia

$315 15.5% 26% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Macao

$182 8.3%

Sarnia

$216 10.6% 18.3% $33

Eating Out

Macao

$180 8.2%

Sarnia

$218 10.7% 20.7% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Macao

$151 6.9%

Sarnia

$110 5.4% 27.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Macao

$125 5.7%

Sarnia

$42 2.1% 66% $82

Getting Around

Macao

$34 1.6%

Sarnia

$84 4.1% 145% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,097 in Macao and $1,397 in Sarnia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarnia pays 54% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55 in Macao vs $39 in Sarnia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $425 vs $315 per month, with Sarnia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇴 Macao

🇨🇦 Sarnia

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

17:51 5:51 PM

13 h behind Macao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

622,567 Capital

71,594

💱 Currency

Macanese Pataca MOP P

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to MOP – Macanese Pataca Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇴 Macanese Pataca (P)

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.07 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

USD to MOP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Macao Sarnia 12,590 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Macao
Sarnia

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 Sarnia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarnia wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Macao. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Sarnia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Macao. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,097 in Macao versus $1,397 in Sarnia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sarnia – a meal for two runs $39 versus $55 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,194 per month in Macao versus $2,026 in Sarnia – Sarnia is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Sarnia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.