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

Name: Macao (China)
Address: MO

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,405 in United Kingdom versus $2,054 in Macao (China).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,520 in United Kingdom versus $3,057 in Macao (China).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,635 in United Kingdom versus $4,059 in Macao (China).

Living in United Kingdom is roughly 17% more expensive than in Macao (China) on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: United Kingdom 74% above, Macao (China) 49% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,100 to $4,235, compared to $2,003–$2,104 in Macao (China). City choice carries more weight in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.52 £15.90

$6.11 MOP 49.38

252.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.0 £65.0

$55.8 MOP 451

57.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 £8.05

$6.10 MOP 49.24

78.52%

Cappuccino

$4.92 £3.64

$5.00 MOP 40.36

-1.60%

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

$2.59 £1.91

$1.02 MOP 8.27

153.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.36

$0.84 MOP 6.76

119.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.91 £5.11

$5.70 MOP 46.06

21.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 £5.07

$7.23 MOP 58.4

-5.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 £1.23

$3.26 MOP 26.34

-48.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.23

$1.73 MOP 14.01

-3.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 £1.63

$1.66 MOP 13.42

32.53%

Eggs

$4.19 £3.10

$3.35 MOP 27.03

25.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 £7.38

$16.03 MOP 129

-37.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 £7.00

$19.25 MOP 156

-50.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.39

$29.11 MOP 235

-47.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.23

$2.57 MOP 20.78

17.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 £1.25

$2.85 MOP 23.06

-40.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 £2.16

$1.93 MOP 15.61

51.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 £2.50

$2.34 MOP 18.94

44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 £1.36

$4.04 MOP 32.64

-54.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$2.93 MOP 23.64

-46.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.93

$0.66 MOP 5.30

90.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.21 MOP 9.80

40.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.21 £17.90

$6.63 MOP 53.6

265.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.00 £8.13

$12.30 MOP 99.4

-10.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.21

$1.70 MOP 13.76

75.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.51

$2.23 MOP 18.03

52.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 £2.53

$0.78 MOP 6.27

339.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £77.9

$22.90 MOP 185

360.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 £3.96

$2.53 MOP 20.43

111.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 £1.75

$1.27 MOP 10.26

86.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.55 £20.36

$14.71 MOP 119

87.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.80 MOP 14.51

7.22%

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

$39.7K £29.3K

$30.6K MOP 247.3K

29.63%

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

$40.7K £30.1K

$31.5K MOP 254.7K

28.96%

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

$321 £238

$124 MOP 1,001

159.43%

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

$18.67 £13.80

$23.31 MOP 188

-19.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.93 £32.47

$36.73 MOP 297

19.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.56 £34.41

$67.1 MOP 542

-30.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 £13.83

$3.77 MOP 30.42

396.29%

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 £10.00

$14.16 MOP 114

-4.45%

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

$1,739 £1,285

$1,205 MOP 9,736

44.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K £16.7K

$18.9K MOP 153.0K

19.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 £67.2

$70.6 MOP 570

28.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.40 £35.04

$33.15 MOP 268

42.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 £77.8

$93.8 MOP 758

12.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 £74.9

$136 MOP 1,100

-25.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 £1,022

$1,095 MOP 8,844

26.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 £809

$943 MOP 7,617

16.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,216 £1,638

$2,071 MOP 16.7K

7.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 £1,341

$1,624 MOP 13.1K

11.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,730 £4,235

$10.8K MOP 87.2K

-46.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,515 £3,337

$8,074 MOP 65.2K

-44.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,329 £2,461

$2,054 MOP 16.6K

62.05%

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 United Kingdom: September 5, 2026

Last update for Macao (China): September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,285 in United Kingdom, $1,105 in Macao (China). Capital cities: $2,926 in London vs $1,139 in Macao.

National salary averages: $3,292 in United Kingdom, $1,990 in Macao (China). Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 16% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 50% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 682% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 65% higher in United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United Kingdom.

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 $2,054 per month in Macao (China) and $2,668 in United Kingdom, there's a 30% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Macao (China): lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in United Kingdom is consistently higher than in Macao (China) across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Macao (China), $2,500 covers most cities easily; in 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; United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.