Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maputo and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Maputo: $1,109 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Maputo

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$1,109

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maputo and in Sofia

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

A single person spends $1,109 per month in Maputo vs $1,589 in Sofia, rent included.

Maputo $1,109
Sofia $1,589

A couple spends around $1,720 per month in Maputo vs $2,456 in Sofia, rent included.

Maputo $1,720
Sofia $2,456

A family of three spends $2,331 per month in Maputo vs $3,324 in Sofia, rent included.

Maputo $2,331
Sofia $3,324

Maputo is about 30% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Maputo sits 17% below the global median, while Sofia is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 MZN 656

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-39.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 MZN 3,995

$66.9 BGN 117

-5.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 MZN 440

$11.77 BGN 20.59

-40.95%

Cappuccino

$2.28 MZN 144

$3.42 BGN 5.99

-33.33%

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

$0.87 MZN 55.2

$2.42 BGN 4.23

-64.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 MZN 46.29

$1.86 BGN 3.26

-60.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.60 MZN 101

$3.33 BGN 5.83

-51.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 MZN 147

$4.53 BGN 7.92

-48.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 MZN 96.1

$1.92 BGN 3.36

-20.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MZN 63.0

$1.51 BGN 2.64

-33.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MZN 106

$2.21 BGN 3.88

-24.43%

Eggs

$2.52 MZN 159

$4.40 BGN 7.69

-42.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.02 MZN 1,329

$11.56 BGN 20.22

81.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.87 MZN 371

$8.79 BGN 15.38

-33.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.59 MZN 353

$16.97 BGN 29.71

-67.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 MZN 126

$2.17 BGN 3.79

-8.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 MZN 50.2

$2.04 BGN 3.57

-61.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MZN 108

$1.84 BGN 3.22

-7.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 MZN 68.7

$4.29 BGN 7.51

-74.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 MZN 65.4

$1.03 BGN 1.80

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 MZN 47.25

$0.93 BGN 1.62

-19.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 MZN 61.0

$1.20 BGN 2.11

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 MZN 57.4

$0.92 BGN 1.62

-1.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 MZN 179

$4.30 BGN 7.53

-34.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 MZN 639

$7.33 BGN 12.83

37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MZN 61.7

$1.18 BGN 2.06

-16.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 MZN 83.6

$1.87 BGN 3.28

-29.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MZN 23.45

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-57.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.65 MZN 1,496

$28.14 BGN 49.24

-15.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 MZN 101

$1.74 BGN 3.04

-8.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MZN 75.2

$0.96 BGN 1.68

23.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.44 MZN 1,546

$15.54 BGN 27.19

57.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MZN 85.8

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-24.02%

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

$31.7K MZN 2.0M

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

5.88%

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

$22.5K MZN 1.4M

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

-14.64%

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

$71.5 MZN 4,520

$156 BGN 273

-54.18%

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

$7.75 MZN 490

$21.21 BGN 37.11

-63.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.1 MZN 5,573

$15.64 BGN 27.37

463.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 MZN 2,673

$46.76 BGN 81.8

-9.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 MZN 1,679

$27.74 BGN 48.54

-4.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.88 MZN 499

$10.02 BGN 17.53

-21.36%

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

$129 MZN 8,158

$766 BGN 1,341

-83.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,162 MZN 326.5K

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-59.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.15 MZN 3,109

$89.7 BGN 157

-45.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MZN 3,496

$40.88 BGN 71.5

35.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 MZN 4,881

$106 BGN 186

-27.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.1 MZN 4,940

$105 BGN 183

-25.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 MZN 33.9K

$796 BGN 1,393

-32.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MZN 24.2K

$607 BGN 1,063

-37.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 MZN 67.1K

$1,563 BGN 2,735

-32.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 MZN 35.8K

$1,060 BGN 1,855

-46.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,129 MZN 261.1K

$4,357 BGN 7,626

-5.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,051 MZN 129.7K

$3,250 BGN 5,688

-36.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$325 MZN 20.6K

$1,740 BGN 3,044

-81.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

765.05%

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

Last update for Maputo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maputo

$382 33.8%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 58.9% $225

Groceries & Markets

Maputo

$225 19.9%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 27.6% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maputo

$167 14.8%

Sofia

$193 12% 15.2% $26

Eating Out

Maputo

$150 13.3%

Sofia

$256 16% 70.4% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Maputo

$117 10.3%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 31.4% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Maputo

$58 5.1%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 15.1% $8.8

Getting Around

Maputo

$33 2.9%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 16.8% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $536 in Maputo versus $796 in Sofia. 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 435% higher in Sofia, 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 $63.0 in Maputo versus $67.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $287 – making Maputo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇿 Maputo

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

05:20 5:20 AM

1 h ahead of Maputo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,244,227 Capital

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, 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).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

USD to MZN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Maputo Sofia 7,690 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Maputo
Sofia

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 Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,109 in Maputo, $1,589 in Sofia – roughly 43% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,663 per month in Maputo and $2,384 in Sofia. 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.

Kindergarten costs $129 per month in Maputo and $766 in Sofia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Sofia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Maputo, where all-in costs run around $1,109, than in Sofia at $1,589. In Maputo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,109 in Maputo to $1,589 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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