Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Nampula

For one person, living is cheaper in Nampula: $525 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $27,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Nampula

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Nampula

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,854 in Dubai versus $525 in Nampula.

Dubai $2,854
Nampula $525

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,321 in Dubai versus $703 in Nampula.

Dubai $4,321
Nampula $703

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,788 in Dubai versus $881 in Nampula.

Dubai $5,788
Nampula $881

Living in Dubai is roughly 444% more expensive than in Nampula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 113% above, Nampula is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

$5.33 MZN 337

144.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

$0.81 MZN 51.5

101.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$0.40 MZN 25.48

102.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

$1.59 MZN 100

758.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$1.82 MZN 115

-0.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

$0.48 MZN 30.66

227.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

$1.11 MZN 70.3

124.32%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

$2.68 MZN 170

22.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

$10.18 MZN 644

24.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$3.49 MZN 221

179.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

$3.77 MZN 238

249.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

$2.70 MZN 171

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

$2.39 MZN 151

-19.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$2.01 MZN 127

-4.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

$1.52 MZN 96.4

-10.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$1.48 MZN 93.8

-20.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.69 MZN 107

-40.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

$0.74 MZN 46.53

104.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

$0.88 MZN 55.7

-29.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

$6.35 MZN 402

154.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

$2.34 MZN 148

13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

$0.16 MZN 10.04

925.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

$1.59 MZN 101

99.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

$2.29 MZN 145

-69.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$1.50 MZN 95.1

-34.00%

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

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

$250 AED 920

$119 MZN 7,496

111.29%

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

$54.2 AED 199

$33.37 MZN 2,111

62.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

$124 MZN 7,872

-26.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

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

$843 AED 3,098

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

$941 MZN 59.5K

371.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 AED 12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

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

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nampula: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Nampula

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Nampula

–

Eating Out

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Nampula

–

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Nampula

–

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Nampula

–

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Nampula

–

Getting Around

Dubai

$87 3%

Nampula

–

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇲🇿 Nampula

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

06:03 6:03 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

477,900

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MZN, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 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 AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubai Nampula 4,790 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Nampula

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

Dubai vs Nampula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nampula is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 444% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,281 in Dubai and $787 in Nampula 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 57% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,854 per month in Dubai versus $525 in Nampula – a 444% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $525 in Nampula versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nampula but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Nampula the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nampula is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Nampula 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 Nampula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 444% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.