Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipa and Cartago

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartago: $1,713 a month against $2,021 in Taipa, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Taipa outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Taipa
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Taipa Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
Learn more

Cartago Living Index

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Taipa

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,021

/mo nomad

Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taipa and in Cartago

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Taipa and in Cartago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,021 in Taipa versus $1,713 in Cartago.

Taipa $2,021
Cartago $1,713

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,160 in Taipa versus $2,362 in Cartago.

Taipa $3,160
Cartago $2,362

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,299 in Taipa versus $3,011 in Cartago.

Taipa $4,299
Cartago $3,011

Living in Taipa is roughly 18% more expensive than in Cartago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Taipa 50% above, Cartago 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 MOP 48.48

$8.64 ₡3,875

-30.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.1 MOP 453

$34.53 ₡15.5K

62.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.92 MOP 47.82

$9.92 ₡4,449

-40.32%

Cappuccino

$5.06 MOP 40.93

$4.54 ₡2,036

11.45%

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

$0.71 MOP 5.74

$2.13 ₡955

-66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MOP 3.09

$1.36 ₡610

-72.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 MOP 46.75

$2.15 ₡964

168.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 MOP 57.6

$4.06 ₡1,820

75.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.14 MOP 25.40

$2.39 ₡1,073

31.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 MOP 14.05

$2.37 ₡1,065

-26.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MOP 13.29

$2.47 ₡1,110

-33.60%

Eggs

$3.50 MOP 28.33

$3.57 ₡1,601

-1.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.93 MOP 129

$8.61 ₡3,860

85.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.63 MOP 159

$10.38 ₡4,654

89.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.44 MOP 238

$13.94 ₡6,252

111.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MOP 21.86

$5.24 ₡2,351

-48.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 MOP 23.82

$1.29 ₡579

128.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 MOP 15.22

$4.49 ₡2,014

-58.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 MOP 19.56

$2.91 ₡1,307

-16.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 MOP 31.39

$2.24 ₡1,004

73.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 MOP 23.41

$2.17 ₡972

33.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 MOP 5.42

$1.09 ₡487

-38.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MOP 9.20

$2.18 ₡977

-47.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 MOP 54.9

$6.07 ₡2,722

11.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.53 MOP 101

$15.16 ₡6,797

-17.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MOP 14.31

$2.89 ₡1,296

-38.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 MOP 18.36

$2.03 ₡912

11.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ₡613

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 MOP 20.88

$1.33 ₡598

93.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MOP 10.05

$1.56 ₡702

-20.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.64 MOP 118

$8.95 ₡4,015

63.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 MOP 14.50

$1.51 ₡677

18.54%

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

$31.4K MOP 254.1K

$21.7K ₡9.7M

44.90%

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

$32.0K MOP 258.6K

$35.1K ₡15.7M

-8.91%

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

$121 MOP 974

$52.4 ₡23.5K

129.93%

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

$23.97 MOP 194

$35.12 ₡15.8K

-31.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.43 MOP 303

$59.9 ₡26.8K

-37.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.4 MOP 601

$73.8 ₡33.1K

0.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.68 MOP 29.76

$77.8 ₡34.9K

-95.27%

Cinema Ticket

$12.55 MOP 101

$7.27 ₡3,262

72.63%

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

$1,217 MOP 9,835

$549 ₡246.2K

121.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K MOP 152.1K

$7,878 ₡3.5M

138.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 MOP 555

$70.1 ₡31.5K

-2.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.83 MOP 265

$56.5 ₡25.3K

-41.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 MOP 752

$121 ₡54.4K

-23.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 MOP 1,080

$87.7 ₡39.3K

52.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 MOP 8,515

$923 ₡414.2K

14.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$982 MOP 7,936

$704 ₡315.9K

39.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,091 MOP 16.9K

$1,869 ₡838.0K

11.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,906 MOP 15.4K

$724 ₡324.7K

163.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.1K MOP 129.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.5K MOP 109.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,344 ₡602.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-65.20%

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

Last update for Taipa: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cartago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taipa

$982 48.6%

Cartago

$704 41.1% 28.3% $278

Groceries & Markets

Taipa

$427 21.1%

Cartago

$348 20.3% 18.4% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taipa

$182 9%

Cartago

$147 8.6% 19% $35

Eating Out

Taipa

$174 8.6%

Cartago

$186 10.9% 7% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Taipa

$148 7.3%

Cartago

$151 8.8% 2.3% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Taipa

$99 4.9%

Cartago

$88 5.2% 11.2% $11

Getting Around

Taipa

$8.8 * 0.4%

Cartago

$88 5.1% 898% $79

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,053 in Taipa and $923 in Cartago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56.0 in Taipa vs $35.00 in Cartago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $427 vs $348 per month, with Cartago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇴 Taipa

🇨🇷 Cartago

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

02:03 2:03 AM

14 h behind Taipa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,497

110,000

💱 Currency

Macanese Pataca MOP P

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.11 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to MOP – Macanese Pataca Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇴 Macanese Pataca (P)

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.09 MOP (1 MOP = 0.11 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MOP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Taipa Cartago 15,980 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Taipa
Cartago

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

Taipa vs Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartago is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and leisure. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,031 in Taipa and $2,570 in Cartago to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,053 in Taipa versus $923 in Cartago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Taipa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,021 per month in Taipa versus $1,713 in Cartago – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,713 in Cartago versus $2,021 in Taipa, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cartago but tight or insufficient in Taipa. The gap between the two cities makes Cartago 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, Taipa and Cartago 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 Cartago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Taipa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.