Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maputo and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Maputo: $1,109 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Maputo

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$1,109

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maputo and in Dubai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,109 in Maputo versus $2,854 in Dubai.

Maputo $1,109
Dubai $2,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,720 in Maputo versus $4,321 in Dubai.

Maputo $1,720
Dubai $4,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,331 in Maputo versus $5,788 in Dubai.

Maputo $2,331
Dubai $5,788

Living in Maputo costs roughly 61% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maputo is 17% below, Dubai is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 MZN 656

$13.04 AED 47.89

-20.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 MZN 3,995

$81.4 AED 299

-22.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 MZN 440

$9.32 AED 34.25

-25.43%

Cappuccino

$2.28 MZN 144

$5.97 AED 21.93

-61.81%

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

$0.87 MZN 55.2

$1.63 AED 5.98

-46.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 MZN 46.29

$0.81 AED 2.99

-9.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.60 MZN 101

$13.65 AED 50.1

-88.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 MZN 147

$13.38 AED 49.15

-82.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 MZN 96.1

$1.81 AED 6.64

-16.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MZN 63.0

$1.57 AED 5.78

-36.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MZN 106

$2.49 AED 9.16

-32.93%

Eggs

$2.52 MZN 159

$3.28 AED 12.04

-23.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.02 MZN 1,329

$12.67 AED 46.53

65.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.87 MZN 371

$9.75 AED 35.80

-39.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.59 MZN 353

$13.18 AED 48.40

-57.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 MZN 126

$2.61 AED 9.57

-23.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 MZN 50.2

$1.93 AED 7.09

-59.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MZN 108

$1.92 AED 7.05

-10.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 MZN 68.7

$1.36 AED 5.00

-19.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 MZN 65.4

$1.17 AED 4.29

-11.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 MZN 47.25

$1.01 AED 3.71

-25.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 MZN 61.0

$1.51 AED 5.56

-36.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 MZN 57.4

$0.62 AED 2.29

46.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 MZN 179

$5.85 AED 21.50

-51.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 MZN 639

$16.14 AED 59.3

-37.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MZN 61.7

$2.65 AED 9.74

-63.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 MZN 83.6

$2.95 AED 10.82

-55.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MZN 23.45

$1.64 AED 6.03

-77.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.65 MZN 1,496

$73.6 AED 270

-67.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 MZN 101

$3.17 AED 11.66

-49.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MZN 75.2

$0.71 AED 2.63

67.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.44 MZN 1,546

$7.96 AED 29.23

207.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MZN 85.8

$0.99 AED 3.64

37.37%

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

$31.7K MZN 2.0M

$27.4K AED 100.5K

15.98%

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

$22.5K MZN 1.4M

$22.5K AED 82.8K

-0.15%

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

$71.5 MZN 4,520

$250 AED 920

-71.46%

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

$7.75 MZN 490

$54.2 AED 199

-85.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.1 MZN 5,573

$91.8 AED 337

-4.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 MZN 2,673

$98.6 AED 362

-57.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 MZN 1,679

$42.61 AED 156

-37.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.88 MZN 499

$16.03 AED 58.9

-50.84%

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

$129 MZN 8,158

$843 AED 3,098

-84.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,162 MZN 326.5K

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-71.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.15 MZN 3,109

$68.0 AED 250

-27.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MZN 3,496

$57.9 AED 213

-4.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 MZN 4,881

$101 AED 370

-23.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.1 MZN 4,940

$101 AED 371

-22.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 MZN 33.9K

$2,380 AED 8,741

-77.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MZN 24.2K

$1,506 AED 5,531

-74.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 MZN 67.1K

$4,437 AED 16.3K

-76.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 MZN 35.8K

$3,010 AED 11.1K

-81.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,129 MZN 261.1K

$7,121 AED 26.2K

-42.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,051 MZN 129.7K

$4,135 AED 15.2K

-50.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$325 MZN 20.6K

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-90.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

450.66%

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

Last update for Maputo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maputo

$382 33.8%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5% 294% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Maputo

$225 19.9%

Dubai

$293 10.2% 30% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maputo

$167 14.8%

Dubai

$396 13.8% 137% $229

Eating Out

Maputo

$150 13.3%

Dubai

$309 10.8% 106% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Maputo

$117 10.3%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 26.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Maputo

$58 5.1%

Dubai

$131 4.6% 125% $73

Getting Around

Maputo

$33 2.9%

Dubai

$87 3% 166% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $536 in Maputo and $2,380 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 943% 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 Maputo vs $81.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $293 per month, with Maputo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇿 Maputo

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

05:45 5:45 AM

07:45 7:45 AM

2 h ahead of Maputo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,244,227 Capital

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to MZN – Mozambican Metical Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇿 Mozambican Metical (MT)

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.94 MZN (100 MZN = 1.41 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to MZN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Maputo Dubai 6,170 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Maputo
Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maputo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 157% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 943% lower in Dubai. 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: $536 in Maputo versus $2,380 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Maputo runs roughly 211% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $129 in Maputo versus $843 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,109 in Maputo versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maputo but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Maputo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maputo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Maputo and Dubai 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 157% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.