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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,093 in Maputo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,692 in Maputo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,291 in Maputo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 112% more expensive than in Maputo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Maputo is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$9.58 MZN 606

84.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$49.65 MZN 3,139

40.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$8.57 MZN 542

65.23%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.13 MZN 134

31.46%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.77 MZN 48.46

264.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.58 MZN 36.40

255.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.39 MZN 88.1

230.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$1.52 MZN 96.1

208.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.56 MZN 98.8

-21.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.10 MZN 69.4

84.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.62 MZN 103

22.22%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.42 MZN 153

44.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$15.16 MZN 958

20.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$5.33 MZN 337

84.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$5.18 MZN 327

269.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.95 MZN 123

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$0.93 MZN 58.8

155.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.39 MZN 87.7

49.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.98 MZN 61.9

180.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.98 MZN 61.7

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.68 MZN 42.70

163.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.93 MZN 58.8

59.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.76 MZN 48.04

19.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.65 MZN 167

169.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$8.86 MZN 560

-11.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.01 MZN 63.9

36.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.43 MZN 90.5

67.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.34 MZN 21.33

785.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$13.25 MZN 838

121.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.54 MZN 97.3

183.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.01 MZN 190

-29.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$24.17 MZN 1,528

22.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.37 MZN 86.6

32.85%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$35.5K MZN 2.2M

6.86%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$20.0K MZN 1.3M

61.64%

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

$189 €166

$89.8 MZN 5,675

110.57%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$14.28 MZN 903

56.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$108 MZN 6,807

-65.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$41.17 MZN 2,603

40.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$25.70 MZN 1,625

-19.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$7.62 MZN 482

42.65%

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

$706 €618

$181 MZN 11.4K

289.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$5,673 MZN 358.6K

162.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$49.58 MZN 3,134

80.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$61.6 MZN 3,895

-40.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$81.7 MZN 5,165

27.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$78.7 MZN 4,976

51.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$607 MZN 38.4K

159.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$338 MZN 21.4K

265.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,117 MZN 70.6K

142.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$623 MZN 39.4K

227.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$4,241 MZN 268.1K

77.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$2,045 MZN 129.3K

156.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$332 MZN 21.0K

612.73%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Maputo: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $607 in Maputo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 613% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $50.0 in Maputo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 112% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,093 including rent). Maputo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 613% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $607 in Maputo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $181 in Maputo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,093 in Maputo versus $2,320 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 112% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.