Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United Kingdom and Macao (China)

Name: Macao (China)
Address: MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Macao (China): $2,016 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in the United Kingdom
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United Kingdom Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Macao (China)
Learn more

Macao (China) Living Index

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🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,462

/mo nomad

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

$2,016

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United Kingdom and in Macao (China)

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,462 in the United Kingdom versus $2,016 in Macao (China).

United Kingdom $2,462
Macao (China) $2,016

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,600 in the United Kingdom versus $3,061 in Macao (China).

United Kingdom $3,600
Macao (China) $3,061

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,738 in the United Kingdom versus $4,107 in Macao (China).

United Kingdom $4,738
Macao (China) $4,107

Internal cost variation is higher in the United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,126 to $4,646, compared to $2,004–$2,158 in Macao (China). City choice carries more weight in the United Kingdom.

Living in the United Kingdom is roughly 22% more expensive than in Macao (China) on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United Kingdom 81% above, Macao (China) 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.48 £16.17

$6.06 MOP 49.00

254.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.7 £64.5

$54.8 MOP 443

56.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 £7.99

$6.07 MOP 49.06

74.79%

Cappuccino

$4.91 £3.70

$5.00 MOP 40.39

-1.80%

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

$2.66 £2.00

$1.03 MOP 8.36

158.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.41

$0.86 MOP 6.94

117.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 £4.99

$5.87 MOP 47.45

12.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 £5.15

$7.26 MOP 58.7

-5.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.26

$3.10 MOP 25.04

-45.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.29

$1.74 MOP 14.04

-1.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 £1.63

$1.71 MOP 13.84

26.90%

Eggs

$4.00 £3.01

$3.44 MOP 27.76

16.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 £7.09

$16.04 MOP 130

-41.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.19 £6.91

$19.42 MOP 157

-52.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 £11.11

$29.27 MOP 236

-49.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 £2.23

$2.66 MOP 21.51

11.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 £1.22

$2.95 MOP 23.85

-45.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 £2.15

$1.89 MOP 15.26

50.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 £2.65

$2.46 MOP 19.87

43.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.38

$3.85 MOP 31.14

-52.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 £1.21

$2.91 MOP 23.50

-44.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.94

$0.65 MOP 5.29

92.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.25

$1.14 MOP 9.23

45.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.65 £17.80

$6.59 MOP 53.2

258.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 £7.90

$12.48 MOP 101

-15.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.25

$1.72 MOP 13.91

73.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 £2.64

$2.27 MOP 18.34

54.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 £2.99

$0.75 MOP 6.08

430.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 £80.9

$22.29 MOP 180

381.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 £3.90

$2.63 MOP 21.24

96.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 £1.77

$1.24 MOP 10.01

89.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.84 £20.20

$14.83 MOP 120

80.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.50

$1.83 MOP 14.76

8.74%

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

$39.4K £29.7K

$30.6K MOP 247.6K

28.72%

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

$40.5K £30.5K

$31.9K MOP 257.4K

27.07%

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

$327 £246

$124 MOP 1,002

163.90%

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

$18.21 £13.71

$23.90 MOP 193

-23.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.60 £32.81

$37.46 MOP 303

16.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.36 £31.88

$80.4 MOP 650

-47.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.22 £13.71

$3.70 MOP 29.89

392.43%

Cinema Ticket

$13.85 £10.42

$14.24 MOP 115

-2.74%

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

$1,868 £1,406

$1,234 MOP 9,973

51.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K £17.0K

$19.0K MOP 153.9K

18.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 £69.9

$68.2 MOP 551

36.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.92 £34.56

$33.91 MOP 274

35.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £76.5

$93.6 MOP 756

8.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £77.0

$136 MOP 1,098

-24.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 £1,010

$1,115 MOP 9,011

20.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 £808

$935 MOP 7,558

14.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,231 £1,679

$2,126 MOP 17.2K

4.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,742 £1,311

$1,641 MOP 13.3K

6.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,601 £4,216

$9,902 MOP 80.0K

-43.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,265 £3,210

$6,923 MOP 55.9K

-38.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,349 £2,521

$1,974 MOP 15.9K

69.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

77.33%

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

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026

Last update for Macao (China): October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United Kingdom

$1.1K 43.6%

Macao (China)

$935 46.4% 12.8% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United Kingdom

$389 15.8%

Macao (China)

$185 9.2% 52.4% $204

Eating Out

United Kingdom

$328 13.3%

Macao (China)

$178 8.8% 45.6% $149

Groceries & Markets

United Kingdom

$307 12.5%

Macao (China)

$425 21.1% 38.2% $117

Clothing & Footwear

United Kingdom

$154 6.3%

Macao (China)

$149 7.4% 3.3% $5

Getting Around

United Kingdom

$140 5.7%

Macao (China)

$34 1.7% 75.7% $106

Sport & Entertainment

United Kingdom

$70 2.9%

Macao (China)

$109 5.4% 55.4% $39

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,287 in the United Kingdom, $1,076 in Macao (China). Capital cities: $2,811 in London vs $1,095 in Macao.

National salary averages: $3,251 in the United Kingdom, $2,042 in Macao (China). Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 20% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 51% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 339% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are 59% higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🇲🇴 Macao (China)

🕒 Local time

00:14 12:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

8 h ahead of the United Kingdom

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,326,569

682,100

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

Macanese Pataca MOP P

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 MOP = 0.124 USD

1 MOP = 0.111 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MOP, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Macanese Pataca exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 MOP (1 MOP = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 8.99 MOP (1 MOP = 0.111 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United Kingdom Macao (China) 9,600 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

United Kingdom
Macao (China)

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

United Kingdom vs Macao (China): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,016 per month in Macao (China) and $2,462 in the United Kingdom, Macao (China) comes out about 18% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 in the United Kingdom and $1,076 in Macao (China). Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Macao (China), $2,500 covers most cities easily; in the United Kingdom it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: Macao (China) wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.