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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,149 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,093 in Maputo, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,813 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,692 in Maputo, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,476 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,291 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 14% lower, Maputo 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.15 R 185

$9.58 MZN 606

16.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.18 R 748

$49.65 MZN 3,141

-9.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 R 80.9

$8.57 MZN 542

-42.94%

Cappuccino

$2.17 R 35.85

$2.13 MZN 135

1.88%

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

$0.99 R 16.34

$0.77 MZN 48.48

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R 12.74

$0.58 MZN 36.41

32.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 R 44.29

$1.39 MZN 88.1

92.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 R 42.93

$1.52 MZN 96.2

70.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.18

$1.56 MZN 98.8

-25.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 18.05

$1.10 MZN 69.4

-0.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.32

$1.62 MZN 103

1.85%

Eggs

$2.45 R 40.59

$2.42 MZN 153

1.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R 140

$15.16 MZN 959

-44.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 R 78.9

$5.33 MZN 337

-10.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.56 R 109

$5.18 MZN 327

26.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.61

$1.95 MZN 123

-14.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 R 25.08

$0.93 MZN 58.8

62.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.65

$1.39 MZN 87.7

7.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.61

$0.98 MZN 61.9

64.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.74

$0.98 MZN 61.7

52.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 R 23.05

$0.68 MZN 42.72

104.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 18.02

$0.93 MZN 58.8

17.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.57

$0.76 MZN 48.06

23.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 R 52.3

$2.65 MZN 167

19.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.04 R 100

$8.86 MZN 561

-31.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R 21.47

$1.01 MZN 63.9

28.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.74

$1.43 MZN 90.6

17.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.43

$0.34 MZN 21.34

405.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.3 R 1,180

$13.25 MZN 838

437.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R 18.28

$1.54 MZN 97.4

-28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R 15.95

$3.01 MZN 191

-68.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 R 67.6

$24.17 MZN 1,529

-83.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.21

$1.37 MZN 86.7

-6.57%

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

$22.2K R 367.2K

$35.5K MZN 2.2M

-37.44%

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

$23.5K R 389.8K

$20.0K MZN 1.3M

17.54%

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

$118 R 1,946

$89.8 MZN 5,678

30.97%

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

$40.44 R 670

$14.28 MZN 903

183.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.11 R 697

$108 MZN 6,810

-60.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.88 R 561

$41.17 MZN 2,604

-17.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.59 R 225

$25.70 MZN 1,625

-47.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.07 R 117

$7.62 MZN 482

-7.22%

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

$204 R 3,377

$181 MZN 11.5K

12.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,903 R 81.2K

$5,673 MZN 358.8K

-13.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 R 842

$49.58 MZN 3,136

2.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.65 R 557

$61.6 MZN 3,897

-45.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 R 1,529

$81.7 MZN 5,167

13.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.3 R 1,312

$78.7 MZN 4,978

0.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 R 6,851

$607 MZN 38.4K

-31.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 R 6,047

$338 MZN 21.4K

7.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 R 15.0K

$1,117 MZN 70.7K

-18.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 R 11.5K

$623 MZN 39.4K

11.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,043 R 17.3K

$4,241 MZN 268.2K

-75.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 R 12.6K

$2,045 MZN 129.4K

-62.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 R 28.7K

$332 MZN 21.0K

422.75%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Maputo: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in Johannesburg versus $607 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 423% 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 $50.0 in Maputo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 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 $1,724 per month in Johannesburg and $1,640 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 $50.0 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 $1,149 in Johannesburg and $1,093 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 $1,093, than in Johannesburg at $1,149. 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 $1,093 versus $1,149 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.