Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Macao Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Macao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,122 in Macao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,017 in Macao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,911 in Macao.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 40% less than in Macao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Macao is 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$6.07 MOP 49.06

91.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$55.9 MOP 451

-15.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.04 MOP 48.83

96.69%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$4.98 MOP 40.22

-20.08%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.02 MOP 8.24

40.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.91 MOP 7.35

-9.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$5.81 MOP 46.97

-45.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$7.37 MOP 59.6

-7.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$3.26 MOP 26.31

-48.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.77 MOP 14.27

24.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.72 MOP 13.89

-0.58%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.52 MOP 28.45

-22.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$16.03 MOP 130

-40.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$19.54 MOP 158

-53.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$28.40 MOP 229

-54.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.70 MOP 21.84

7.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.83 MOP 22.83

-47.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.87 MOP 15.07

14.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.39 MOP 19.31

-5.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$3.84 MOP 31.03

-48.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.85 MOP 23.06

-30.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.63 MOP 5.08

95.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.17 MOP 9.42

2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$6.50 MOP 52.5

-30.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$12.36 MOP 99.9

-16.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.70 MOP 13.70

-4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.24 MOP 18.09

28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.75 MOP 6.09

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$22.69 MOP 183

26.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.58 MOP 20.88

108.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.24 MOP 10.05

200.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$14.76 MOP 119

-60.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.77 MOP 14.33

-12.99%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$30.6K MOP 247.3K

-26.33%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$31.8K MOP 256.9K

-18.04%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$121 MOP 975

-24.29%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$23.66 MOP 191

6.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$37.16 MOP 300

-15.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$65.1 MOP 526

3.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$3.80 MOP 30.67

666.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$14.40 MOP 116

-66.25%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$1,221 MOP 9,862

-81.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$19.2K MOP 154.8K

-77.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$68.5 MOP 553

-31.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$33.39 MOP 270

32.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$91.9 MOP 743

-12.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$135 MOP 1,087

-31.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$1,109 MOP 8,957

-4.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$1,084 MOP 8,756

-63.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$2,054 MOP 16.6K

4.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$1,459 MOP 11.8K

-12.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$8,173 MOP 66.0K

-51.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$5,659 MOP 45.7K

14.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$2,036 MOP 16.4K

-62.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

281.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Macao: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $1,109 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 169% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $56.0 in Macao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $424 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

Playa del Carmen vs Macao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Macao. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 169% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,109 in Macao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $56.0 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,122 in Macao – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,122 in Macao, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Macao. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.