Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Maputo Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Maputo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,179 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,121 in Maputo, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,810 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,697 in Maputo, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,442 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,273 in Maputo, rent included.

Johannesburg costs about 5% more than Maputo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Johannesburg and Maputo are more affordable than the global median – Johannesburg 12% lower, Maputo 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 R 180

$9.25 MZN 585

19.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.02 R 736

$48.78 MZN 3,086

-7.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 80.2

$8.33 MZN 527

-41.06%

Cappuccino

$2.27 R 37.11

$2.07 MZN 131

9.66%

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

$0.99 R 16.16

$0.76 MZN 47.93

30.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R 12.66

$0.58 MZN 36.76

32.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 R 43.05

$1.42 MZN 89.9

85.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 R 41.36

$1.59 MZN 101

59.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.38

$1.59 MZN 100

-25.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R 17.25

$1.09 MZN 68.9

-2.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.75

$1.68 MZN 106

1.19%

Eggs

$2.52 R 41.14

$2.45 MZN 155

2.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.36 R 137

$15.25 MZN 964

-45.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 R 76.4

$5.22 MZN 330

-10.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.67 R 109

$5.17 MZN 327

29.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.41

$1.92 MZN 121

-12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.18

$0.92 MZN 58.3

60.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.42

$1.33 MZN 84.1

12.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.93

$0.91 MZN 57.7

74.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.32

$0.92 MZN 58.0

55.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 23.88

$0.71 MZN 44.90

105.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 R 17.31

$0.93 MZN 58.6

13.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.35

$0.79 MZN 49.88

11.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 R 49.60

$2.63 MZN 166

15.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 R 99.8

$9.24 MZN 584

-33.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.16

$0.97 MZN 61.3

40.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 R 27.29

$1.43 MZN 90.2

16.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.04

$0.36 MZN 22.81

377.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.0 R 1,127

$13.19 MZN 834

422.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R 17.98

$1.59 MZN 100

-30.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.46

$3.01 MZN 190

-68.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 R 66.5

$24.06 MZN 1,522

-83.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.98

$1.33 MZN 84.2

-3.76%

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

$22.6K R 369.2K

$35.5K MZN 2.2M

-36.39%

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

$24.4K R 398.3K

$19.6K MZN 1.2M

24.41%

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

$119 R 1,940

$90.0 MZN 5,689

31.95%

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

$39.96 R 653

$14.38 MZN 909

177.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.32 R 708

$106 MZN 6,682

-59.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.66 R 550

$41.51 MZN 2,626

-18.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.96 R 228

$26.30 MZN 1,663

-46.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 R 121

$7.61 MZN 481

-2.76%

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

$206 R 3,374

$183 MZN 11.6K

12.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,959 R 81.1K

$5,793 MZN 366.4K

-14.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 R 838

$49.38 MZN 3,123

3.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 R 556

$62.8 MZN 3,969

-45.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 R 1,502

$82.6 MZN 5,227

11.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 R 1,288

$78.5 MZN 4,965

0.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 R 6,857

$604 MZN 38.2K

-30.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,074

$345 MZN 21.8K

7.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 R 15.0K

$1,139 MZN 72.0K

-19.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 R 11.7K

$623 MZN 39.4K

15.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,063 R 17.4K

$4,138 MZN 261.7K

-74.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$765 R 12.5K

$2,092 MZN 132.3K

-63.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,714 R 28.0K

$329 MZN 20.8K

420.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

24.33

-52.69%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: May 30, 2026

Last update for Maputo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $419 in Johannesburg versus $604 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 420% higher in Johannesburg, 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 $45.00 in Johannesburg versus $49.00 in Maputo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $199 – making Johannesburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Johannesburg vs Maputo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 5% 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 $1,768 per month in Johannesburg and $1,682 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Johannesburg and $49.00 in Maputo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,179 in Johannesburg and $1,121 in Maputo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Maputo, where all-in costs run around $1,121, than in Johannesburg at $1,179. In Maputo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Maputo costs $1,121 versus $1,179 in Johannesburg. 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, Johannesburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.