Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maputo and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Maputo: $1,128 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Maputo
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Maputo Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Maputo

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$1,128

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maputo and in Cape Town

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 Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,128 per month in Maputo vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Maputo $1,128
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $1,739 per month in Maputo vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Maputo $1,739
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $2,351 per month in Maputo vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Maputo $2,351
Cape Town $3,263

Maputo is about 29% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Maputo sits 16% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.28 MZN 650

$12.14 R 200

-15.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 MZN 4,026

$45.34 R 747

40.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 MZN 453

$5.88 R 96.9

21.77%

Cappuccino

$2.23 MZN 141

$2.50 R 41.18

-10.80%

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

$0.89 MZN 56.3

$1.27 R 20.94

-29.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 MZN 46.00

$0.98 R 16.14

-25.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 MZN 99.7

$2.99 R 49.33

-47.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 MZN 152

$3.72 R 61.4

-35.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 MZN 100

$1.30 R 21.40

21.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MZN 62.4

$1.25 R 20.68

-20.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 MZN 101

$2.23 R 36.76

-28.25%

Eggs

$2.43 MZN 154

$3.11 R 51.2

-21.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.22 MZN 1,342

$9.06 R 149

134.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.70 MZN 361

$6.92 R 114

-17.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.79 MZN 366

$9.30 R 153

-37.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 MZN 128

$1.84 R 30.25

9.78%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 MZN 47.17

$1.96 R 32.29

-61.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 MZN 107

$1.67 R 27.45

1.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 MZN 67.8

$2.17 R 35.70

-50.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 MZN 63.8

$1.57 R 25.81

-35.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 MZN 46.88

$1.48 R 24.45

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 MZN 58.2

$1.30 R 21.41

-29.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 MZN 57.9

$1.13 R 18.60

-19.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 MZN 183

$3.60 R 59.3

-19.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 MZN 655

$6.15 R 101

68.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MZN 64.8

$1.38 R 22.66

-25.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 MZN 85.1

$2.14 R 35.20

-37.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MZN 23.80

$1.50 R 24.65

-74.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.39 MZN 1,479

$60.8 R 1,001

-61.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 MZN 96.1

$0.59 R 9.71

157.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MZN 75.1

$1.50 R 24.65

-20.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.82 MZN 1,570

$5.11 R 84.2

385.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MZN 85.6

$1.55 R 25.50

-12.90%

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

$32.3K MZN 2.0M

$36.2K R 596.5K

-10.85%

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

$23.2K MZN 1.5M

$31.2K R 514.8K

-25.90%

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

$69.9 MZN 4,418

$114 R 1,883

-38.90%

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

$7.86 MZN 497

$28.91 R 476

-72.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.1 MZN 5,638

$39.73 R 654

124.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.69 MZN 2,700

$49.01 R 808

-12.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.63 MZN 1,621

$10.99 R 181

133.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.01 MZN 507

$9.15 R 151

-12.46%

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

$127 MZN 8,033

$259 R 4,264

-50.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,168 MZN 326.9K

$6,794 R 111.9K

-23.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.94 MZN 3,158

$56.2 R 926

-11.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 MZN 3,478

$32.41 R 534

69.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MZN 5,043

$121 R 1,987

-33.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 MZN 5,086

$108 R 1,781

-25.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 MZN 34.5K

$1,021 R 16.8K

-46.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 MZN 23.7K

$717 R 11.8K

-47.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 MZN 69.0K

$1,824 R 30.1K

-40.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 MZN 35.6K

$1,327 R 21.9K

-57.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,248 MZN 268.7K

$2,391 R 39.4K

77.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,061 MZN 130.3K

$1,542 R 25.4K

33.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$323 MZN 20.4K

$1,639 R 27.0K

-80.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

127.89%

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

Last update for Maputo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maputo

$375 33.3%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 91.1% $342

Groceries & Markets

Maputo

$226 20%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 0.4% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maputo

$167 14.8%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 9.7% $16

Eating Out

Maputo

$150 13.3%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 17.7% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Maputo

$119 10.6%

Cape Town

$143 9% 19.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Maputo

$59 5.2%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 14.6% $8.6

Getting Around

Maputo

$32 2.9%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 131% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $546 in Maputo versus $1,021 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 408% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Maputo versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $225 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇿 Maputo

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

06:12 6:12 AM

Same time as Maputo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,244,227 Capital

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to MZN – Mozambican Metical Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇿 Mozambican Metical (MT)

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.11 MZN (100 MZN = 1.41 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to MZN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Maputo Cape Town 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Maputo
Cape Town

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 41% more than Maputo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,692 per month in Maputo and $2,379 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maputo, 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 $1,128 in Maputo and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 41%.

Public transport costs about 160% less in Maputo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Maputo, where all-in costs run around $1,128, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Maputo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Maputo costs $1,128 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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