Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Matola

For one person, living is cheaper in Matola: $992 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest, Hungary
Matola, Mozambique
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,647
/mo nomad
Matola
🇲🇿 Mozambique
$992
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest and in Matola

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 Matola actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,647 per month in Budapest vs $992 in Matola, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,647
  • Matola $992

A couple spends around $2,567 per month in Budapest vs $1,518 in Matola, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,567
  • Matola $1,518

A family of three spends $3,488 per month in Budapest vs $2,044 in Matola, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,488
  • Matola $2,044

Budapest costs about 66% more than Matola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 22% above the global median, while Matola is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Matola
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.63 Ft 4,419
$7.61 MZN 481
79.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.7 Ft 19.7K
$61.7 MZN 3,903
-1.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.02 Ft 3,248
$7.02 MZN 444
42.74%
Cappuccino
$3.33 Ft 1,078
$1.52 MZN 96.1
119.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 Ft 686
$0.83 MZN 52.6
155.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 Ft 583
$0.73 MZN 46.06
146.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.61 Ft 1,169
$1.20 MZN 75.8
200.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.59 Ft 1,163
$1.60 MZN 101
124.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Matola
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 Ft 362
$1.54 MZN 97.4
-27.27%
White Bread (500g)
$1.93 Ft 624
$1.03 MZN 65.2
87.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 806
$1.63 MZN 103
52.76%
Eggs
$3.94 Ft 1,278
$1.92 MZN 121
105.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.28 Ft 3,656
$13.33 MZN 843
-15.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.73 Ft 2,183
$5.90 MZN 373
14.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.44 Ft 4,682
$4.66 MZN 295
209.87%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 Ft 603
$2.00 MZN 126
-7.00%
Banana (1kg)
$2.04 Ft 660
$0.64 MZN 40.34
218.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.29 Ft 742
$1.64 MZN 103
39.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.99 Ft 1,294
$1.05 MZN 66.3
280.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.94 Ft 305
$1.00 MZN 63.2
-6.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.02 Ft 331
$0.80 MZN 50.5
27.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.65 Ft 536
$0.96 MZN 61.0
71.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 Ft 221
$0.57 MZN 35.74
19.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.81 Ft 2,533
$2.90 MZN 183
169.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.02 Ft 1,952
$7.06 MZN 446
-14.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 Ft 419
$0.92 MZN 58.0
40.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 Ft 656
$1.28 MZN 81.0
57.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Matola
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.50 Ft 485
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.13 Ft 8,792
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.36 Ft 1,088
$1.52 MZN 96.1
121.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 445
$1.20 MZN 75.9
14.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.96 Ft 6,468
$24.95 MZN 1,578
-20.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 Ft 604
$1.42 MZN 89.7
30.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.5K Ft 9.2M
$31.7K MZN 2.0M
-9.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.4K Ft 10.8M
$23.2K MZN 1.5M
43.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Matola
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 Ft 57.8K
$39.43 MZN 2,494
351.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.58 Ft 7,643
$7.59 MZN 480
210.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.12 Ft 7,817
$78.9 MZN 4,990
-69.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Matola
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$69.7 Ft 22.6K
$39.42 MZN 2,493
76.74%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.03 Ft 5,520
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.48 Ft 3,397
$7.92 MZN 501
32.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Matola
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$625 Ft 202.6K
$176 MZN 11.2K
254.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.6K Ft 6.4M
$5,229 MZN 330.7K
275.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Matola
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 Ft 33.1K
$50.6 MZN 3,200
101.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.41 Ft 14.1K
$56.0 MZN 3,541
-22.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.6K
$77.9 MZN 4,927
41.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 Ft 39.1K
$78.8 MZN 4,982
53.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Matola
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$845 Ft 274.0K
$473 MZN 29.9K
78.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$638 Ft 206.9K
$384 MZN 24.3K
66.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,609 Ft 521.5K
$696 MZN 44.0K
131.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,217 Ft 394.5K
$553 MZN 35.0K
119.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,555 Ft 1.8M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,898 Ft 1.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Matola
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,724 Ft 559.0K
$317 MZN 20.0K
444.06%
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 Matola: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$638
Matola
$384 39.9% $255
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$260
Matola
$185 28.6% $74
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$226
Matola
$126 44.3% $100
Eating Out
Budapest
$220
Matola
$116 47.4% $104
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$169
Matola
$118 30% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$91
Matola
$55 39% $35
Getting Around
Budapest
$43
Matola
$7.5 * 82.6% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $845 in Budapest versus $473 in Matola. 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 5.4 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 Matola. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Budapest vs $185 in Matola – so Matola wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇲🇿 Matola
🕒 Local time
02:56 2:56 AM
03:56 3:56 AM
1 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
675,422
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MZN, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 324 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 364 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71 MZN (100 MZN = 1.41 EUR).

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

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 Matola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Matola cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 66%, 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 $1,488 in Matola. 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 Matola, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $473 there versus $845 in Budapest.
How do food prices compare in Budapest and in Matola?
Groceries cost about 40% more in Budapest, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $625 per month in Budapest and $176 in Matola. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Matola?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Matola, where all-in costs run around $992, than in Budapest at $1,647. In Matola it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Matola more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Matola – 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 Matola. 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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