Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Macao

For one person, living is cheaper in Macao: $2,114 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Macao
Learn more

Macao Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Macao

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,114

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $2,114 in Macao.

Singapore $3,500
Macao $2,114

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $2,990 in Macao.

Singapore $5,265
Macao $2,990

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $3,866 in Macao.

Singapore $7,030
Macao $3,866

Living in Singapore is roughly 66% more expensive than in Macao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Singapore 159% above, Macao 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$6.26 MOP 50.6

87.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$56.2 MOP 454

25.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$6.02 MOP 48.66

42.03%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$5.06 MOP 40.87

2.77%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$1.05 MOP 8.48

68.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.85 MOP 6.88

44.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$5.62 MOP 45.46

46.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$7.33 MOP 59.2

38.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$3.26 MOP 26.34

-6.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$1.70 MOP 13.72

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$1.66 MOP 13.38

72.29%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$3.50 MOP 28.30

0.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$16.22 MOP 131

30.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$19.56 MOP 158

-49.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$28.45 MOP 230

-10.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$2.59 MOP 20.96

76.45%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$2.86 MOP 23.13

9.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$1.89 MOP 15.27

149.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$2.36 MOP 19.04

-5.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$3.84 MOP 31.03

-33.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.84 MOP 22.92

-19.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$0.62 MOP 5.04

201.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$1.15 MOP 9.32

25.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$6.64 MOP 53.6

110.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$12.30 MOP 99.4

90.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$1.79 MOP 14.43

153.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$2.30 MOP 18.61

93.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$0.73 MOP 5.88

115.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$22.47 MOP 182

317.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$2.63 MOP 21.26

38.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$1.29 MOP 10.40

-41.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$14.68 MOP 119

9.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.78 MOP 14.38

37.64%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$30.5K MOP 246.6K

408.46%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$30.9K MOP 249.8K

380.51%

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

$172 SGD 220

$120 MOP 972

42.61%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$23.50 MOP 190

-47.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$37.25 MOP 301

-29.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$63.8 MOP 515

69.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$3.81 MOP 30.82

223.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$14.71 MOP 119

-20.87%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$1,231 MOP 9,951

20.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$18.7K MOP 151.3K

51.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$68.7 MOP 555

17.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$33.15 MOP 268

51.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$91.9 MOP 743

21.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$135 MOP 1,091

-4.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$1,103 MOP 8,913

173.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$1,055 MOP 8,528

105.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$2,111 MOP 17.1K

176.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$1,433 MOP 11.6K

182.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$8,352 MOP 67.5K

184.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$5,490 MOP 44.4K

205.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$2,041 MOP 16.5K

114.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

-18.67%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Macao: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Macao

$1.1K 49.9% 51.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Macao

$423 20% 7.6% $35

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Macao

$179 8.5% 29.9% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Macao

$181 8.6% 13.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Macao

$148 7% 11.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Macao

$93 4.4% 29.1% $38

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Macao

$34 1.6% 67.9% $73

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $1,103 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 115% 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: $71.0 in Singapore vs $56.0 in Macao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $423 per month, with Macao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇲🇴 Macao

🕒 Local time

02:32 2:32 AM

Same time as Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

622,567 Capital

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Macanese Pataca MOP P

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.09 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Macao 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
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

Singapore vs Macao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Macao wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Singapore. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Macao the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 115% higher in Singapore, 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: $3,015 in Singapore versus $1,103 in Macao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Macao – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,500 per month in Singapore versus $2,114 in Macao – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,114 in Macao versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macao but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Macao 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, Singapore 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 Macao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.