Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beira and Xai-Xai

For one person, living is cheaper in Beira: $382 a month against $680 in Xai-Xai, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Xai-Xai
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Xai-Xai Living Index

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Beira

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$382

/mo nomad

Xai-Xai

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$680

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beira and in Xai-Xai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Beira and in Xai-Xai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $382 in Beira versus $680 in Xai-Xai.

Beira $382
Xai-Xai $680

Estimated couple costs with rent: $726 in Beira versus $1,143 in Xai-Xai.

Beira $726
Xai-Xai $1,143

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,071 in Beira versus $1,607 in Xai-Xai.

Beira $1,071
Xai-Xai $1,607

Living in Beira costs roughly 44% less than in Xai-Xai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Beira 72% lower, Xai-Xai 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 MZN 791

$10.00 MZN 632

25.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.40 MZN 2,935

$62.2 MZN 3,932

-25.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.29 MZN 461

Cappuccino

$3.11 MZN 197

$2.25 MZN 142

38.22%

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

$1.19 MZN 75.2

$0.86 MZN 54.6

38.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MZN 72.8

$0.70 MZN 44.08

64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 MZN 82.0

$1.54 MZN 97.6

-15.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 MZN 126

$2.37 MZN 150

-16.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 MZN 103

$1.52 MZN 96.1

7.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.30 MZN 18.76

$1.03 MZN 65.4

-70.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 MZN 95.8

$1.59 MZN 101

-5.03%

Eggs

$1.87 MZN 118

$2.43 MZN 154

-23.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.25 MZN 1,344

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 MZN 240

$5.69 MZN 360

-33.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.59 MZN 291

$5.55 MZN 351

-17.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 MZN 146

$1.99 MZN 126

16.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 MZN 147

$0.76 MZN 48.08

205.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 MZN 146

$1.63 MZN 103

42.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 MZN 78.4

$1.05 MZN 66.2

18.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 MZN 77.3

$1.01 MZN 63.7

20.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 MZN 62.4

$0.79 MZN 50.2

25.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 MZN 147

$0.93 MZN 58.9

149.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MZN 45.10

$0.86 MZN 54.5

-17.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.96 MZN 60.7

$2.74 MZN 174

-64.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 MZN 527

$10.08 MZN 638

-17.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MZN 65.8

$0.99 MZN 62.5

5.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 MZN 240

$1.28 MZN 81.1

196.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 MZN 47.74

$1.55 MZN 98.0

-51.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MZN 75.4

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.71 MZN 1,563

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MZN 88.6

$1.41 MZN 89.4

-0.71%

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

$32.1K MZN 2.0M

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

$22.8K MZN 1.4M

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

$70.5 MZN 4,459

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

$7.86 MZN 497

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.5 MZN 5,597

Cinema Ticket

$8.01 MZN 507

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

$90.1 MZN 5,699

$129 MZN 8,179

-30.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,214 MZN 329.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.15 MZN 1,211

$49.93 MZN 3,158

-61.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.82 MZN 2,455

$56.0 MZN 3,541

-30.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.78 MZN 2,453

$78.1 MZN 4,938

-50.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.72 MZN 2,955

$80.1 MZN 5,065

-41.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Beira: October 13, 2026

Last update for Xai-Xai: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Beira

–

Xai-Xai

$223 32.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beira

–

Xai-Xai

$167 24.5%

Eating Out

Beira

–

Xai-Xai

$148 21.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Beira

–

Xai-Xai

$119 17.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Beira

–

Xai-Xai

$16 * 2.4%

Getting Around

Beira

–

Xai-Xai

$7.5 * 1.1%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46.00 in Beira vs $62.0 in Xai-Xai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $159 vs $223 per month, with Beira cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇿 Beira

🇲🇿 Xai-Xai

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

Same time as Beira

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

436,240

116,343

💱 Currency

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

📈 Exchange rate

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Beira Xai-Xai 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Beira
Xai-Xai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Beira vs Xai-Xai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Beira and Xai-Xai differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($382 vs $680 including rent). Beira is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $573 in Beira and $1,020 in Xai-Xai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Xai-Xai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $382 per month in Beira versus $680 in Xai-Xai – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Beira gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Beira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Xai-Xai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.