Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maputo and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Maputo: $1,082 a month against $1,647 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Maputo, Mozambique
Budapest, Hungary
Maputo
🇲🇿 Mozambique
$1,082
/mo nomad
Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,647
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maputo and in Budapest

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

A single person spends $1,082 per month in Maputo vs $1,647 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Maputo $1,082
  • Budapest $1,647

A couple spends around $1,676 per month in Maputo vs $2,567 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Maputo $1,676
  • Budapest $2,567

A family of three spends $2,270 per month in Maputo vs $3,488 in Budapest, rent included.

  • Maputo $2,270
  • Budapest $3,488

Maputo is about 34% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Maputo sits 20% below the global median, while Budapest is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Maputo
Budapest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.35 MZN 655
$13.63 Ft 4,407
-24.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.0 MZN 3,923
$60.7 Ft 19.6K
2.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.15 MZN 452
$10.02 Ft 3,239
-28.64%
Cappuccino
$2.25 MZN 142
$3.33 Ft 1,075
-32.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 MZN 55.1
$2.12 Ft 684
-58.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 MZN 46.31
$1.80 Ft 581
-59.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.58 MZN 99.8
$3.61 Ft 1,166
-56.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 MZN 151
$3.59 Ft 1,160
-33.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Maputo
Budapest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 MZN 97.7
$1.12 Ft 361
38.39%
White Bread (500g)
$1.03 MZN 65.0
$1.93 Ft 623
-46.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.65 MZN 104
$2.49 Ft 804
-33.73%
Eggs
$2.48 MZN 157
$3.94 Ft 1,275
-37.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.44 MZN 850
$11.28 Ft 3,646
19.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.60 MZN 354
$6.73 Ft 2,177
-16.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.96 MZN 377
$14.44 Ft 4,670
-58.73%
Apples (1kg)
$2.06 MZN 130
$1.86 Ft 601
10.75%
Banana (1kg)
$0.75 MZN 47.16
$2.04 Ft 658
-63.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.61 MZN 102
$2.29 Ft 740
-29.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.09 MZN 68.9
$3.99 Ft 1,290
-72.68%
Potato (1kg)
$1.03 MZN 65.3
$0.94 Ft 304
9.57%
Onion (1kg)
$0.76 MZN 48.06
$1.02 Ft 330
-25.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.92 MZN 58.1
$1.65 Ft 534
-44.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.86 MZN 54.3
$0.68 Ft 221
26.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.80 MZN 177
$7.81 Ft 2,526
-64.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.26 MZN 649
$6.02 Ft 1,946
70.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 MZN 64.0
$1.29 Ft 418
-21.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 MZN 81.6
$2.02 Ft 655
-36.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Maputo
Budapest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 MZN 15.23
$1.50 Ft 484
-84.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$14.07 MZN 890
$27.13 Ft 8,769
-48.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.58 MZN 100
$3.36 Ft 1,085
-52.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.80 MZN 50.4
$1.37 Ft 444
-41.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$19.96 Ft 6,451
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 MZN 86.6
$1.86 Ft 603
-26.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.0K MZN 2.0M
$28.5K Ft 9.2M
12.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.9K MZN 1.4M
$33.4K Ft 10.8M
-31.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maputo
Budapest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$69.1 MZN 4,370
$178 Ft 57.6K
-61.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.73 MZN 489
$23.58 Ft 7,623
-67.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$86.5 MZN 5,472
$24.12 Ft 7,797
258.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Maputo
Budapest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.33 MZN 2,614
$69.7 Ft 22.5K
-40.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.65 MZN 1,622
$17.03 Ft 5,505
50.62%
Cinema Ticket
$7.91 MZN 500
$10.48 Ft 3,388
-24.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Maputo
Budapest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$174 MZN 11.0K
$625 Ft 202.1K
-72.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.4K MZN 785.7K
$19.6K Ft 6.4M
-36.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Maputo
Budapest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.31 MZN 3,119
$102 Ft 33.0K
-51.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.0 MZN 3,540
$43.41 Ft 14.0K
28.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.9 MZN 4,866
$110 Ft 35.5K
-29.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.2 MZN 5,012
$121 Ft 39.0K
-34.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Maputo
Budapest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$540 MZN 34.1K
$845 Ft 273.3K
-36.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$371 MZN 23.5K
$638 Ft 206.4K
-41.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,092 MZN 69.1K
$1,609 Ft 520.1K
-32.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$578 MZN 36.6K
$1,217 Ft 393.5K
-52.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,149 MZN 262.4K
$5,555 Ft 1.8M
-25.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,073 MZN 131.1K
$3,898 Ft 1.3M
-46.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Maputo
Budapest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$328 MZN 20.7K
$1,724 Ft 557.5K
-80.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
25
6.34
294.32%

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

Last update for Maputo: November 1, 2026

Last update for Budapest: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Maputo
$371
Budapest
$638 71.8% $267
Groceries & Markets
Maputo
$202
Budapest
$260 28.7% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maputo
$163
Budapest
$226 38.3% $63
Eating Out
Maputo
$150
Budapest
$220 46.3% $70
Clothing & Footwear
Maputo
$118
Budapest
$169 43.8% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Maputo
$57
Budapest
$91 58.6% $33
Getting Around
Maputo
$21
Budapest
$43 110% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $540 in Maputo versus $845 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Budapest are about 5.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Maputo versus $61 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $202 in Maputo vs $260 in Budapest – so Maputo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇿 Maputo
🇭🇺 Budapest
🕒 Local time
20:10 8:10 PM
19:10 7:10 PM
1 h behind Maputo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,244,227 Capital
1,686,222 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to MZN – Mozambican Metical Converter

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.08 MZN (100 MZN = 1.41 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Maputo Budapest 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Maputo
  • Budapest

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
Maputo vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maputo cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,624 per month in Maputo and $2,471 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Maputo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $540 there versus $845 in Budapest.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 48% less in Maputo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do food prices compare in Maputo and in Budapest?
Groceries cost about 29% more in Budapest, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $2,000 enough for either Maputo or Budapest?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,082 in Maputo and $1,647 in Budapest, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Maputo or Budapest more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Maputo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Maputo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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