Cost of Living Comparison Between Maputo and Johannesburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Maputo and Johannesburg

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,093 per month in Maputo vs $1,149 in Johannesburg, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,692 per month in Maputo vs $1,813 in Johannesburg, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,291 per month in Maputo vs $2,476 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Maputo is about 5% cheaper than Johannesburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Maputo and Johannesburg are more affordable than the global median – Maputo 18% lower, Johannesburg 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.58 MZN 606

$11.15 R 183

-14.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.65 MZN 3,141

$45.18 R 743

9.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.57 MZN 542

$4.89 R 80.4

75.26%

Cappuccino

$2.13 MZN 135

$2.17 R 35.60

-1.84%

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

$0.77 MZN 48.48

$0.99 R 16.22

-22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 MZN 36.41

$0.77 R 12.65

-24.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.39 MZN 88.1

$2.68 R 43.98

-48.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MZN 96.2

$2.59 R 42.63

-41.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 MZN 98.8

$1.16 R 19.04

34.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 MZN 69.4

$1.09 R 17.93

0.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 MZN 103

$1.65 R 27.13

-1.82%

Eggs

$2.42 MZN 153

$2.45 R 40.30

-1.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.16 MZN 959

$8.43 R 139

79.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 MZN 337

$4.77 R 78.3

11.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.18 MZN 327

$6.56 R 108

-21.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 MZN 123

$1.67 R 27.41

16.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 MZN 58.8

$1.51 R 24.90

-38.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 MZN 87.7

$1.49 R 24.48

-6.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 MZN 61.9

$1.61 R 26.42

-39.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 MZN 61.7

$1.49 R 24.57

-34.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 MZN 42.72

$1.39 R 22.88

-51.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 MZN 58.8

$1.09 R 17.89

-14.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MZN 48.06

$0.94 R 15.46

-19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.65 MZN 167

$3.16 R 51.9

-16.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.86 MZN 561

$6.04 R 99.3

46.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MZN 63.9

$1.30 R 21.32

-22.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 MZN 90.6

$1.68 R 27.55

-14.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MZN 21.34

$1.72 R 28.23

-80.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.25 MZN 838

$71.3 R 1,171

-81.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 MZN 97.4

$1.10 R 18.16

40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.01 MZN 191

$0.96 R 15.84

213.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.17 MZN 1,529

$4.09 R 67.2

490.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MZN 86.7

$1.28 R 21.06

7.03%

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

$35.5K MZN 2.2M

$22.2K R 364.6K

59.85%

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

$20.0K MZN 1.3M

$23.5K R 387.0K

-14.92%

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

$89.8 MZN 5,678

$118 R 1,933

-23.65%

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

$14.28 MZN 903

$40.44 R 665

-64.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$108 MZN 6,810

$42.11 R 692

155.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.17 MZN 2,604

$33.88 R 557

21.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.70 MZN 1,625

$13.59 R 223

89.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 MZN 482

$7.07 R 116

7.78%

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

$181 MZN 11.5K

$204 R 3,353

-11.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,673 MZN 358.8K

$4,903 R 80.6K

15.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.58 MZN 3,136

$50.9 R 836

-2.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 MZN 3,897

$33.65 R 553

83.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 MZN 5,167

$92.4 R 1,518

-11.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 MZN 4,978

$79.3 R 1,303

-0.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 MZN 38.4K

$414 R 6,803

46.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 MZN 21.4K

$365 R 6,004

-7.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 MZN 70.7K

$907 R 14.9K

23.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MZN 39.4K

$694 R 11.4K

-10.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,241 MZN 268.2K

$1,043 R 17.1K

306.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,045 MZN 129.4K

$761 R 12.5K

168.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$332 MZN 21.0K

$1,734 R 28.5K

-80.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.33

11.51

111.38%

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

Last update for Maputo: July 14, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $607 in Maputo versus $414 in Johannesburg. 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 423% higher in Johannesburg, 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 $50.0 in Maputo versus $45.00 in Johannesburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $184 – making Johannesburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 5% more than Maputo, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,640 per month in Maputo and $1,724 in Johannesburg. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Maputo and $45.00 in Johannesburg. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,093 in Maputo and $1,149 in Johannesburg. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Maputo, where all-in costs run around $1,093, than in Johannesburg at $1,149. In Maputo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Maputo costs $1,093 versus $1,149 in Johannesburg. 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, Johannesburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.