Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Maputo

For one person, living is cheaper in Maputo: $1,109 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
Learn more

Buenos Aires Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Maputo
Learn more

Maputo Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Maputo

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$1,109

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires 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 Buenos Aires and in Maputo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $1,109 in Maputo.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Maputo $1,109

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,720 in Maputo.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Maputo $1,720

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $2,331 in Maputo.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Maputo $2,331

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 52% more expensive than in Maputo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Maputo is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$10.37 MZN 656

80.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$63.2 MZN 3,995

2.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$6.95 MZN 440

85.32%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$2.28 MZN 144

74.56%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$0.87 MZN 55.2

135.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.73 MZN 46.29

112.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$1.60 MZN 101

140.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$2.32 MZN 147

98.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.52 MZN 96.1

-5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$1.00 MZN 63.0

146.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.67 MZN 106

-2.40%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$2.52 MZN 159

14.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$21.02 MZN 1,329

-49.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$5.87 MZN 371

70.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$5.59 MZN 353

145.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$1.99 MZN 126

38.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$0.79 MZN 50.2

175.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$1.71 MZN 108

-15.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$1.09 MZN 68.7

82.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$1.03 MZN 65.4

20.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$0.75 MZN 47.25

69.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$0.96 MZN 61.0

77.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.91 MZN 57.4

90.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$2.83 MZN 179

47.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$10.11 MZN 639

-42.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$0.98 MZN 61.7

113.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$1.32 MZN 83.6

109.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.37 MZN 23.45

102.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$23.65 MZN 1,496

14.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$1.60 MZN 101

1.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$1.19 MZN 75.2

-17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$24.44 MZN 1,546

-68.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.36 MZN 85.8

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$31.7K MZN 2.0M

-11.76%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$22.5K MZN 1.4M

53.42%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$71.5 MZN 4,520

201.67%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$7.75 MZN 490

230.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$88.1 MZN 5,573

-64.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$42.26 MZN 2,673

17.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$26.54 MZN 1,679

-35.72%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$7.88 MZN 499

32.36%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$129 MZN 8,158

261.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$5,162 MZN 326.5K

75.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$49.15 MZN 3,109

148.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$55.3 MZN 3,496

76.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$77.2 MZN 4,881

51.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$78.1 MZN 4,940

78.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$536 MZN 33.9K

42.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$382 MZN 24.2K

32.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$1,061 MZN 67.1K

50.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$566 MZN 35.8K

109.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$4,129 MZN 261.1K

-35.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$2,051 MZN 129.7K

-9.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$325 MZN 20.6K

193.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

129.00%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Maputo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Maputo

$382 33.8% 24.3% $123

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Maputo

$225 19.9% 20.8% $59

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Maputo

$150 13.3% 46.1% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Maputo

$167 14.8% 38.6% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Maputo

$117 10.3% 45.5% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Maputo

$58 5.1% 17.9% $13

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Maputo

$33 2.9% 10.8% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $536 in Maputo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 194% 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: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $63.0 in Maputo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $225 per month, with Maputo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇲🇿 Maputo

🕒 Local time

00:11 12:11 AM

05:11 5:11 AM

5 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

1,244,227 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MZN, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.94 MZN (100 MZN = 1.41 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buenos Aires Maputo 8,490 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
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

Buenos Aires vs Maputo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Maputo differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $1,109 including rent). Maputo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 194% higher in Buenos Aires, 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: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $536 in Maputo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires 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 26% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,109 in Maputo versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maputo but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. 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, Buenos Aires 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 52% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.