Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Maputo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Maputo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,145 in Maputo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,752 in Maputo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,358 in Maputo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 101% more expensive than in Maputo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Maputo is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$10.25 MZN 648

71.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$61.5 MZN 3,891

2.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$7.14 MZN 451

62.18%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.27 MZN 143

36.56%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.83 MZN 52.3

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.68 MZN 42.92

155.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.60 MZN 102

117.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.33 MZN 147

47.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.58 MZN 100

-27.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.03 MZN 65.2

85.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.58 MZN 99.9

-5.06%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$2.49 MZN 157

59.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$20.61 MZN 1,304

-35.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$5.63 MZN 356

42.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$5.80 MZN 367

211.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.97 MZN 124

19.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.80 MZN 50.7

118.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.62 MZN 103

14.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.09 MZN 69.1

133.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.03 MZN 65.4

78.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.82 MZN 51.8

156.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.98 MZN 62.3

52.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.92 MZN 58.1

-10.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$2.81 MZN 177

152.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$10.11 MZN 639

-41.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.02 MZN 64.5

28.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.27 MZN 80.4

67.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.40 MZN 25.37

490.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$23.29 MZN 1,473

100.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.60 MZN 101

155.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.14 MZN 72.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$24.31 MZN 1,537

-29.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.40 MZN 88.3

65.00%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$31.7K MZN 2.0M

7.58%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$23.1K MZN 1.5M

79.28%

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

$169 €147

$70.6 MZN 4,467

138.67%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$7.73 MZN 489

150.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$86.5 MZN 5,471

-61.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$42.45 MZN 2,685

15.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$26.45 MZN 1,673

-26.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$8.00 MZN 506

19.63%

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

$696 €607

$129 MZN 8,176

438.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$5,136 MZN 324.9K

237.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$49.81 MZN 3,150

111.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$55.7 MZN 3,524

-14.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$78.7 MZN 4,980

27.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$79.1 MZN 5,005

57.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$554 MZN 35.0K

199.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$383 MZN 24.2K

225.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,074 MZN 67.9K

176.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$568 MZN 35.9K

260.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$4,174 MZN 264.0K

87.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$2,072 MZN 131.1K

115.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$333 MZN 21.1K

390.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-84.88%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Maputo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $554 in Maputo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 390% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $62.0 in Maputo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $224 per month, with Maputo cheaper across the board.

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

Lisbon vs Maputo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Maputo differ by about 101% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,145 including rent). Maputo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 390% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $554 in Maputo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon 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 24% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,145 in Maputo versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maputo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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, Lisbon 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 101% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.