Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maputo and Xai-Xai

For one person, living is cheaper in Xai-Xai: $682 a month against $1,127 in Maputo, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Xai-Xai
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Xai-Xai Living Index

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Maputo

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$1,127

/mo nomad

Xai-Xai

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$682

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maputo and in Xai-Xai

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

A single person spends $1,127 per month in Maputo vs $682 in Xai-Xai, rent included.

Maputo $1,127
Xai-Xai $682

A couple spends around $1,729 per month in Maputo vs $1,151 in Xai-Xai, rent included.

Maputo $1,729
Xai-Xai $1,151

A family of three spends $2,331 per month in Maputo vs $1,620 in Xai-Xai, rent included.

Maputo $2,331
Xai-Xai $1,620

Maputo costs about 65% more than Xai-Xai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Maputo and Xai-Xai are more affordable than the global median – Maputo 17% lower, Xai-Xai 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.08 MZN 637

$10.16 MZN 642

-0.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 MZN 4,010

$63.7 MZN 4,029

-0.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 MZN 443

$7.21 MZN 456

-2.77%

Cappuccino

$2.17 MZN 137

$2.16 MZN 137

0.46%

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

$0.81 MZN 51.5

$0.86 MZN 54.5

-5.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 MZN 43.66

$0.73 MZN 46.29

-5.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.60 MZN 101

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 MZN 151

$2.33 MZN 147

2.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MZN 101

$1.54 MZN 97.6

3.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MZN 62.4

$1.03 MZN 65.4

-3.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 MZN 101

$1.60 MZN 101

-0.63%

Eggs

$2.47 MZN 156

$2.50 MZN 158

-1.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.84 MZN 1,318

$21.24 MZN 1,343

-1.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.70 MZN 361

$5.72 MZN 362

-0.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.68 MZN 360

$5.80 MZN 367

-2.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 MZN 125

$1.99 MZN 126

-1.01%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 MZN 48.10

$0.75 MZN 47.22

1.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 MZN 106

$1.68 MZN 107

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 MZN 69.0

$1.08 MZN 68.4

0.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 MZN 63.3

$1.04 MZN 65.5

-3.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 MZN 51.1

$0.79 MZN 50.1

2.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 MZN 62.2

$0.92 MZN 58.0

6.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 MZN 54.0

$0.90 MZN 57.1

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.78 MZN 176

$2.79 MZN 176

-0.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 MZN 644

$10.08 MZN 637

0.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MZN 64.0

$0.97 MZN 61.6

4.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MZN 81.5

$1.27 MZN 80.4

1.57%

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

$1.53 MZN 96.6

4.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MZN 75.5

$1.19 MZN 75.4

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.69 MZN 1,562

$24.19 MZN 1,530

2.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MZN 86.2

$1.40 MZN 88.8

-2.86%

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

$31.3K MZN 2.0M

$32.0K MZN 2.0M

-2.26%

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

$23.0K MZN 1.5M

$22.7K MZN 1.4M

1.16%

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

$70.3 MZN 4,444

$71.4 MZN 4,518

-1.64%

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

$7.64 MZN 483

$7.74 MZN 490

-1.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.1 MZN 5,573

$88.5 MZN 5,596

-0.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.70 MZN 2,701

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.59 MZN 1,682

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 MZN 486

$7.72 MZN 488

-0.39%

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

$174 MZN 11.0K

$178 MZN 11.2K

-2.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,168 MZN 326.9K

$5,082 MZN 321.4K

1.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 MZN 3,177

$49.75 MZN 3,146

0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MZN 3,540

$57.0 MZN 3,606

-1.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 MZN 5,035

$77.2 MZN 4,881

3.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 MZN 5,007

$79.3 MZN 5,017

-0.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$547 MZN 34.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MZN 24.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,059 MZN 67.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 MZN 35.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,188 MZN 264.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,047 MZN 129.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$326 MZN 20.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Maputo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Xai-Xai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maputo

$381 33.8%

Xai-Xai

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Maputo

$224 19.9%

Xai-Xai

$225 33% 0.7% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maputo

$166 14.7%

Xai-Xai

$168 24.6% 1% $1.6

Eating Out

Maputo

$147 13%

Xai-Xai

$148 21.7% 0.9% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Maputo

$119 10.6%

Xai-Xai

$118 17.4% 0.7% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Maputo

$58 5.2%

Xai-Xai

$15 * 2.3% 73.4% $43

Getting Around

Maputo

$32 2.9%

Xai-Xai

$7.5 * 1.1% 76.8% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Maputo versus $64 in Xai-Xai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $224 vs $225 – making Maputo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇿 Maputo

🇲🇿 Xai-Xai

🕒 Local time

03:47 3:47 AM

Same time as Maputo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,244,227 Capital

116,343

💱 Currency

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

📈 Exchange rate

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Maputo Xai-Xai 150 km

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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 Xai-Xai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,127 in Maputo, $682 in Xai-Xai – Xai-Xai comes out roughly 39% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,690 per month in Maputo and $1,023 in Xai-Xai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,127 in Maputo and $682 in Xai-Xai. That makes Xai-Xai about 39% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $174 per month in Maputo and $178 in Xai-Xai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Xai-Xai, where all-in costs run around $682, than in Maputo at $1,127. In Xai-Xai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Maputo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Maputo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $682 in Xai-Xai to $1,127 in Maputo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.