Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roseau and Macao

For one person, living is cheaper in Roseau: $1,259 a month against $2,139 in Macao, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Roseau
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Roseau Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Macao
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Macao Living Index

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Roseau

🇩🇲 Dominica

$1,259

/mo nomad

Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,259 in Roseau versus $2,139 in Macao.

Roseau $1,259
Macao $2,139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,123 in Roseau versus $3,023 in Macao.

Roseau $2,123
Macao $3,023

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,988 in Roseau versus $3,906 in Macao.

Roseau $2,988
Macao $3,906

Living in Roseau costs roughly 41% less than in Macao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Roseau is 7% below, Macao is 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.45 EC$20.11

$6.21 MOP 50.2

19.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.2 EC$152

$55.3 MOP 447

1.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 EC$17.89

$5.79 MOP 46.84

14.34%

Cappuccino

$4.19 EC$11.31

$4.93 MOP 39.81

-15.01%

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

$2.41 EC$6.50

$1.01 MOP 8.13

138.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 EC$5.86

$0.93 MOP 7.49

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 EC$4.93

$5.84 MOP 47.17

-68.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 EC$7.19

$7.49 MOP 60.6

-64.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.27 EC$8.82

$3.23 MOP 26.10

1.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 EC$5.76

$1.70 MOP 13.75

25.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 EC$3.29

$1.74 MOP 14.03

-29.89%

Eggs

$5.44 EC$14.69

$3.39 MOP 27.38

60.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.42 EC$6.54

$15.91 MOP 129

-84.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.07 EC$29.90

$19.45 MOP 157

-43.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.03 EC$35.19

$28.73 MOP 232

-54.65%

Apples (1kg)

$6.58 EC$17.76

$2.59 MOP 20.96

154.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 EC$6.58

$2.90 MOP 23.48

-15.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.57 EC$12.34

$1.94 MOP 15.70

135.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 EC$13.68

$2.34 MOP 18.92

116.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.52 EC$9.52

$4.05 MOP 32.72

-13.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 EC$8.21

$2.81 MOP 22.73

8.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 EC$5.70

$0.63 MOP 5.09

234.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 EC$7.34

$1.14 MOP 9.23

138.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.46 EC$20.15

$6.61 MOP 53.5

12.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 EC$29.44

$12.32 MOP 99.6

-11.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 EC$7.10

$1.70 MOP 13.77

54.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 EC$8.08

$2.23 MOP 18.05

34.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.88 EC$5.08

$0.73 MOP 5.87

157.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.4 EC$144

$22.85 MOP 185

133.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 EC$14.54

$2.54 MOP 20.53

112.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 EC$7.90

$1.24 MOP 10.01

136.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.09 EC$27.25

$14.67 MOP 119

-31.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 EC$3.87

$1.85 MOP 14.94

-22.70%

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

$35.6K EC$96.0K

$30.5K MOP 246.9K

16.42%

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

$29.6K EC$80.0K

$31.9K MOP 258.1K

-7.17%

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

$143 EC$386

$124 MOP 1,004

15.06%

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

$44.39 EC$120

$23.42 MOP 189

89.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 EC$190

$36.77 MOP 297

91.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.93 EC$124

$65.2 MOP 527

-29.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.10 EC$62.4

$3.78 MOP 30.56

511.11%

Cinema Ticket

$8.11 EC$21.89

$14.84 MOP 120

-45.35%

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

$131 EC$353

$1,197 MOP 9,679

-89.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,365 EC$11.8K

$19.0K MOP 153.9K

-77.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 EC$150

$69.9 MOP 565

-20.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.72 EC$99.1

$32.93 MOP 266

11.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 EC$202

$93.3 MOP 754

-19.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 EC$247

$134 MOP 1,081

-31.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 EC$778

$1,132 MOP 9,153

-74.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 EC$558

$1,077 MOP 8,702

-80.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 EC$2,381

$2,106 MOP 17.0K

-58.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 EC$1,741

$1,474 MOP 11.9K

-56.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$123 EC$333

$8,212 MOP 66.4K

-98.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$55.5 EC$150

$5,513 MOP 44.6K

-98.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$473 EC$1,277

$2,054 MOP 16.6K

-76.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.6

153.33%

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

Last update for Roseau: October 18, 2026

Last update for Macao: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Roseau

$372 29.6%

Macao

$422 19.8% 13.5% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roseau

$258 20.5%

Macao

$184 8.6% 28.4% $73

Accommodation & Living

Roseau

$207 16.4%

Macao

$1.1K 50.3% 421% $870

Eating Out

Roseau

$163 12.9%

Macao

$178 8.3% 9.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Roseau

$116 9.3%

Macao

$148 6.9% 27.6% $32

Getting Around

Roseau

$81 6.4%

Macao

$34 1.6% 57.4% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Roseau

$62 4.9%

Macao

$95 4.4% 52.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $288 in Roseau and $1,132 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 334% 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: $56.0 in Roseau vs $55.0 in Macao. Groceries flip the comparison at $372 vs $422, with Roseau cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇩🇲 Roseau

🇲🇴 Macao

🕒 Local time

11:15 11:15 AM

23:15 11:15 PM

12 h ahead of Roseau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,000 Capital

622,567 Capital

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Macanese Pataca MOP P

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.329 EUR

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.04 XCD (1 XCD = 0.329 EUR).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.09 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Roseau Macao 15,810 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Roseau
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

Roseau vs Macao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roseau wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Macao. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Roseau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 334% 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: $288 in Roseau versus $1,132 in Macao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Roseau – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $55.0 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,259 per month in Roseau versus $2,139 in Macao – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,259 in Roseau versus $2,139 in Macao, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Roseau but tight or insufficient in Macao. The gap between the two cities makes Roseau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Roseau 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 Roseau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.