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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,145 in Maputo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,752 in Maputo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,358 in Maputo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 116% more expensive than in Maputo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Maputo is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$10.25 MZN 648

82.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$61.5 MZN 3,891

12.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$7.14 MZN 451

92.86%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.27 MZN 143

36.56%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.83 MZN 52.3

240.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.68 MZN 42.92

176.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.60 MZN 102

148.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.33 MZN 147

94.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.58 MZN 100

-19.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.03 MZN 65.2

109.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.58 MZN 99.9

11.39%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.49 MZN 157

106.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$20.61 MZN 1,304

-13.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$5.63 MZN 356

71.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$5.80 MZN 367

247.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.97 MZN 124

64.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$0.80 MZN 50.7

178.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.62 MZN 103

60.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.09 MZN 69.1

153.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.03 MZN 65.4

114.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$0.82 MZN 51.8

158.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.98 MZN 62.3

58.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.92 MZN 58.1

3.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.81 MZN 177

161.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$10.11 MZN 639

-20.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.02 MZN 64.5

50.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.27 MZN 80.4

119.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.40 MZN 25.37

677.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$23.29 MZN 1,473

11.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.60 MZN 101

104.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.14 MZN 72.0

29.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$24.31 MZN 1,537

40.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.40 MZN 88.3

23.57%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$31.7K MZN 2.0M

14.65%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$23.1K MZN 1.5M

32.34%

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

$187 €163

$70.6 MZN 4,467

164.91%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$7.73 MZN 489

95.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$86.5 MZN 5,471

-56.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$42.45 MZN 2,685

31.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$26.45 MZN 1,673

-35.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$8.00 MZN 506

42.63%

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

$997 €869

$129 MZN 8,176

671.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$5,136 MZN 324.9K

221.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$49.81 MZN 3,150

85.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$55.7 MZN 3,524

-26.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$78.7 MZN 4,980

41.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$79.1 MZN 5,005

58.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$554 MZN 35.0K

208.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$383 MZN 24.2K

235.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,074 MZN 67.9K

138.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$568 MZN 35.9K

241.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$4,174 MZN 264.0K

83.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$2,072 MZN 131.1K

149.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$333 MZN 21.1K

605.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-87.36%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Maputo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $554 in Maputo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 606% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $62.0 in Maputo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $224 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 116% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,145 including rent). Maputo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 606% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $554 in Maputo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $129 in Maputo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,145 in Maputo versus $2,476 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 116% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.