Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in United Arab Emirates instead of Macau, you would:

Economy

make 33.8% less money

Macau has a GDP per capita of $75,902 as of 2025, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $50,274 as of 2024.

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Life

be 17.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Macau, approximately 4.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, 3.8 children do as of 2024.

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have 85.3% more children

In Macau, there are approximately 5.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 11.3% more likely to have internet access

In Macau, approximately 89.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, about 100.0% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 11.1% more on education

Macau spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

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Geography

see 32.1 times more coastline

Macau has a total of 41 km of coastline. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 1,318 km.

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Safety

be 23.2% more likely to be murdered

Macau has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.

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Infrastructure

find 36.8% more home broadband

Macau has 29.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Arab Emirates has 40.8 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 7.2 times more CO2

Macau emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Macau vs. United Arab Emirates

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
United Arab Emirates is 5.6% cheaper than Macau overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Macau is about 2,965 times smaller than United Arab Emirates.
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Moving from Macau to United Arab Emirates · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

United Arab Emirates: At a glance

United Arab Emirates is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 83,600 sq km. The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In 1971, six of these states - Abu Dhabi, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. Its high oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed the UAE to play a vital role in the affairs of the region. For more than three decades, oil and global finance drove the UAE's economy. However, in 2008-09, the confluence of falling oil prices, collapsing real estate prices, and the international banking crisis hit the UAE especially hard. The UAE has essentially avoided the "Arab Spring" unrest seen elsewhere in the Middle East, though in March 2011, political activists and intellectuals signed a petition calling for greater public participation in governance that was widely circulated on the Internet. In an effort to stem potential further unrest, the government announced a multi-year, $1.6-billion infrastructure investment plan for the poorer northern emirates and aggressively pursued advocates of political reform.
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How big is United Arab Emirates compared to Macau? See an in-depth size comparison.

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