Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Macao: $2,107 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Macao
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Macao Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
Learn more

Singapore Living Index

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Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,107

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Macao and in Singapore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in Macao versus $3,454 in Singapore.

Macao $2,107
Singapore $3,454

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,021 in Macao versus $5,224 in Singapore.

Macao $3,021
Singapore $5,224

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,935 in Macao versus $6,994 in Singapore.

Macao $3,935
Singapore $6,994

Living in Macao costs roughly 39% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Macao 57% above, Singapore 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.31 MOP 51.0

$11.53 SGD 14.77

-45.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 MOP 444

$71.2 SGD 91.2

-22.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.91 MOP 47.73

$8.76 SGD 11.22

-32.53%

Cappuccino

$4.89 MOP 39.49

$5.25 SGD 6.73

-6.86%

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

$1.06 MOP 8.56

$1.83 SGD 2.34

-42.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MOP 7.55

$1.25 SGD 1.60

-25.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 MOP 45.49

$8.42 SGD 10.79

-33.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 MOP 58.4

$10.02 SGD 12.83

-27.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 MOP 24.98

$2.94 SGD 3.76

5.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 MOP 13.50

$2.47 SGD 3.16

-32.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MOP 13.97

$2.71 SGD 3.47

-36.16%

Eggs

$3.40 MOP 27.46

$3.73 SGD 4.77

-8.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 MOP 130

$21.54 SGD 27.58

-25.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.07 MOP 154

$9.52 SGD 12.20

100.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.25 MOP 236

$25.98 SGD 33.27

12.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MOP 21.87

$4.48 SGD 5.74

-39.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 MOP 23.14

$3.11 SGD 3.99

-8.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 MOP 15.90

$4.62 SGD 5.92

-57.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MOP 19.06

$2.23 SGD 2.86

5.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 MOP 31.10

$2.50 SGD 3.20

54.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 MOP 23.86

$2.38 SGD 3.05

23.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 MOP 5.30

$1.78 SGD 2.28

-62.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MOP 9.74

$1.51 SGD 1.93

-20.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.64 MOP 53.7

$14.18 SGD 18.16

-53.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 MOP 98.1

$23.79 SGD 30.47

-48.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MOP 14.34

$4.51 SGD 5.78

-60.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 MOP 18.66

$4.57 SGD 5.86

-49.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MOP 6.13

$1.58 SGD 2.03

-51.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.62 MOP 183

$96.4 SGD 123

-76.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 MOP 20.78

$3.63 SGD 4.65

-29.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MOP 9.99

$0.80 SGD 1.02

55.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 MOP 121

$16.18 SGD 20.72

-7.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 MOP 14.22

$2.51 SGD 3.21

-29.88%

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

$31.1K MOP 251.3K

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

-80.05%

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

$31.8K MOP 256.7K

$145.8K SGD 186.7K

-78.21%

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

$124 MOP 1,002

$175 SGD 224

-29.15%

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

$23.44 MOP 189

$12.45 SGD 15.94

88.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.46 MOP 295

$26.64 SGD 34.11

36.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 MOP 511

$112 SGD 143

-43.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 MOP 30.57

$12.07 SGD 15.46

-68.68%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 MOP 119

$11.60 SGD 14.85

26.98%

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

$1,193 MOP 9,642

$1,463 SGD 1,874

-18.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K MOP 156.2K

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

-31.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 MOP 566

$81.5 SGD 104

-14.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.25 MOP 269

$50.6 SGD 64.8

-34.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 MOP 747

$112 SGD 143

-17.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 MOP 1,084

$130 SGD 166

3.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 MOP 9,136

$2,916 SGD 3,734

-61.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 MOP 8,651

$2,128 SGD 2,725

-49.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,092 MOP 16.9K

$5,654 SGD 7,241

-63.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,461 MOP 11.8K

$3,968 SGD 5,081

-63.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,347 MOP 67.5K

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

-64.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,538 MOP 44.8K

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

-67.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,053 MOP 16.6K

$4,369 SGD 5,594

-53.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

22.95%

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

Last update for Macao: October 3, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Macao

$1.1K 50.3%

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4% 98.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Macao

$422 19.8%

Singapore

$457 13.2% 8.4% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Macao

$184 8.6%

Singapore

$214 6.2% 16.4% $30

Eating Out

Macao

$177 8.3%

Singapore

$256 7.4% 44.3% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Macao

$148 7%

Singapore

$168 4.9% 13.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Macao

$93 4.4%

Singapore

$135 3.9% 45.3% $42

Getting Around

Macao

$34 1.6%

Singapore

$110 3.2% 221% $76

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,130 in Macao and $2,916 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 113% 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: $55.0 in Macao vs $71.0 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $422 vs $457 per month, with Macao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇴 Macao

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

10:51 10:51 AM

Same time as Macao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

622,567 Capital

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Macanese Pataca MOP P

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to MOP – Macanese Pataca Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇴 Macanese Pataca (P)

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.07 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

USD to MOP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Macao Singapore 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Macao
Singapore

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 Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Macao wins on cost – living expenses run 64% lower than in Singapore. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Macao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 113% lower in Singapore. 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: $1,130 in Macao versus $2,916 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Macao – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,107 per month in Macao versus $3,454 in Singapore – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,107 in Macao versus $3,454 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macao but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Macao 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.

Safety-wise, Macao and Singapore 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 Macao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.