Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Maputo

For one person, living is cheaper in Maputo: $1,082 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest, Hungary
Maputo, Mozambique
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,647
/mo nomad
Maputo
🇲🇿 Mozambique
$1,082
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Maputo

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

A single person spends $1,647 per month in Budapest vs $1,082 in Maputo, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,647
  • Maputo $1,082

A couple spends around $2,567 per month in Budapest vs $1,676 in Maputo, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,567
  • Maputo $1,676

A family of three spends $3,488 per month in Budapest vs $2,270 in Maputo, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,488
  • Maputo $2,270

Budapest costs about 52% more than Maputo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 22% above the global median, while Maputo is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Maputo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.63 Ft 4,407
$10.35 MZN 655
31.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.7 Ft 19.6K
$62.0 MZN 3,923
-2.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.02 Ft 3,239
$7.15 MZN 452
40.14%
Cappuccino
$3.33 Ft 1,075
$2.25 MZN 142
48.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 Ft 684
$0.87 MZN 55.1
143.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 Ft 581
$0.73 MZN 46.31
146.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.61 Ft 1,166
$1.58 MZN 99.8
128.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.59 Ft 1,160
$2.39 MZN 151
50.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Maputo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 Ft 361
$1.55 MZN 97.7
-27.74%
White Bread (500g)
$1.93 Ft 623
$1.03 MZN 65.0
87.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 804
$1.65 MZN 104
50.91%
Eggs
$3.94 Ft 1,275
$2.48 MZN 157
58.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.28 Ft 3,646
$13.44 MZN 850
-16.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.73 Ft 2,177
$5.60 MZN 354
20.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.44 Ft 4,670
$5.96 MZN 377
142.28%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 Ft 601
$2.06 MZN 130
-9.71%
Banana (1kg)
$2.04 Ft 658
$0.75 MZN 47.16
172.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.29 Ft 740
$1.61 MZN 102
42.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.99 Ft 1,290
$1.09 MZN 68.9
266.06%
Potato (1kg)
$0.94 Ft 304
$1.03 MZN 65.3
-8.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.02 Ft 330
$0.76 MZN 48.06
34.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.65 Ft 534
$0.92 MZN 58.1
79.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 Ft 221
$0.86 MZN 54.3
-20.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.81 Ft 2,526
$2.80 MZN 177
178.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.02 Ft 1,946
$10.26 MZN 649
-41.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 Ft 418
$1.01 MZN 64.0
27.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 Ft 655
$1.29 MZN 81.6
56.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Maputo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.50 Ft 484
$0.24 MZN 15.23
525.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.13 Ft 8,769
$14.07 MZN 890
92.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.36 Ft 1,085
$1.58 MZN 100
112.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 444
$0.80 MZN 50.4
71.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.96 Ft 6,451
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 Ft 603
$1.37 MZN 86.6
35.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.5K Ft 9.2M
$32.0K MZN 2.0M
-10.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.4K Ft 10.8M
$22.9K MZN 1.4M
45.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Maputo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 Ft 57.6K
$69.1 MZN 4,370
157.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.58 Ft 7,623
$7.73 MZN 489
205.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.12 Ft 7,797
$86.5 MZN 5,472
-72.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Maputo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$69.7 Ft 22.5K
$41.33 MZN 2,614
68.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.03 Ft 5,505
$25.65 MZN 1,622
-33.61%
Cinema Ticket
$10.48 Ft 3,388
$7.91 MZN 500
32.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Maputo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$625 Ft 202.1K
$174 MZN 11.0K
259.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.6K Ft 6.4M
$12.4K MZN 785.7K
58.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Maputo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 Ft 33.0K
$49.31 MZN 3,119
106.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.41 Ft 14.0K
$56.0 MZN 3,540
-22.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.5K
$76.9 MZN 4,866
42.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 Ft 39.0K
$79.2 MZN 5,012
52.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Maputo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$845 Ft 273.3K
$540 MZN 34.1K
56.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$638 Ft 206.4K
$371 MZN 23.5K
71.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,609 Ft 520.1K
$1,092 MZN 69.1K
47.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,217 Ft 393.5K
$578 MZN 36.6K
110.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,555 Ft 1.8M
$4,149 MZN 262.4K
33.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,898 Ft 1.3M
$2,073 MZN 131.1K
88.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Maputo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,724 Ft 557.5K
$328 MZN 20.7K
426.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.34
25
-74.64%

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

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Last update for Maputo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$638
Maputo
$371 41.8% $267
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$260
Maputo
$202 22.3% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$226
Maputo
$163 27.7% $63
Eating Out
Budapest
$220
Maputo
$150 31.7% $70
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$169
Maputo
$118 30.4% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$91
Maputo
$57 37% $33
Getting Around
Budapest
$43
Maputo
$21 52.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $845 in Budapest versus $540 in Maputo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Budapest are about 5.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Budapest versus $62 in Maputo. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Budapest vs $202 in Maputo – so Maputo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇲🇿 Maputo
🕒 Local time
19:10 7:10 PM
20:10 8:10 PM
1 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
1,244,227 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MZN, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.08 MZN (100 MZN = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Maputo 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • Maputo

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
Budapest vs Maputo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maputo cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,471 per month in Budapest and $1,624 in Maputo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Maputo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $540 there versus $845 in Budapest.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 48% less in Maputo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do food prices compare in Budapest and in Maputo?
Groceries cost about 29% more in Budapest, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $2,000 enough for either Budapest or Maputo?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,647 in Budapest and $1,082 in Maputo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Budapest or Maputo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Maputo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Maputo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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