Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paros and Macao

For one person, living is cheaper in Paros: $1,704 a month against $2,114 in Macao, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Paros
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,704
/mo nomad
Macao
🇲🇴 Macao (China)
$2,114
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Paros and in Macao

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Paros and in Macao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,704 in Paros versus $2,114 in Macao.

  • Paros $1,704
  • Macao $2,114

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,613 in Paros versus $2,990 in Macao.

  • Paros $2,613
  • Macao $2,990

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,521 in Paros versus $3,866 in Macao.

  • Paros $3,521
  • Macao $3,866

Living in Paros costs roughly 19% less than in Macao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Paros 26% above, Macao 57% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Paros
Macao
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.98 €11.54
$6.26 MOP 50.6
107.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.8 €50.6
$56.2 MOP 454
1.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.21 €9.08
$6.02 MOP 48.66
69.60%
Cappuccino
$3.87 €3.44
$5.06 MOP 40.87
-23.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.05 MOP 8.48
80.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 €0.51
$0.85 MOP 6.88
-31.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.54 €4.93
$5.62 MOP 45.46
-1.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.43 €4.83
$7.33 MOP 59.2
-25.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Paros
Macao
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 €1.51
$3.26 MOP 26.34
-47.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 €1.29
$1.70 MOP 13.72
-15.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.62 €2.33
$1.66 MOP 13.38
57.83%
Eggs
$4.56 €4.06
$3.50 MOP 28.30
30.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.33 €13.64
$16.22 MOP 131
-5.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.58 €9.41
$19.56 MOP 158
-45.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.95 €12.41
$28.45 MOP 230
-50.97%
Apples (1kg)
$2.23 €1.98
$2.59 MOP 20.96
-13.90%
Banana (1kg)
$2.14 €1.90
$2.86 MOP 23.13
-25.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.33 €1.18
$1.89 MOP 15.27
-29.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.74 €1.54
$2.36 MOP 19.04
-26.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.22 €1.09
$3.84 MOP 31.03
-68.23%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 €1.05
$2.84 MOP 22.92
-58.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.62 MOP 5.04
51.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 €0.63
$1.15 MOP 9.32
-38.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.98 €4.43
$6.64 MOP 53.6
-25.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.68 €6.83
$12.30 MOP 99.4
-37.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.24 €1.99
$1.79 MOP 14.43
25.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 €1.51
$2.30 MOP 18.61
-26.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Paros
Macao
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.27 €2.02
$0.73 MOP 5.88
210.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.98 €40.01
$22.47 MOP 182
100.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.34 €3.86
$2.63 MOP 21.26
65.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.10 €0.97
$1.29 MOP 10.40
-14.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.33 €10.08
$14.68 MOP 119
-22.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.16 €1.92
$1.78 MOP 14.38
21.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K €18.8K
$30.5K MOP 246.6K
-30.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K €21.2K
$30.9K MOP 249.8K
-22.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Paros
Macao
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$157 €140
$120 MOP 972
30.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.95 €26.64
$23.50 MOP 190
27.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.94 €32.86
$37.25 MOP 301
-0.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Paros
Macao
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €45.80
$63.8 MOP 515
-19.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.22 €22.43
$3.81 MOP 30.82
561.94%
Cinema Ticket
$8.76 €7.79
$14.71 MOP 119
-40.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Paros
Macao
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$417 €371
$1,231 MOP 9,951
-66.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,998 €3,556
$18.7K MOP 151.3K
-78.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Paros
Macao
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.9 €79.9
$68.7 MOP 555
30.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.43 €27.07
$33.15 MOP 268
-8.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.7 €67.4
$91.9 MOP 743
-17.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 €101
$135 MOP 1,091
-15.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Paros
Macao
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$733 €652
$1,103 MOP 8,913
-33.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$691 €615
$1,055 MOP 8,528
-34.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,368 €1,217
$2,111 MOP 17.1K
-35.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,247 €1,109
$1,433 MOP 11.6K
-13.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,616 €2,327
$8,352 MOP 67.5K
-68.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,202 €1,959
$5,490 MOP 44.4K
-59.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Paros
Macao
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,063 €946
$2,041 MOP 16.5K
-47.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.44
3
48.00%

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

Last update for Paros: October 12, 2026

Last update for Macao: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Paros
$691
Macao
$1.1K 52.7% $364
Groceries & Markets
Paros
$287
Macao
$423 47.4% $136
Eating Out
Paros
$229
Macao
$179 21.8% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Paros
$224
Macao
$181 19.3% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Paros
$139
Macao
$148 6.2% $8.7
Sport & Entertainment
Paros
$69
Macao
$93 35% $24
Getting Around
Paros
$64
Macao
$34 46.1% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Paros and $1,103 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 92% 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: $57.0 in Paros vs $56.0 in Macao. Groceries flip the comparison at $287 vs $423, with Paros cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Paros
🇲🇴 Macao
🕒 Local time
06:24 6:24 AM
11:24 11:24 AM
5 h ahead of Paros
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,289
622,567 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.09 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Paros Macao 8,400 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Paros
  • Macao

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
Paros vs Macao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Paros or Macao?
Paros wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Macao. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Paros the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Paros or in Macao?
On paper, salaries run 92% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Paros compared to Macao?
Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Paros versus $1,103 in Macao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Paros and in Macao?
Dining out is cheaper in Paros – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $56.0 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Paros compared to Macao?
All in, you'll spend $1,704 per month in Paros versus $2,114 in Macao – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Paros or in Macao?
At $1,704 in Paros versus $2,114 in Macao, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Paros but tight or insufficient in Macao. The gap between the two cities makes Paros the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Paros or Macao?
Both work as nomad bases, but Paros delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Paros hard to pass up.
How safe is Paros compared to Macao?
Safety-wise, Paros 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Paros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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