Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Maputo Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Maputo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,643 per month in Cape Town vs $1,117 in Maputo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,522 per month in Cape Town vs $1,722 in Maputo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,400 per month in Cape Town vs $2,326 in Maputo, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 47% more than Maputo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Cape Town sits 19% above the global median, while Maputo is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.65 R 204

$10.32 MZN 652

22.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.67 R 800

$62.2 MZN 3,932

-20.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 R 93.2

$7.10 MZN 449

-18.45%

Cappuccino

$2.57 R 41.44

$2.19 MZN 139

17.35%

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

$1.41 R 22.77

$0.89 MZN 56.0

58.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.19

$0.74 MZN 46.72

36.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 R 50.2

$1.59 MZN 101

95.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 R 59.0

$2.33 MZN 147

57.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.39

$1.60 MZN 101

-13.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 R 20.67

$1.00 MZN 63.0

28.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 R 34.90

$1.66 MZN 105

30.72%

Eggs

$3.19 R 51.3

$2.47 MZN 156

29.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 R 142

$20.52 MZN 1,298

-57.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.30 R 117

$5.67 MZN 359

28.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 R 154

$5.54 MZN 351

73.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 R 31.57

$2.02 MZN 128

-2.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 R 32.39

$0.75 MZN 47.43

168.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 R 28.81

$1.69 MZN 107

5.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 R 35.06

$1.03 MZN 65.3

111.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.08

$1.00 MZN 62.9

56.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.72

$0.75 MZN 47.14

105.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 21.75

$0.99 MZN 62.6

36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.15

$0.88 MZN 55.5

35.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 R 60.6

$2.77 MZN 175

35.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.23 R 100

$10.14 MZN 642

-38.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 R 23.06

$0.98 MZN 61.7

45.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 R 36.20

$1.32 MZN 83.7

70.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 R 24.42

$0.40 MZN 25.31

280.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.1 R 1,000

$23.91 MZN 1,512

159.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 R 9.68

$1.52 MZN 96.3

-60.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 R 25.56

$1.15 MZN 72.5

38.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 R 83.8

$24.77 MZN 1,566

-79.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 25.38

$1.33 MZN 84.1

18.80%

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

$37.5K R 604.2K

$31.6K MZN 2.0M

18.80%

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

$33.3K R 536.3K

$22.6K MZN 1.4M

47.35%

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

$122 R 1,967

$69.3 MZN 4,381

76.34%

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

$31.30 R 504

$7.90 MZN 500

296.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.49 R 636

$88.1 MZN 5,571

-55.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 R 815

$42.13 MZN 2,665

20.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.87 R 191

$25.91 MZN 1,639

-54.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 R 147

$7.86 MZN 497

15.78%

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

$275 R 4,434

$130 MZN 8,249

111.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,638 R 106.9K

$5,189 MZN 328.2K

27.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 R 950

$49.95 MZN 3,160

18.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 R 551

$56.5 MZN 3,572

-39.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 R 2,009

$78.6 MZN 4,969

58.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 R 1,760

$79.6 MZN 5,033

37.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 R 17.1K

$547 MZN 34.6K

94.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 R 11.9K

$374 MZN 23.6K

97.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,866 R 30.0K

$1,065 MZN 67.3K

75.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 R 22.0K

$574 MZN 36.3K

137.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,415 R 38.9K

$4,276 MZN 270.5K

-43.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,564 R 25.2K

$2,073 MZN 131.1K

-24.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,637 R 26.4K

$326 MZN 20.6K

402.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.02

-55.92%

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

Last update for Cape Town: September 8, 2026

Last update for Maputo: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Cape Town versus $547 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 run about 403% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Cape Town versus $62.0 in Maputo. Groceries tell a different story – $231 in Cape Town vs $222 in Maputo – so Maputo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Cape Town vs Maputo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 47% more than Maputo, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,464 per month in Cape Town and $1,676 in Maputo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maputo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,643 in Cape Town and $1,117 in Maputo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 160% less in Maputo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Maputo, where all-in costs run around $1,117, than in Cape Town at $1,643. In Maputo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Maputo costs $1,117 versus $1,643 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Maputo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.