Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Maputo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Maputo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,121 in Maputo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,697 in Maputo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,273 in Maputo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 111% more expensive than Maputo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Maputo is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$9.25 MZN 585

90.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$48.78 MZN 3,085

40.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.33 MZN 527

68.79%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.07 MZN 131

34.30%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.76 MZN 47.93

268.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.58 MZN 36.75

255.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.42 MZN 89.9

214.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$1.59 MZN 101

189.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.59 MZN 100

-22.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.09 MZN 68.9

86.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.68 MZN 106

14.29%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.45 MZN 155

35.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$15.25 MZN 964

20.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$5.22 MZN 330

81.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$5.17 MZN 327

270.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.92 MZN 121

37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.92 MZN 58.3

166.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.33 MZN 84.1

59.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.91 MZN 57.7

213.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.92 MZN 58.0

121.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.71 MZN 44.90

160.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.93 MZN 58.6

58.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.79 MZN 49.88

6.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.63 MZN 166

171.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$9.24 MZN 584

-14.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.97 MZN 61.3

42.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.43 MZN 90.2

61.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.36 MZN 22.81

727.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$13.19 MZN 834

121.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.59 MZN 100

189.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$3.01 MZN 190

-31.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$24.06 MZN 1,522

21.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.33 MZN 84.2

38.35%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$35.5K MZN 2.2M

9.89%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$19.6K MZN 1.2M

66.96%

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

$188 €162

$90.0 MZN 5,689

108.80%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$14.38 MZN 909

59.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$106 MZN 6,681

-65.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$41.51 MZN 2,625

38.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$26.30 MZN 1,663

-21.29%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$7.61 MZN 481

47.04%

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

$721 €620

$183 MZN 11.6K

293.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$5,793 MZN 366.4K

159.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$49.38 MZN 3,123

74.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$62.8 MZN 3,969

-40.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$82.6 MZN 5,226

23.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$78.5 MZN 4,964

47.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$604 MZN 38.2K

154.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$345 MZN 21.8K

253.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,139 MZN 72.0K

136.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$623 MZN 39.4K

223.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$4,138 MZN 261.7K

74.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$2,092 MZN 132.3K

148.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$329 MZN 20.8K

616.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

24.33

-86.07%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Maputo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $604 in Maputo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 616% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $49.00 in Maputo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $199 per month, with Maputo cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Maputo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Maputo differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,121 including rent). Maputo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 616% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $604 in Maputo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $183 in Maputo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,121 in Maputo versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maputo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Maputo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Maputo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Maputo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.