Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Matola Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Matola

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,017 in Matola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,551 in Matola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,084 in Matola.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 125% more expensive than in Matola, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Matola is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$7.84 MZN 496

106.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$49.99 MZN 3,162

26.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.63 MZN 482

35.26%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.59 MZN 100

77.99%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.82 MZN 51.8

179.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.53 MZN 33.82

198.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.15 MZN 73.0

195.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$1.54 MZN 97.1

161.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.60 MZN 101

-31.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.10 MZN 69.4

59.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.61 MZN 102

9.32%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.91 MZN 121

65.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$13.52 MZN 855

-2.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$5.26 MZN 333

51.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$4.59 MZN 290

238.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.96 MZN 124

20.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.59 MZN 37.01

189.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.39 MZN 88.2

44.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.93 MZN 58.6

161.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.92 MZN 58.1

91.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.68 MZN 42.81

198.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.92 MZN 58.0

108.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.53 MZN 33.57

60.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.63 MZN 166

150.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$6.94 MZN 439

-19.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.96 MZN 60.7

38.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.22 MZN 77.1

143.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.53 MZN 96.8

176.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.98 MZN 189

-72.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$24.32 MZN 1,538

-24.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.32 MZN 83.8

57.58%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$34.5K MZN 2.2M

0.46%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$19.6K MZN 1.2M

99.30%

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

$148 €130

$39.61 MZN 2,505

273.77%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$14.23 MZN 900

43.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$78.0 MZN 4,930

-49.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$39.51 MZN 2,499

21.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$8.05 MZN 509

14.53%

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

$616 €539

$180 MZN 11.4K

241.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,814 MZN 367.8K

182.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$49.24 MZN 3,114

108.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$61.0 MZN 3,858

-31.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$81.4 MZN 5,146

16.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$80.4 MZN 5,083

51.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$474 MZN 30.0K

244.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$394 MZN 24.9K

213.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$782 MZN 49.5K

296.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$581 MZN 36.8K

249.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$317 MZN 20.1K

406.76%

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 Matola: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $474 in Matola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 407% 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 Matola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $180 per month, with Matola 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 Matola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Matola differ by about 125% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,017 including rent). Matola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 407% 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 $474 in Matola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $1,017 in Matola – a 125% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Matola versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Matola but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Matola 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 Matola 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 Matola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.