Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tartu and Macao

For one person, living is cheaper in Tartu: $1,688 a month against $2,158 in Macao, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tartu, Estonia
Macao, Macao (China)
Tartu
🇪🇪 Estonia
$1,688
/mo nomad
Macao
🇲🇴 Macao (China)
$2,158
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,688 in Tartu versus $2,158 in Macao.

  • Tartu $1,688
  • Macao $2,158

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,570 in Tartu versus $3,053 in Macao.

  • Tartu $2,570
  • Macao $3,053

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,452 in Tartu versus $3,948 in Macao.

  • Tartu $3,452
  • Macao $3,948

Living in Tartu costs roughly 22% less than in Macao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tartu 24% above, Macao 59% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tartu
Macao
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.92 €15.20
$6.37 MOP 51.5
165.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.1 €63.0
$55.4 MOP 447
26.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.33 €10.18
$5.76 MOP 46.56
96.70%
Cappuccino
$3.99 €3.58
$4.97 MOP 40.18
-19.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 €2.97
$1.05 MOP 8.46
214.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.71 €3.34
$0.78 MOP 6.33
375.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.58 €5.91
$5.66 MOP 45.71
16.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.30 €6.56
$7.34 MOP 59.3
-0.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tartu
Macao
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.22 €1.10
$3.12 MOP 25.18
-60.90%
White Bread (500g)
$1.94 €1.74
$1.71 MOP 13.78
13.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.31 €2.08
$1.72 MOP 13.88
34.30%
Eggs
$2.96 €2.66
$3.50 MOP 28.24
-15.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.57 €11.29
$15.90 MOP 128
-20.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.52 €7.66
$19.42 MOP 157
-56.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.66 €13.17
$29.46 MOP 238
-50.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.06 €1.85
$2.58 MOP 20.84
-20.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 €1.29
$2.86 MOP 23.08
-49.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.42 €2.17
$1.89 MOP 15.24
28.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.03 €2.72
$2.44 MOP 19.73
24.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.09 €0.98
$3.95 MOP 31.93
-72.41%
Onion (1kg)
$0.83 €0.75
$2.94 MOP 23.74
-71.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.88 €1.69
$0.62 MOP 5.00
203.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 €1.11
$1.14 MOP 9.21
8.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.73 €6.04
$6.64 MOP 53.7
1.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.23 €9.19
$12.16 MOP 98.2
-15.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.06 €1.85
$1.78 MOP 14.41
15.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 €2.19
$2.31 MOP 18.67
5.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Tartu
Macao
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.67 €1.50
$0.71 MOP 5.76
135.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.43 €27.34
$22.93 MOP 185
32.71%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.49 €3.13
$2.66 MOP 21.53
31.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 €0.93
$1.24 MOP 9.99
-16.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.18 €24.42
$15.00 MOP 121
81.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.91 €1.72
$1.76 MOP 14.21
8.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K €25.1K
$31.1K MOP 251.3K
-10.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.5K €26.5K
$31.4K MOP 253.5K
-5.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tartu
Macao
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$310 €278
$122 MOP 988
153.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.74 €15.94
$24.02 MOP 194
-26.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.35 €32.66
$36.91 MOP 298
-1.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tartu
Macao
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.46 €38.15
$95.6 MOP 772
-55.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.84 €30.41
$3.64 MOP 29.43
829.67%
Cinema Ticket
$11.80 €10.61
$14.43 MOP 117
-18.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tartu
Macao
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$461 €414
$1,194 MOP 9,645
-61.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.8K €10.6K
$19.4K MOP 156.7K
-38.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tartu
Macao
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$110 €98.7
$68.8 MOP 556
59.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.51 €42.68
$33.15 MOP 268
43.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €92.7
$91.5 MOP 739
12.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €109
$136 MOP 1,095
-10.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tartu
Macao
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$642 €576
$1,095 MOP 8,849
-41.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$464 €417
$1,065 MOP 8,605
-56.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,176 €1,057
$2,089 MOP 16.9K
-43.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$847 €761
$1,452 MOP 11.7K
-41.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,902 €3,506
$9,783 MOP 79.0K
-60.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,828 €2,541
$6,861 MOP 55.4K
-58.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tartu
Macao
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,935 €1,738
$2,042 MOP 16.5K
-5.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.93
3
31.00%

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

Last update for Tartu: October 25, 2026

Last update for Macao: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tartu
$464
Macao
$1.1K 130% $601
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tartu
$364
Macao
$183 49.6% $180
Eating Out
Tartu
$293
Macao
$178 39.1% $115
Groceries & Markets
Tartu
$284
Macao
$424 49.3% $140
Clothing & Footwear
Tartu
$172
Macao
$148 13.9% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Tartu
$66
Macao
$124 88.4% $58
Getting Around
Tartu
$46
Macao
$35 24.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $642 in Tartu and $1,095 in Macao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macao pays 6% 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: $70 in Tartu vs $55 in Macao. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $424, with Tartu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇪🇪 Tartu
🇲🇴 Macao
🕒 Local time
11:12 11:12 AM
17:12 5:12 PM
6 h ahead of Tartu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
102,414
622,567 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 8.99 MOP (1 MOP = 0.111 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tartu Macao 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tartu
  • 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
Tartu vs Macao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Tartu or Macao?
Tartu wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Macao. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tartu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Tartu or in Macao?
On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Tartu. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Tartu compared to Macao?
Rent for a central apartment: $642 in Tartu versus $1,095 in Macao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Tartu and in Macao?
Dining out is cheaper in Macao – a meal for two runs $55 versus $70 in Tartu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Tartu compared to Macao?
All in, you’ll spend $1,688 per month in Tartu versus $2,158 in Macao – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Tartu or in Macao?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Tartu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city is better for families?
For families, Tartu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Macao, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
How safe is Tartu compared to Macao?
Safety-wise, Tartu 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.
Should I move to Tartu or to Macao?
It comes down to priorities – Tartu wins on affordability, Macao on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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