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Hakone vs Macau cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฏ๐ต Hakone
๐ฒ๐ด Macau
At a glance
- Where Macau is clearly cheaper: Laundry (54%โ), Taxi (52%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (50%โ)
- Where Hakone is clearly cheaper: Half-day tour (71%โ), Studio rent (month) (64%โ), Cocktail & wine (52%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Hakone is easier to travel (1.8 vs 2.6). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hakone 1 vs Macau 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hakone | Macau | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฅ 1,200$8.11 | MOP$ 60$7.44 | Macau โ8% |
| Street food1 item | ยฅ 500$3.38 | MOP$ 30$3.72 | Hakone โ9% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฅ 3,500$23.6 | MOP$ 200$24.8 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฅ 550$3.72 | MOP$ 40$4.96 | Hakone โ25% |
| Beerone bottle | ยฅ 650$4.39 | MOP$ 45$5.58 | Hakone โ21% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฅ 800$5.41 | MOP$ 90$11.2 | Hakone โ52% |
| Bottled water | ยฅ 120$0.81 | MOP$ 7$0.87 | Hakone โ7% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฅ 160$1.08 | MOP$ 10$1.24 | Hakone โ13% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฅ 2,300$15.5 | MOP$ 60$7.44 | Macau โ52% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | MOP$ 27$3.35 | Macau โ50% |
| Transitone ride | ยฅ 220$1.49 | MOP$ 6$0.74 | Macau โ50% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฅ 3,000$20.3 | MOP$ 100$12.4 | Macau โ39% |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฅ 25,000$169 | MOP$ 750$93.1 | Macau โ45% |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฅ 60,000$405 | MOP$ 9,000$1,117 | Hakone โ64% |
| Laundry | ยฅ 800$5.41 | MOP$ 20$2.48 | Macau โ54% |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฅ 3,000$20.3 | MOP$ 100$12.4 | Macau โ39% |
| Haircutcut | ยฅ 2,300$15.5 | MOP$ 150$18.6 | Hakone โ16% |
| Massage1 hour | ยฅ 6,000$40.5 | MOP$ 300$37.2 | Macau โ8% |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฅ 1,700$11.5 | MOP$ 320$39.7 | Hakone โ71% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | MOP$ 168$20.8 | Hakone โ35% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Hakone or Macau?
Hakone is 14% cheaper than Macau. Daily budget $270 vs $173; a month $2,504 vs $4,196.
Which is easier to travel, Hakone or Macau?
Hakone is easier: Hakone 1.8/5 vs Macau 2.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hakone and Macau?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hakone is about $2,504 and Macau about $4,196 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.