Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Macao

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,822 a month against $2,107 in Macao, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Macao outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Macao
Learn more

Macao Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Seoul versus $2,107 in Macao.

Seoul $1,822
Macao $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Seoul versus $3,021 in Macao.

Seoul $2,847
Macao $3,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,872 in Seoul versus $3,935 in Macao.

Seoul $3,872
Macao $3,935

Living in Seoul costs roughly 14% less than in Macao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 36% above, Macao 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$6.31 MOP 51.0

44.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$54.9 MOP 444

22.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$5.91 MOP 47.73

25.55%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$4.89 MOP 39.49

-16.56%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$1.06 MOP 8.56

50.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$0.93 MOP 7.55

-13.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$5.63 MOP 45.48

-35.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$7.23 MOP 58.4

-17.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$3.09 MOP 24.98

-33.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$1.67 MOP 13.50

84.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$1.73 MOP 13.97

143.35%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$3.40 MOP 27.46

5.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$16.05 MOP 130

11.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$19.07 MOP 154

-44.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$29.25 MOP 236

-9.61%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$2.71 MOP 21.87

173.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$2.86 MOP 23.14

23.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$1.97 MOP 15.90

197.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$2.36 MOP 19.06

169.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$3.85 MOP 31.10

-2.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$2.95 MOP 23.85

-15.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$0.66 MOP 5.30

342.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$1.20 MOP 9.74

-4.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$6.64 MOP 53.7

-50.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$12.14 MOP 98.1

52.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$1.77 MOP 14.34

28.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$2.31 MOP 18.66

41.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.76 MOP 6.13

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$22.62 MOP 183

101.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$2.57 MOP 20.77

35.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$1.24 MOP 9.99

-51.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$15.00 MOP 121

-42.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$1.76 MOP 14.22

-14.77%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$31.1K MOP 251.3K

-6.34%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$31.8K MOP 256.7K

-11.23%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$124 MOP 1,002

68.43%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$23.44 MOP 189

49.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$36.46 MOP 295

-41.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$63.3 MOP 511

-9.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$3.78 MOP 30.57

320.37%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$14.73 MOP 119

-23.08%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$1,193 MOP 9,642

59.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$19.3K MOP 156.2K

16.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$70.0 MOP 566

-15.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$33.25 MOP 269

-3.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$92.4 MOP 747

-24.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$134 MOP 1,084

-38.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$1,130 MOP 9,135

-21.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$1,070 MOP 8,650

-41.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$2,092 MOP 16.9K

19.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,461 MOP 11.8K

-12.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$8,347 MOP 67.5K

257.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$5,538 MOP 44.8K

113.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$2,053 MOP 16.6K

77.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

36.00%

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

Last update for Seoul: 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

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Macao

$1.1K 50.3% 71.6% $447

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Macao

$422 19.8% 11.9% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Macao

$184 8.6% 30.6% $81

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Macao

$177 8.3% 3.5% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Macao

$148 7% 35.3% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Macao

$93 4.4% 15.9% $13

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Macao

$34 1.6% 39.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Seoul and $1,130 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 78% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Seoul vs $55.0 in Macao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $479 vs $422 per month, with Macao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇲🇴 Macao

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

17:04 5:04 PM

1 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

622,567 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Macanese Pataca MOP P

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 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 KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seoul Macao 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
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

Seoul vs Macao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Macao. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Seoul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 78% higher in Seoul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $885 in Seoul 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 Seoul – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $55.0 in Macao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,822 per month in Seoul versus $2,107 in Macao – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,822 in Seoul versus $2,107 in Macao, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Macao. The gap between the two cities makes Seoul 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, Seoul 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 Seoul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Macao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.