Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maputo and Matola

For one person, living is cheaper in Matola: $999 a month against $1,127 in Maputo, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Maputo, Mozambique
Matola, Mozambique
Maputo
🇲🇿 Mozambique
$1,127
/mo nomad
Matola
🇲🇿 Mozambique
$999
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maputo and in Matola

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

A single person spends $1,127 per month in Maputo vs $999 in Matola, rent included.

  • Maputo $1,127
  • Matola $999

A couple spends around $1,729 per month in Maputo vs $1,523 in Matola, rent included.

  • Maputo $1,729
  • Matola $1,523

A family of three spends $2,331 per month in Maputo vs $2,048 in Matola, rent included.

  • Maputo $2,331
  • Matola $2,048

Maputo costs about 13% more than Matola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Maputo and Matola are more affordable than the global median – Maputo 17% lower, Matola 27% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Maputo
Matola
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.08 MZN 637
$7.80 MZN 493
29.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.4 MZN 4,010
$62.6 MZN 3,960
1.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.01 MZN 443
$7.34 MZN 464
-4.50%
Cappuccino
$2.17 MZN 137
$1.59 MZN 100
36.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 MZN 51.5
$0.82 MZN 52.0
-1.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 MZN 43.66
$0.67 MZN 42.67
2.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.60 MZN 101
$1.18 MZN 74.8
35.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 MZN 151
$1.54 MZN 97.5
55.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Maputo
Matola
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.60 MZN 101
$1.59 MZN 101
0.63%
White Bread (500g)
$0.99 MZN 62.4
$0.99 MZN 62.6
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.59 MZN 101
$1.59 MZN 101
-
Eggs
$2.47 MZN 156
$1.93 MZN 122
27.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.84 MZN 1,318
$13.47 MZN 852
54.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.70 MZN 361
$5.82 MZN 368
-2.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.68 MZN 360
$4.76 MZN 301
19.33%
Apples (1kg)
$1.97 MZN 125
$1.97 MZN 125
-
Banana (1kg)
$0.76 MZN 48.10
$0.62 MZN 39.38
22.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.68 MZN 106
$1.64 MZN 103
2.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.09 MZN 69.0
$1.03 MZN 65.4
5.83%
Potato (1kg)
$1.00 MZN 63.3
$1.00 MZN 63.5
-
Onion (1kg)
$0.81 MZN 51.1
$0.74 MZN 47.08
9.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.98 MZN 62.2
$0.95 MZN 60.1
3.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 MZN 54.0
$0.53 MZN 33.64
60.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.78 MZN 176
$2.89 MZN 183
-3.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.18 MZN 644
$7.21 MZN 456
41.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 MZN 64.0
$0.97 MZN 61.3
4.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 MZN 81.5
$1.21 MZN 76.8
6.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Maputo
Matola
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.22 MZN 13.89
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$23.85 MZN 1,508
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.60 MZN 101
$1.61 MZN 102
-0.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.19 MZN 75.5
$1.20 MZN 76.1
-0.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.69 MZN 1,562
$24.12 MZN 1,525
2.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 MZN 86.2
$1.40 MZN 88.5
-2.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.3K MZN 2.0M
$31.4K MZN 2.0M
-0.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.0K MZN 1.5M
$22.5K MZN 1.4M
2.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maputo
Matola
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$70.3 MZN 4,444
$39.21 MZN 2,480
79.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.64 MZN 483
$7.64 MZN 483
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$88.1 MZN 5,573
$77.9 MZN 4,926
13.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Maputo
Matola
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.70 MZN 2,701
$39.09 MZN 2,473
9.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.59 MZN 1,682
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.69 MZN 486
$7.60 MZN 481
1.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Maputo
Matola
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$174 MZN 11.0K
$173 MZN 10.9K
0.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,168 MZN 326.9K
$5,041 MZN 318.8K
2.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Maputo
Matola
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.2 MZN 3,177
$49.21 MZN 3,113
2.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.0 MZN 3,540
$56.0 MZN 3,539
0.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.6 MZN 5,035
$79.2 MZN 5,011
0.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.2 MZN 5,007
$77.4 MZN 4,898
2.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Maputo
Matola
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$547 MZN 34.6K
$462 MZN 29.2K
18.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MZN 24.1K
$391 MZN 24.7K
-2.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,059 MZN 67.0K
$696 MZN 44.0K
52.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$558 MZN 35.3K
$552 MZN 34.9K
1.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,188 MZN 264.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,047 MZN 129.5K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Maputo
Matola
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$326 MZN 20.6K
$307 MZN 19.4K
6.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
25
25
-

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

Last update for Maputo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Matola: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Maputo
$381
Matola
$391 2.5% $9.5
Groceries & Markets
Maputo
$224
Matola
$185 17.1% $38
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maputo
$166
Matola
$125 24.9% $41
Eating Out
Maputo
$147
Matola
$118 19.2% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Maputo
$119
Matola
$118 1.2% $1.4
Sport & Entertainment
Maputo
$58
Matola
$54 6.5% $3.8
Getting Around
Maputo
$32
Matola
$7.6 * 76.4% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $547 in Maputo versus $462 in Matola. 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 6% higher in Maputo, 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 $63 in Maputo versus $63 in Matola. Groceries tell a different story – $224 in Maputo vs $185 in Matola – so Matola wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇿 Maputo
🇲🇿 Matola
🕒 Local time
01:17 1:17 AM
01:17 1:17 AM
Same time as Maputo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,244,227 Capital
675,422
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MZN – Mozambican Metical Converter

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.89 MZN (100 MZN = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
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From you
  • Maputo
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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 Matola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Maputo and in Matola compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,127 in Maputo, $999 in Matola – Matola comes out roughly 11% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Maputo compared to Matola?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,690 per month in Maputo and $1,498 in Matola. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Maputo and Matola?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Matola, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $462 there versus $547 in Maputo.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Maputo and Matola?
Kindergarten costs $174 per month in Maputo and $173 in Matola. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Maputo or Matola?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,127 in Maputo and $999 in Matola. That makes Matola about 11% cheaper.
How does quality of life compare between Maputo and Matola?
It depends on your priorities. Maputo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $999 in Matola to $1,127 in Maputo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Maputo and Matola?
If budget matters most, go with Matola. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Maputo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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