Cost of Living Comparison Between Maputo and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Maputo and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,136 in Maputo versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,735 in Maputo versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,333 in Maputo versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Maputo costs roughly 51% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maputo is 17% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.03 MZN 635

$17.30 €14.92

-42.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 MZN 3,974

$63.3 €54.6

-0.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.19 MZN 455

$11.39 €9.83

-36.87%

Cappuccino

$2.18 MZN 138

$3.19 €2.75

-31.66%

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

$0.87 MZN 55.3

$2.45 €2.11

-64.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 MZN 44.19

$1.76 €1.52

-60.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 MZN 96.7

$3.59 €3.10

-57.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 MZN 150

$3.39 €2.93

-30.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 MZN 97.3

$1.24 €1.07

24.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MZN 62.8

$1.98 €1.71

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MZN 105

$1.52 €1.31

9.21%

Eggs

$2.42 MZN 153

$4.04 €3.49

-40.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.49 MZN 1,296

$13.54 €11.68

51.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.82 MZN 368

$8.39 €7.23

-30.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.62 MZN 355

$18.25 €15.74

-69.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 MZN 126

$2.29 €1.97

-12.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 MZN 51.5

$1.74 €1.50

-53.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 MZN 102

$1.86 €1.60

-12.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 MZN 65.1

$2.63 €2.27

-60.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 MZN 63.2

$1.92 €1.65

-47.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MZN 50.6

$2.09 €1.81

-61.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 MZN 61.9

$1.44 €1.24

-31.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 MZN 57.6

$0.84 €0.73

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 MZN 180

$6.78 €5.85

-58.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.31 MZN 652

$5.71 €4.93

80.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 MZN 62.3

$1.38 €1.19

-28.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MZN 80.6

$2.22 €1.91

-42.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MZN 23.60

$2.40 €2.07

-84.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.18 MZN 1,466

$46.78 €40.35

-50.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MZN 101

$4.17 €3.60

-61.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 MZN 74.7

$1.14 €0.98

3.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.99 MZN 1,581

$17.68 €15.25

41.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 MZN 87.6

$2.32 €2.00

-40.52%

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

$31.2K MZN 2.0M

$35.3K €30.5K

-11.81%

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

$22.8K MZN 1.4M

$41.4K €35.7K

-44.98%

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

$69.0 MZN 4,365

$170 €147

-59.48%

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

$7.69 MZN 486

$19.34 €16.68

-60.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.7 MZN 5,607

$33.64 €29.01

163.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.58 MZN 2,693

$48.10 €41.48

-11.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.37 MZN 1,668

$19.90 €17.16

32.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 MZN 506

$9.92 €8.56

-19.35%

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

$128 MZN 8,085

$717 €619

-82.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,173 MZN 327.2K

$17.5K €15.1K

-70.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.81 MZN 3,150

$105 €90.4

-52.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 MZN 3,488

$46.95 €40.49

17.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 MZN 5,008

$103 €89.2

-23.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 MZN 4,959

$124 €107

-36.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 MZN 33.8K

$1,677 €1,446

-68.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 MZN 23.9K

$1,271 €1,096

-70.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 MZN 67.3K

$2,985 €2,574

-64.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$577 MZN 36.5K

$1,992 €1,718

-71.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,167 MZN 263.6K

$7,826 €6,750

-46.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,043 MZN 129.2K

$4,658 €4,017

-56.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$332 MZN 21.0K

$1,583 €1,365

-79.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

559.63%

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

Last update for Maputo: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $534 in Maputo and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 377% 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 $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $283 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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maputo and Lisbon differ by about 104% in total monthly costs ($1,136 vs $2,316 including rent). Maputo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 377% lower in Lisbon. 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: $534 in Maputo versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $128 in Maputo versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,136 in Maputo versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maputo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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 Lisbon 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 104% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.