Cost of Living Comparison Between Maputo and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Maputo and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,121 in Maputo versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,697 in Maputo versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,273 in Maputo versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Maputo costs roughly 53% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maputo is 16% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.25 MZN 585

$17.58 €15.12

-47.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.78 MZN 3,085

$68.4 €58.9

-28.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.33 MZN 527

$14.06 €12.09

-40.75%

Cappuccino

$2.07 MZN 131

$2.78 €2.39

-25.54%

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

$0.76 MZN 47.93

$2.80 €2.41

-72.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 MZN 36.75

$2.06 €1.78

-71.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 MZN 89.9

$4.46 €3.84

-68.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 MZN 101

$4.61 €3.96

-65.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MZN 100

$1.24 €1.07

28.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 MZN 68.9

$2.03 €1.74

-46.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MZN 106

$1.92 €1.65

-12.50%

Eggs

$2.45 MZN 155

$3.31 €2.85

-25.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.25 MZN 964

$18.43 €15.85

-17.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.22 MZN 330

$9.49 €8.16

-44.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.17 MZN 327

$19.16 €16.48

-73.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 MZN 121

$2.64 €2.27

-27.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 MZN 58.3

$2.45 €2.11

-62.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 MZN 84.1

$2.12 €1.82

-37.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.91 MZN 57.7

$2.85 €2.45

-68.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 MZN 58.0

$2.04 €1.75

-54.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 MZN 44.90

$1.85 €1.59

-61.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 MZN 58.6

$1.47 €1.26

-36.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MZN 49.88

$0.84 €0.73

-5.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.63 MZN 166

$7.14 €6.14

-63.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.24 MZN 584

$7.88 €6.78

17.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 MZN 61.3

$1.38 €1.19

-29.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 MZN 90.2

$2.31 €1.99

-38.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 MZN 22.81

$2.98 €2.56

-87.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.19 MZN 834

$29.26 €25.17

-54.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MZN 100

$4.60 €3.95

-65.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.01 MZN 190

$2.07 €1.78

45.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.06 MZN 1,522

$29.18 €25.10

-17.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MZN 84.2

$1.84 €1.58

-27.72%

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

$35.5K MZN 2.2M

$39.0K €33.6K

-9.00%

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

$19.6K MZN 1.2M

$32.7K €28.1K

-40.11%

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

$90.0 MZN 5,689

$188 €162

-52.11%

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

$14.38 MZN 909

$22.93 €19.73

-37.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$106 MZN 6,681

$36.71 €31.58

187.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.51 MZN 2,625

$57.4 €49.35

-27.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MZN 1,663

$20.70 €17.80

27.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.61 MZN 481

$11.19 €9.63

-31.99%

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

$183 MZN 11.6K

$721 €620

-74.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,793 MZN 366.4K

$15.0K €12.9K

-61.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.38 MZN 3,123

$86.2 €74.2

-42.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.8 MZN 3,969

$37.07 €31.89

69.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.6 MZN 5,226

$102 €87.8

-19.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 MZN 4,964

$116 €99.7

-32.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$604 MZN 38.2K

$1,534 €1,319

-60.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$345 MZN 21.8K

$1,220 €1,050

-71.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 MZN 72.0K

$2,696 €2,319

-57.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MZN 39.4K

$2,013 €1,732

-69.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,138 MZN 261.7K

$7,220 €6,211

-42.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,092 MZN 132.3K

$5,189 €4,463

-59.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$329 MZN 20.8K

$2,359 €2,029

-86.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.33

3.39

617.70%

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

Last update for Maputo: May 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $604 in Maputo and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 616% 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: $49.00 in Maputo vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $318 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

Maputo vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maputo and Barcelona differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($1,121 vs $2,367 including rent). Maputo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 616% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $604 in Maputo versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $183 in Maputo versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,121 in Maputo versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maputo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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, Maputo and Barcelona 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 111% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.