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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,721 in Macao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,815 in Macao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,908 in Macao.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 27% less than in Macao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Macao is 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$6.24 MOP 50.4

92.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$49.70 MOP 401

-15.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.32 MOP 51.1

70.09%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$4.87 MOP 39.33

-28.13%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.20 MOP 9.66

20.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.88 MOP 7.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$5.67 MOP 45.78

-47.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$7.14 MOP 57.7

-36.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.95 MOP 23.84

-51.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.59 MOP 12.81

15.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.53 MOP 12.32

2.61%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$3.08 MOP 24.86

-18.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$17.32 MOP 140

-52.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$7.80 MOP 63.0

8.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$23.05 MOP 186

-53.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$3.76 MOP 30.39

-30.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$3.00 MOP 24.26

-52.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.75 MOP 30.31

-47.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.75 MOP 22.17

-24.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$4.26 MOP 34.40

-56.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$3.38 MOP 27.30

-35.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.62 MOP 13.11

-36.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.09 MOP 8.77

-1.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$6.19 MOP 49.96

-33.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$12.27 MOP 99.1

-17.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.40 MOP 11.34

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.09 MOP 16.87

21.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.77 MOP 6.21

-33.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$21.92 MOP 177

18.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.63 MOP 21.25

22.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.17 MOP 9.49

105.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$14.96 MOP 121

-78.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.74 MOP 14.09

-24.14%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$31.0K MOP 250.6K

-4.29%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$27.5K MOP 221.7K

-13.81%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$103 MOP 830

-20.19%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$25.16 MOP 203

-8.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$33.06 MOP 267

-8.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$85.1 MOP 687

-38.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$3.45 MOP 27.88

437.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$14.39 MOP 116

-65.39%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$693 MOP 5,599

-71.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$13.6K MOP 110.0K

-60.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$64.9 MOP 524

-45.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$29.20 MOP 236

38.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$88.5 MOP 715

-11.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$102 MOP 820

-12.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$1,061 MOP 8,568

-10.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$771 MOP 6,223

-38.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,955 MOP 15.8K

-15.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$1,593 MOP 12.9K

-23.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$8,503 MOP 68.7K

-52.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$5,652 MOP 45.6K

14.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$2,055 MOP 16.6K

-68.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.28

248.17%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Macao: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $1,061 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 214% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $50.0 in Macao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $364 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 37% 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 214% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,061 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 $42.00 versus $50.0 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,721 in Macao – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,721 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 $1,256 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 37% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.