How much does a trip to Macau cost? 2027 budget for 3 days

The totals

These totals cover everything on the ground for the whole trip: the room for two nights, three meals and drinks every day, every bus, light-rail and taxi ride, the Macau Tower observation deck, a SIM with Macau data and a 10% buffer for snacks, tips and small surprises. The ferry from Hong Kong and the international flight depend on where you start, so they are priced at the end. Euro figures use the United Nations operational rate of 1 November 2026 (EUR 1 = MOP 9.00).

The trip this budget covers

Two adults share one private double or twin room for 3 days and 2 nights, from Tuesday 30 November to Thursday 2 December 2027, sleeping both nights near Senado Square on the peninsula. On day 1 the morning Cotai Water Jet from Hong Kong reaches Taipa Ferry Terminal; the Taipa Line of the light rail runs from there to Barra, next to A-Ma Temple. From Barra the day is on foot: A-Ma, Lilau and Mandarin's House, the hotel, then Senado Square, the Ruins of St Paul's, Mount Fortress and the Macao Museum. Day 2 takes the bus to the Taipa Houses and the restaurants of Rua do Cunha, then on to Coloane's chapel square and Lord Stow's bakery, the route of our Taipa and Coloane guide. Day 3 climbs to Guia Fortress in the morning, goes up the Macau Tower, and takes the light rail back to Taipa Ferry Terminal for an afternoon sailing. Prices were checked on 1 November 2026.

The dates miss the 2027 public holidays; the 2027 Grand Prix dates have not been announced (the 2026 race runs on 19-22 November), so check them before you book. The totals assume a short visa-free visit on eligible ordinary EU passports; British citizens can visit visa-free for up to 6 months. See Macau entry requirements. Hotels publish no 2027 room rates yet, so rooms and some meals are estimates marked "about".

Budget: about MOP 3,730 for two

A simple double near Senado Square, bakery breakfasts and noodle-shop lunches, one Macanese dinner, and buses and the light rail everywhere.

• Room, about MOP 1,200. A simple San Va room near Senado Square, about MOP 600 a night with taxes. A budget room can have a shared bathroom.
• Food, about MOP 1,500. About MOP 250 a day each: an egg tart and coffee for breakfast, a bowl of noodles or a pork-chop bun at lunch, tea in the afternoon, and simple dinners, with one sit-down Macanese plate such as the minchi at Café Bela Vista (MOP 138 plus 10% service).
• Getting around, about MOP 160. The light rail from Taipa Ferry Terminal to Barra and back (MOP 12 each way, the top fare band), three buses on day 2 (MOP 6 each), and about six more bus rides each for the hills and the evenings.
• Sights, about MOP 380. The Macau Tower observation deck on a weekday (MOP 376 for two adults). The Macao Museum is free on Tuesdays and the Taipa Houses every day, and the Cultural Affairs Bureau lists opening hours but no ticket for A-Ma, Mount Fortress and Guia Fortress.
• SIM, about MOP 150. One tourist SIM with Macau data, bought on arrival at Hong Kong airport and shared by hotspot: csl's 7-day pass with Hong Kong and Macau data costs HK$88 (about MOP 90); the rest covers a top-up.
• Buffer, about MOP 340.

Mid-range: about MOP 5,980 for two

A Standard room at Hotel Sintra near Senado Square, a buffet breakfast and one sit-down Portuguese or Macanese meal a day, with taxis in the evenings and for the bags.

• Room, about MOP 1,800. A Standard double or twin at Hotel Sintra, about MOP 900 a night; its 2026 Stay & See package, one night with two Macau Tower tickets, started at MOP 750 plus 10% service and 5% tourism tax.
• Food, about MOP 2,700. About MOP 450 a day each: Hotel Sintra's buffet breakfast (MOP 100 per adult), one sit-down meal a day such as bacalhau à Brás at António on Rua do Cunha (MOP 275) or African chicken at Café Bela Vista (MOP 218 plus 10% service), and a simple second meal with an egg tart.
• Getting around, about MOP 410. The buses and light rail above, plus about five short taxi rides at about MOP 50 each. Black taxis start at MOP 21 for the first 1,600 metres and add MOP 2 every 220 metres, with MOP 3 for each bag in the boot.
• Sights, about MOP 380. As above.
• SIM, about MOP 150.
• Buffer, about MOP 540.

Comfort: about MOP 11,410 for two

A deluxe room at Hotel Lisboa, longer lunches and dinners with wine, and taxis door to door.

• Room, about MOP 3,600. A Deluxe Room at Hotel Lisboa on the peninsula, about MOP 1,800 a night with service and tax.
• Food, about MOP 5,400. About MOP 900 a day each: breakfast at the hotel, caldo verde, bacalhau à Brás and Molotof pudding at António (MOP 105, 275 and 58) with a glass of wine, and a three-course Macanese dinner at Café Bela Vista with drinks.
• Getting around, about MOP 840. Taxis for every leg: from Taipa Ferry Terminal to the hotel (about MOP 120, including the MOP 8 ferry-terminal surcharge and the bags), to Taipa village and on to Coloane (MOP 2 surcharge), back to the peninsula, the evenings, Guia and the tower, and back to the ferry.
• Sights, about MOP 380. As above.
• SIM, about MOP 150.
• Buffer, about MOP 1,040.

One day at each level: Taipa and Coloane

Day 2 starts with the five green Taipa Houses, built in 1921 for senior civil servants and Macanese families and now a free museum of Macanese life (closed on Mondays). Lunch is on Rua do Cunha, the bus continues to Coloane's chapel square, and Lord Stow's original bakery, open daily from 07:00 to 21:00, sells the egg tart before the ride back to the peninsula. Costs are per person and include half the room.

• Budget, about MOP 570. Three buses (MOP 18), food of about MOP 250 (a pork-chop bun in Taipa, an egg tart in Coloane, noodles for dinner), and half of the San Va room (MOP 300).
• Mid-range, about MOP 920. Three buses (MOP 18), food of about MOP 450 (Hotel Sintra's breakfast at MOP 100, bacalhau à Brás at António at MOP 275, an egg tart and a simple dinner), and half of the Sintra room (MOP 450).
• Comfort, about MOP 1,960. Half of the day's taxis (about MOP 160), food of about MOP 900 (breakfast at the hotel, a long lunch at António with wine, a Macanese dinner with drinks), and half of the Lisboa room (MOP 900).

When Macau costs more, and how to spend less

Rooms follow the mainland Chinese holidays. Over the five-day Labour Day holiday in May 2026, Macau counted about 873,000 visitor arrivals and an average hotel occupancy of 92.7%; over the National Day holiday of 1-8 October 2025 it counted 1.144 million and 87.9%. Grand Prix week in November and the Lunar New Year (6-8 February in 2027) fill rooms too. Book those dates first, or move the trip a week; our best-time guide for Macau sets out the busy weeks month by month.

On the ground, the savings are simple. Ride the bus with exact coins, since drivers give no change. Plan the Macao Museum for a Tuesday or the 15th of the month, when it is free; on other days the adult ticket is MOP 15, and it closes on Mondays. Cotai Water Jet charges HK$192 for a weekday day sailing, HK$209 at weekends and on public holidays and HK$242 at night, which from October to January means from 17:10, so a mid-afternoon sailing back keeps the lower fare.

Flights, the ferry and the total with flights

This budget flies into Hong Kong and crosses by ferry. Cathay Pacific's fare calendar showed London-Hong Kong economy returns from GBP 691 to GBP 796 for November and December 2026 departures. Allow about GBP 750-900 per person (about MOP 8,080-9,700) for an economy return on these dates.

From the airport, bus A11 runs to the Macau Ferry stop on Connaught Road Central (HK$41.90, about 45 minutes), next to the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan. Cotai Water Jet sails from there to Taipa Ferry Terminal in about one hour, with the first sailing at 07:30. The bus both ways, a weekday day sailing bought in Hong Kong (HK$192) and one back bought in Macau (MOP 192) come to about MOP 480 per person, a little under the MOP 530 of our 2-day plan because this route sails back by day. All sailings stop when Typhoon Signal No. 8 is hoisted.

Two other crossings work as well. TurboJET sails from Sheung Wan to the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal in about 60 minutes, from 07:30; its Economy fares from Taipa to Sheung Wan are HK$194 on weekday days, HK$212 at weekends and HK$242 at night. TurboJET publishes only that Taipa–Sheung Wan fare table, so check its booking system for the Outer Harbour fare. The bridge (HZMB) shuttle bus runs 24 hours between the Hong Kong and Macau ports for HK$65 from 06:00 to 23:59 and HK$70 overnight, with the journey to and from each port extra.

With the London flight and the ferry, the whole trip comes to about MOP 10,420-12,040 per person on a budget, MOP 11,550-13,170 mid-range or MOP 14,260-15,880 in comfort.