Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maputo and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Maputo: $1,127 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Maputo
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Maputo Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Maputo

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$1,127

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maputo and in Medellin

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

A single person spends $1,127 per month in Maputo vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Maputo $1,127
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,729 per month in Maputo vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Maputo $1,729
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,331 per month in Maputo vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Maputo $2,331
Medellin $3,186

Maputo is about 31% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Maputo sits 17% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.08 MZN 637

$8.09 COP 26.1K

24.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 MZN 4,010

$47.05 COP 151.7K

34.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 MZN 443

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-26.21%

Cappuccino

$2.17 MZN 137

$3.01 COP 9,722

-27.91%

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

$0.81 MZN 51.5

$1.80 COP 5,801

-55.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 MZN 43.66

$1.41 COP 4,554

-51.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.60 MZN 101

$3.18 COP 10.2K

-49.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 MZN 151

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-58.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MZN 101

$1.51 COP 4,869

5.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MZN 62.4

$2.38 COP 7,667

-58.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 MZN 101

$1.77 COP 5,712

-10.17%

Eggs

$2.47 MZN 156

$2.89 COP 9,320

-14.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.84 MZN 1,318

$10.19 COP 32.9K

104.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.70 MZN 361

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-42.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.68 MZN 360

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-59.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 MZN 125

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-50.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 MZN 48.10

$1.55 COP 5,005

-50.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 MZN 106

$2.18 COP 7,039

-22.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 MZN 69.0

$2.18 COP 7,041

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 MZN 63.3

$1.96 COP 6,328

-48.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 MZN 51.1

$1.59 COP 5,125

-49.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 MZN 62.2

$1.15 COP 3,694

-14.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 MZN 54.0

$1.24 COP 4,009

-31.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.78 MZN 176

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-29.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 MZN 644

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-25.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MZN 64.0

$1.66 COP 5,352

-39.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MZN 81.5

$2.26 COP 7,281

-42.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 MZN 13.89

$1.17 COP 3,766

-81.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.85 MZN 1,508

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-69.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 MZN 101

$1.27 COP 4,089

25.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MZN 75.5

$2.05 COP 6,603

-41.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.69 MZN 1,562

$8.55 COP 27.6K

188.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MZN 86.2

$1.35 COP 4,343

0.74%

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

$31.3K MZN 2.0M

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-8.05%

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

$23.0K MZN 1.5M

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-33.67%

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

$70.3 MZN 4,444

$170 COP 547.0K

-58.59%

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

$7.64 MZN 483

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-43.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.1 MZN 5,573

$28.07 COP 90.5K

213.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.70 MZN 2,701

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-2.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.59 MZN 1,682

$17.19 COP 55.4K

54.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 MZN 486

$6.91 COP 22.3K

11.29%

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

$174 MZN 11.0K

$797 COP 2.6M

-78.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,168 MZN 326.9K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-43.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 MZN 3,177

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-40.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MZN 3,540

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-3.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 MZN 5,035

$135 COP 435.2K

-41.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 MZN 5,007

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-19.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$547 MZN 34.6K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-54.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MZN 24.1K

$642 COP 2.1M

-40.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,059 MZN 67.0K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-47.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 MZN 35.3K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-44.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,188 MZN 264.9K

$4,170 COP 13.4M

0.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,047 MZN 129.5K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

7.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$326 MZN 20.6K

$657 COP 2.1M

-50.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

128.52%

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

Last update for Maputo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maputo

$381 33.8%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 68.3% $260

Groceries & Markets

Maputo

$224 19.9%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 32.8% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maputo

$166 14.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 27.3% $45

Eating Out

Maputo

$147 13%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 15.8% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Maputo

$119 10.6%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 41.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Maputo

$58 5.2%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 0.9% $0.5

Getting Around

Maputo

$32 2.9%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 190% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $547 in Maputo versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Maputo versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $224 in Maputo vs $297 in Medellin – so Maputo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇿 Maputo

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

22:47 10:47 PM

15:47 3:47 PM

7 h behind Maputo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,244,227 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.42 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MZN – Mozambican Metical Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇿 Mozambican Metical (MT)

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.62 MZN (100 MZN = 1.42 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to MZN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Maputo Medellin 12,130 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Maputo
Medellin

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,127 in Maputo, $1,639 in Medellin – Maputo comes out roughly 31% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,690 per month in Maputo and $2,459 in Medellin. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $547 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Kindergarten costs $174 per month in Maputo and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,127 in Maputo and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Maputo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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