Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Matola Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Matola

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,017 in Matola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,551 in Matola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,084 in Matola.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 128% more expensive than in Matola, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Matola is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$7.84 MZN 496

125.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$49.99 MZN 3,160

39.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$7.63 MZN 482

85.58%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.59 MZN 100

76.10%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.82 MZN 51.8

242.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.53 MZN 33.81

288.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.15 MZN 73.0

300.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$1.54 MZN 97.1

204.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.60 MZN 101

-23.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.10 MZN 69.4

84.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.61 MZN 102

22.98%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.91 MZN 121

82.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$13.52 MZN 855

35.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$5.26 MZN 333

86.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$4.59 MZN 290

316.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.96 MZN 124

39.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$0.59 MZN 36.99

303.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.39 MZN 88.2

49.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.93 MZN 58.6

195.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.92 MZN 58.1

113.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.68 MZN 42.79

163.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.92 MZN 58.0

60.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.53 MZN 33.55

71.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.63 MZN 166

171.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$6.94 MZN 439

13.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.96 MZN 60.7

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.22 MZN 77.1

95.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.53 MZN 96.7

184.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.98 MZN 189

-28.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$24.32 MZN 1,538

21.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.32 MZN 83.8

37.88%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$34.5K MZN 2.2M

9.79%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$19.6K MZN 1.2M

64.81%

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

$189 €166

$39.61 MZN 2,504

377.23%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$14.23 MZN 900

56.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$78.0 MZN 4,928

-52.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$39.51 MZN 2,498

46.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$8.05 MZN 509

35.03%

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

$706 €618

$180 MZN 11.4K

291.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$5,814 MZN 367.6K

155.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$49.24 MZN 3,113

81.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$61.0 MZN 3,856

-40.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$81.4 MZN 5,143

27.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$80.4 MZN 5,080

48.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$474 MZN 29.9K

233.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$394 MZN 24.9K

214.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$782 MZN 49.5K

246.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$581 MZN 36.7K

250.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$317 MZN 20.1K

645.29%

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 Matola: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $474 in Matola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 645% 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 Matola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $180 per month, with Matola 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 Matola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Matola differ by about 128% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,017 including rent). Matola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 645% 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 $474 in Matola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $180 in Matola. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Matola – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,017 in Matola versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Matola but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Matola 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 Matola 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 Matola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.