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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,093 in Maputo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,692 in Maputo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,291 in Maputo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 110% more expensive than in Maputo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Maputo is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$9.58 MZN 606

69.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$49.65 MZN 3,141

27.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$8.57 MZN 542

20.42%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.13 MZN 135

32.86%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.77 MZN 48.48

197.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.58 MZN 36.41

172.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.39 MZN 88.1

144.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$1.52 MZN 96.2

165.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.56 MZN 98.8

-30.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.10 MZN 69.4

59.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.62 MZN 103

8.64%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.42 MZN 153

30.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$15.16 MZN 959

-12.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$5.33 MZN 337

49.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$5.18 MZN 327

199.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.95 MZN 123

21.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.93 MZN 58.8

83.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.39 MZN 87.7

44.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.98 MZN 61.9

147.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.98 MZN 61.7

79.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.68 MZN 42.72

198.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.93 MZN 58.8

106.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.76 MZN 48.06

11.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.65 MZN 167

148.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$8.86 MZN 561

-37.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.01 MZN 63.9

31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.43 MZN 90.6

107.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.34 MZN 21.34

570.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$13.25 MZN 838

245.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.54 MZN 97.4

174.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$3.01 MZN 191

-73.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$24.17 MZN 1,529

-23.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.37 MZN 86.7

51.82%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$35.5K MZN 2.2M

-2.23%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$20.0K MZN 1.3M

95.47%

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

$148 €130

$89.8 MZN 5,678

64.92%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$14.28 MZN 903

43.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$108 MZN 6,810

-63.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$41.17 MZN 2,604

16.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$25.70 MZN 1,625

-27.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$7.62 MZN 482

21.00%

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

$616 €539

$181 MZN 11.5K

240.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,673 MZN 358.8K

189.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$49.58 MZN 3,136

107.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$61.6 MZN 3,897

-32.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$81.7 MZN 5,167

16.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$78.7 MZN 4,978

55.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$607 MZN 38.4K

168.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$338 MZN 21.4K

264.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,117 MZN 70.7K

177.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$623 MZN 39.4K

225.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$4,241 MZN 268.2K

84.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,045 MZN 129.4K

114.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$332 MZN 21.0K

384.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

24.33

-84.34%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Maputo: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $607 in Maputo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 385% 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 $50.0 in Maputo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $199 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 110% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,093 including rent). Maputo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 385% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $607 in Maputo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $181 in Maputo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,093 in Maputo versus $2,291 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 110% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.