Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Macao Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Macao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,764 in Macao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,775 in Macao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $3,787 in Macao.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 17% less than in Macao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Macao 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$6.19 MOP 49.95

112.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$49.59 MOP 400

8.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$6.05 MOP 48.87

55.70%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$4.86 MOP 39.22

-26.95%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.20 MOP 9.71

35.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.81 MOP 6.57

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$5.86 MOP 47.27

-46.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$7.23 MOP 58.3

-35.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$2.94 MOP 23.76

-42.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.60 MOP 12.89

70.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.53 MOP 12.39

24.84%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$3.17 MOP 25.62

-19.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$17.37 MOP 140

-42.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.56 MOP 61.1

7.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$23.17 MOP 187

-49.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$3.84 MOP 30.96

-22.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$3.11 MOP 25.14

-41.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$3.83 MOP 30.88

-47.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.80 MOP 22.61

-27.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$4.37 MOP 35.24

-51.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$3.50 MOP 28.21

-35.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.71 MOP 13.78

-18.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.09 MOP 8.80

3.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$6.14 MOP 49.60

-30.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$12.17 MOP 98.2

27.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.36 MOP 11.01

29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.06 MOP 16.60

74.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.77 MOP 6.25

-50.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$22.17 MOP 179

-13.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$2.65 MOP 21.36

-47.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.19 MOP 9.57

-76.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$15.12 MOP 122

-63.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.74 MOP 14.08

-25.29%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$31.0K MOP 250.2K

-39.72%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$28.2K MOP 227.9K

-18.08%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$103 MOP 835

-60.51%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$25.14 MOP 203

6.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$34.23 MOP 276

-12.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$85.3 MOP 689

-39.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$3.51 MOP 28.35

664.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$14.28 MOP 115

-55.88%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$674 MOP 5,436

-35.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$13.3K MOP 107.0K

-21.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$65.1 MOP 525

-12.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$29.06 MOP 235

52.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$88.3 MOP 713

16.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$102 MOP 823

3.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$1,064 MOP 8,588

-3.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$778 MOP 6,277

-18.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,966 MOP 15.9K

8.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$1,621 MOP 13.1K

-23.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$12.7K MOP 102.8K

-69.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$8,010 MOP 64.6K

-74.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,983 MOP 16.0K

-43.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.28

245.73%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Macao: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $1,064 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 78% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $50.0 in Macao. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $366, with Mexico City 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

Mexico City vs Macao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Macao. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Macao earns 78% less. 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $1,064 in Macao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $50.0 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,467 per month in Mexico City versus $1,764 in Macao – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,764 in Macao, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Macao. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,467 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Macao 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 Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.