Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Macao

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,190 a month against $2,107 in Macao, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Macao
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Macao Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket 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 Phuket and in Macao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $2,107 in Macao.

Phuket $1,190
Macao $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $3,021 in Macao.

Phuket $2,006
Macao $3,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $3,935 in Macao.

Phuket $2,822
Macao $3,935

Living in Phuket costs roughly 44% less than in Macao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Macao is 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$6.31 MOP 51.0

-31.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$54.9 MOP 444

-40.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$5.91 MOP 47.73

42.47%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$4.89 MOP 39.49

-42.54%

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

$1.06 MOP 8.56

-17.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

$0.93 MOP 7.55

-50.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$5.63 MOP 45.48

-54.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$7.23 MOP 58.4

-49.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$3.09 MOP 24.98

-44.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$1.67 MOP 13.50

-13.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$1.73 MOP 13.97

-9.83%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$3.40 MOP 27.46

-38.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$16.05 MOP 130

21.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$19.07 MOP 154

-82.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$29.25 MOP 236

-61.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$2.71 MOP 21.87

4.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$2.86 MOP 23.14

-43.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$1.97 MOP 15.90

12.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$2.36 MOP 19.06

-8.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

$3.85 MOP 31.10

-61.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$2.95 MOP 23.85

-54.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

$0.66 MOP 5.30

62.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

$1.20 MOP 9.74

-57.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$6.64 MOP 53.7

-34.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$12.14 MOP 98.1

54.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.77 MOP 14.34

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.31 MOP 18.66

20.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$0.76 MOP 6.13

185.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

$22.62 MOP 183

-1.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$2.57 MOP 20.77

17.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$1.24 MOP 9.99

-14.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

$15.00 MOP 121

-75.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

$1.76 MOP 14.22

-18.75%

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

$31.1K MOP 251.3K

-15.25%

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

$31.8K MOP 256.7K

-17.49%

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

$124 MOP 1,002

-22.05%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$23.44 MOP 189

-51.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$36.46 MOP 295

-53.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

$63.3 MOP 511

-16.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

$3.78 MOP 30.57

192.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$14.73 MOP 119

-48.07%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$1,193 MOP 9,642

-53.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

$19.3K MOP 156.2K

-41.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

$70.0 MOP 566

-9.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$33.25 MOP 269

-13.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

$92.4 MOP 747

4.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

$134 MOP 1,084

-33.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$1,130 MOP 9,135

-35.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$1,070 MOP 8,650

-57.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$2,092 MOP 16.9K

0.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

$1,461 MOP 11.8K

-18.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

$8,347 MOP 67.5K

-58.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

$5,538 MOP 44.8K

-55.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$2,053 MOP 16.6K

-75.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

85.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Macao: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Macao

$1.1K 50.3% 134% $612

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Macao

$422 19.8% 57.5% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Macao

$184 8.6% 46.9% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Macao

$148 7% 18.9% $24

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Macao

$177 8.3% 48.7% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Macao

$93 4.4% 36.2% $25

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Macao

$34 1.6% 12.4% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $1,130 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 310% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $55.0 in Macao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $422 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇴 Macao

🕒 Local time

17:12 5:12 PM

18:12 6:12 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

622,567 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Macanese Pataca MOP P

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Macao 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
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

Phuket vs Macao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Macao. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 310% 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: $735 in Phuket versus $1,130 in Macao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $55.0 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,190 per month in Phuket versus $2,107 in Macao – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,190 in Phuket versus $2,107 in Macao, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Macao. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,190 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.