Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Southend-on-Sea Cost of Living Comparison Between Macao and Southend-on-Sea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,122 in Macao versus $2,325 in Southend-on-Sea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,990 in Macao versus $3,659 in Southend-on-Sea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,858 in Macao versus $4,992 in Southend-on-Sea.

Living in Macao costs roughly 9% less than in Southend-on-Sea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Macao 54% above, Southend-on-Sea 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.30 MOP 50.9

$20.09 £14.85

-68.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 MOP 445

$84.3 £62.3

-34.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.89 MOP 47.52

$9.43 £6.97

-37.54%

Cappuccino

$5.17 MOP 41.72

$4.45 £3.29

16.18%

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

$1.02 MOP 8.21

$2.72 £2.01

-62.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 MOP 7.01

$1.87 £1.38

-53.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 MOP 47.41

$6.87 £5.08

-14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.48 MOP 60.4

$4.76 £3.52

57.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.15 MOP 25.42

$1.53 £1.13

105.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 MOP 14.22

$1.38 £1.02

27.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MOP 13.55

$1.38 £1.02

21.74%

Eggs

$3.38 MOP 27.32

$3.76 £2.78

-10.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.02 MOP 129

$8.24 £6.09

94.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.37 MOP 156

$6.67 £4.93

190.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.90 MOP 233

$15.63 £11.56

84.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MOP 21.72

$3.13 £2.31

-14.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 MOP 23.17

$1.39 £1.03

106.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 MOP 15.16

$2.08 £1.54

-9.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 MOP 19.89

$2.76 £2.04

-10.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 MOP 31.65

$1.87 £1.38

109.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 MOP 23.55

$1.92 £1.42

52.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 MOP 4.96

$0.97 £0.72

-37.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MOP 9.77

$1.59 £1.17

-23.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 MOP 55.6

$22.86 £16.90

-69.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.29 MOP 99.3

$10.04 £7.42

22.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MOP 13.92

$3.27 £2.42

-47.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 MOP 17.75

$3.44 £2.55

-36.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MOP 6.23

$2.75 £2.03

-72.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.27 MOP 180

$46.95 £34.71

-52.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 MOP 20.36

$5.87 £4.34

-57.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 MOP 9.91

$2.72 £2.01

-54.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.91 MOP 120

$49.59 £36.66

-69.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 MOP 14.96

$2.00 £1.48

-7.50%

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

$31.0K MOP 250.6K

$39.6K £29.3K

-21.58%

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

$31.8K MOP 256.6K

$41.1K £30.4K

-22.74%

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

$120 MOP 969

$181 £134

-33.63%

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

$23.91 MOP 193

$18.30 £13.52

30.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.83 MOP 297

$45.11 £33.35

-18.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.0 MOP 525

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.81 MOP 30.76

Cinema Ticket

$14.53 MOP 117

$4.15 £3.07

250.12%

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

$1,217 MOP 9,830

$2,001 £1,479

-39.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K MOP 151.5K

$20.5K £15.1K

-8.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 MOP 559

$86.9 £64.2

-20.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.86 MOP 273

$48.40 £35.78

-30.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 MOP 744

$94.7 £70.0

-2.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 MOP 1,101

$108 £79.7

26.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 MOP 9,104

$1,431 £1,058

-21.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 MOP 8,756

$1,267 £937

-14.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MOP 16.8K

$2,366 £1,749

-11.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,472 MOP 11.9K

$2,451 £1,812

-39.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,369 MOP 67.6K

$4,838 £3,576

72.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,647 MOP 45.6K

$4,009 £2,963

40.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,984 MOP 16.0K

$3,894 £2,878

-49.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.04

-40.48%

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

Last update for Macao: August 30, 2026

Last update for Southend-on-Sea: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,127 in Macao and $1,431 in Southend-on-Sea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Southend-on-Sea pays 96% 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 $84.0 in Southend-on-Sea. Groceries flip the comparison at $424 vs $276, with Southend-on-Sea cheaper for home cooking.

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 Southend-on-Sea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Macao wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Southend-on-Sea. 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 96% lower in Southend-on-Sea. 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: $1,127 in Macao versus $1,431 in Southend-on-Sea. 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 $84.0 in Southend-on-Sea. 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 $2,325 in Southend-on-Sea – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,122 in Macao versus $2,325 in Southend-on-Sea, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macao but tight or insufficient in Southend-on-Sea. 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 Southend-on-Sea 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 10% less than in Southend-on-Sea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.