Living in Macau, Macao

Macau is a mid-sized coastal city in Macao SAR China, Macao (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 23°C over the year with about 1,834 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,918 a month to live centrally. For foreigners, long-term residency in Macao is hard to obtain.

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Est. cost
€2,918
a month for a couple
Climate
23°C
1,834 mm rain a year
Size
Mid-sized
250,000 to 1 million people
Safety
77/100
country-level
Residency
Hard to obtain
for most foreigners

Limited data for Macao. Figures for safety, healthcare, cost of living and political stability in Macao are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no tax, English, social openness or internet speed figures for Macao, so the quiz scores those factors conservatively and this page leaves them out.

What stands out about Macau

  • Safer than 90% of the cities we compare
  • Stronger healthcare than 86% of the cities we compare
  • Wet: about 1,834 mm of rain a year
  • Long-term residency is hard to obtain
  • On or near the sea

Residency and visas

Hard to obtain. Realistic long-term routes are the discretionary IPIM 'major investment' plan (must create local jobs) and the skill-based Talent Recruitment System, with shortage-occupation professionals needing a local employer sponsor; the old real-estate and special-qualifications routes are closed.

The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Macao:

  • Investment: about $1.9M (IPIM major investment plan, MOP 15M (no passive real-estate route since 2007; converted at 1 USD = 8.07 MOP); as of June 2026)

For short visits, 85 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 106 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 7 need a visa in advance.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Climate

Macau averages 23°C across the year with about 1,834 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 66% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Safety and stability

Macao scores 77 out of 100 on safety, safer than 90% of the cities we compare. Its estimated democracy score is 5.1 out of 10.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Macao: country-level homicide rate per 100,000 people (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, 2023) and Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: Worldwide Governance Indicators Voice and Accountability estimate (GOV_WGI_VA.EST, 2025), calibrated to the EIU Democracy Index scale. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Healthcare

Macao scores 75 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 86% of the cities we compare.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Macao: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Cost of living

We estimate a couple needs about €2,918 a month to live centrally in Macau, 7% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 36% of them.

Source: OurNextCity model from the price level of GDP relative to the United States, from GDP per person in US dollars and at purchasing power parity (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD, 2025), calibrated to our country-level cost index (New York = 100) and scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Questions couples ask about Macau

Is Macau a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Macau scores well on safety and healthcare. Our figures for Macao are partial: no tax, English, social openness or internet speed data, and country-level World Bank estimates for the rest. Expect a warm, very wet climate (23°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Macau and 914 other cities for both of you at once.

How much does it cost a couple to live in Macau?

We estimate about €2,918 a month for a couple living centrally, 7% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from the World Bank price level of GDP for Macao, calibrated to our country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.

Can foreigners live in Macao long term?

Our assessment: hard to obtain. Realistic long-term routes are the discretionary IPIM 'major investment' plan (must create local jobs) and the skill-based Talent Recruitment System, with shortage-occupation professionals needing a local employer sponsor; the old real-estate and special-qualifications routes are closed. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: investment, about $1.9M (as of 2026-06).

What is the weather like in Macau?

Macau averages 23°C across the year with about 1,834 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 66% of the cities we track.

Cities like Macau

Closest matches in other countries on climate, size and distance to the coast.

Near Macau