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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,764 in Macao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,775 in Macao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,787 in Macao.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 26% less than in Macao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Macao is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.19 MOP 49.95

89.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$49.59 MOP 400

-16.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.05 MOP 48.87

75.87%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$4.86 MOP 39.22

-27.57%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.20 MOP 9.71

25.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.81 MOP 6.57

19.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$5.86 MOP 47.27

-49.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$7.23 MOP 58.3

-38.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.94 MOP 23.76

-53.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.60 MOP 12.89

18.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.53 MOP 12.39

7.19%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.17 MOP 25.62

-20.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$17.37 MOP 140

-51.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.56 MOP 61.1

10.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$23.17 MOP 187

-53.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$3.84 MOP 30.96

-32.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$3.11 MOP 25.14

-53.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$3.83 MOP 30.88

-50.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.80 MOP 22.61

-25.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$4.37 MOP 35.24

-59.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$3.50 MOP 28.21

-37.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.71 MOP 13.78

-39.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.09 MOP 8.80

-0.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$6.14 MOP 49.60

-33.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$12.17 MOP 98.2

-15.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.36 MOP 11.01

25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.06 MOP 16.60

25.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.77 MOP 6.25

-33.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$22.17 MOP 179

19.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.65 MOP 21.36

23.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.19 MOP 9.57

109.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$15.12 MOP 122

-78.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.74 MOP 14.08

-24.71%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$31.0K MOP 250.2K

-2.33%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$28.2K MOP 227.9K

-17.02%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$103 MOP 835

-19.91%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$25.14 MOP 203

-11.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$34.23 MOP 276

-14.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$85.3 MOP 689

-39.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$3.51 MOP 28.35

421.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$14.28 MOP 115

-64.50%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$674 MOP 5,436

-70.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$13.3K MOP 107.0K

-60.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$65.1 MOP 525

-43.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$29.06 MOP 235

36.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$88.3 MOP 713

-11.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$102 MOP 823

-14.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$1,064 MOP 8,588

-8.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$778 MOP 6,277

-39.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,966 MOP 15.9K

-16.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$1,621 MOP 13.1K

-24.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$12.7K MOP 102.8K

-69.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$8,010 MOP 64.6K

-18.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,983 MOP 16.0K

-66.51%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Macao: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $1,064 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 199% 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 $366 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 36% 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, Macao earns 199% 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen 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 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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,764 in Macao – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,764 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 $1,297 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 36% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.