Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manzini and Mbabane

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $360 a month against $764 in Mbabane, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mbabane
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Mbabane Living Index

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Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$360

/mo nomad

Mbabane

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$764

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manzini and in Mbabane

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Manzini and in Mbabane actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $360 per month in Manzini vs $764 in Mbabane, rent included.

Manzini $360
Mbabane $764

A couple spends around $386 per month in Manzini vs $1,223 in Mbabane, rent included.

Manzini $386
Mbabane $1,223

A family of three spends $412 per month in Manzini vs $1,681 in Mbabane, rent included.

Manzini $412
Mbabane $1,681

Manzini is about 53% cheaper than Mbabane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manzini and Mbabane are more affordable than the global median – Manzini 73% lower, Mbabane 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.22 SZL 168

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.39 SZL 550

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 SZL 101

Cappuccino

$2.59 SZL 42.65

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

$1.13 SZL 18.52

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 SZL 10.15

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 SZL 35.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 SZL 38.77

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 SZL 20.61

$1.61 SZL 26.47

-22.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 SZL 15.14

$0.84 SZL 13.84

9.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 SZL 30.67

$1.75 SZL 28.78

6.29%

Eggs

$1.14 SZL 18.80

$1.83 SZL 30.06

-37.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.44 SZL 122

$10.93 SZL 180

-31.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.93 SZL 48.26

$5.72 SZL 94.1

-48.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.85 SZL 30.52

$5.04 SZL 82.9

-63.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 SZL 22.72

$1.83 SZL 30.13

-24.59%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 SZL 10.35

$0.66 SZL 10.87

-4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 SZL 12.55

$1.20 SZL 19.83

-36.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.46 SZL 7.65

$1.35 SZL 22.25

-65.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 SZL 10.13

$1.32 SZL 21.74

-53.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 SZL 8.27

$1.50 SZL 24.67

-66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 SZL 6.75

$0.67 SZL 11.01

-38.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 SZL 11.45

$0.78 SZL 12.82

-10.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 SZL 48.84

$2.77 SZL 45.58

7.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.34 SZL 55.1

$6.19 SZL 102

-46.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SZL 9.68

$1.61 SZL 26.49

-63.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 SZL 13.41

$1.68 SZL 27.63

-51.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 SZL 9.71

$0.70 SZL 11.50

-15.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 SZL 23.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 SZL 49.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 SZL 22.19

$1.30 SZL 21.37

3.85%

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

$16.6K SZL 273.3K

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

$15.5K SZL 255.3K

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

$72.5 SZL 1,193

$63.9 SZL 1,051

13.50%

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

$11.91 SZL 196

$38.35 SZL 631

-68.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.58 SZL 503

$27.56 SZL 454

10.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.37 SZL 368

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.98 SZL 49.10

Cinema Ticket

$3.74 SZL 61.5

$3.73 SZL 61.5

0.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,395 SZL 105.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.61 SZL 570

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.29 SZL 252

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 SZL 1,167

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.7 SZL 884

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$180 SZL 2,968

$267 SZL 4,394

-32.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$119 SZL 1,959

$180 SZL 2,956

-33.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$454 SZL 7,477

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 SZL 5,872

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$476 SZL 7,840

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$356 SZL 5,855

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$482 SZL 7,928

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.25

37.93%

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

Last update for Manzini: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mbabane: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Manzini

–

Mbabane

$183 23.9%

Accommodation & Living

Manzini

–

Mbabane

$180 23.5%

Eating Out

Manzini

–

Mbabane

$154 20.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manzini

–

Mbabane

$130 17%

Clothing & Footwear

Manzini

–

Mbabane

$79 10.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Manzini

–

Mbabane

$30 3.9%

Getting Around

Manzini

–

Mbabane

$9.8 * 1.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $180 in Manzini versus $267 in Mbabane. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇸🇿 Manzini

🇸🇿 Mbabane

🕒 Local time

11:59 11:59 AM

Same time as Manzini

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,508

94,874 Capital

💱 Currency

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 SZL = 6.08 USD

100 SZL = 5.4 EUR

100 SZL = 6.08 USD

100 SZL = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Manzini Mbabane 30 km

From you

Manzini
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Manzini vs Mbabane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mbabane costs about 112% more than Manzini, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $540 per month in Manzini and $1,146 in Mbabane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manzini, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $360 in Manzini and $764 in Mbabane. That's a gap of about 112%.

Groceries cost about 57% more in Mbabane, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $360 in Manzini and $764 in Mbabane, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Manzini – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Manzini. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mbabane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.