Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matola and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Matola: $995 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Matola
🇲🇿 Mozambique
$995
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Matola and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Matola and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $995 in Matola versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

  • Matola $995
  • Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,520 in Matola versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Matola $1,520
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,045 in Matola versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

  • Matola $2,045
  • Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Matola costs roughly 63% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Matola is 26% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Matola
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.60 MZN 481
$20.77 $20.77
-63.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.4 MZN 4,010
$84.6 $84.6
-25.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.32 MZN 463
$12.32 $12.32
-40.58%
Cappuccino
$1.58 MZN 99.9
$5.63 $5.63
-71.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 MZN 52.1
$3.72 $3.72
-77.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 MZN 46.85
$2.50 $2.50
-70.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.15 MZN 72.9
$8.05 $8.05
-85.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 MZN 96.3
$9.01 $9.01
-83.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Matola
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.54 MZN 97.4
$1.12 $1.12
37.50%
White Bread (500g)
$0.99 MZN 62.8
$3.75 $3.75
-73.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.66 MZN 105
$3.26 $3.26
-49.08%
Eggs
$1.84 MZN 117
$4.17 $4.17
-55.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.09 MZN 828
$12.90 $12.90
1.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 MZN 357
$14.16 $14.16
-60.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.55 MZN 288
$16.22 $16.22
-71.95%
Apples (1kg)
$2.07 MZN 131
$4.33 $4.33
-52.19%
Banana (1kg)
$0.59 MZN 37.08
$1.46 $1.46
-59.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.71 MZN 108
$4.51 $4.51
-62.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.07 MZN 67.9
$4.34 $4.34
-75.35%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 MZN 62.7
$2.58 $2.58
-61.63%
Onion (1kg)
$0.82 MZN 51.8
$2.35 $2.35
-65.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.97 MZN 61.2
$1.78 $1.78
-45.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 MZN 33.63
$2.22 $2.22
-76.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.83 MZN 179
$9.88 $9.88
-71.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.98 MZN 442
$15.08 $15.08
-53.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 MZN 57.2
$2.92 $2.92
-69.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.24 MZN 78.4
$3.46 $3.46
-64.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Matola
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.49 $1.49
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$41.72 $41.72
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.59 MZN 101
$2.73 $2.73
-41.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.20 MZN 75.6
$1.66 $1.66
-27.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.67 MZN 1,560
$35.30 $35.30
-30.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 MZN 89.8
$0.95 $0.95
49.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.2K MZN 2.0M
$36.0K $36.0K
-10.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.8K MZN 1.4M
$27.1K $27.1K
-15.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Matola
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$39.72 MZN 2,512
$229 $229
-82.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.80 MZN 493
$59.4 $59.4
-86.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$77.3 MZN 4,891
$69.9 $69.9
10.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Matola
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.53 MZN 2,500
$57.2 $57.2
-30.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.33 $16.33
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.87 MZN 498
$14.28 $14.28
-44.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Matola
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$130 MZN 8,234
$1,506 $1,506
-91.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,052 MZN 319.5K
$21.5K $21.5K
-76.46%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Matola
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.07 MZN 3,104
$52.8 $52.8
-7.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.0 MZN 3,606
$43.82 $43.82
30.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.1 MZN 4,939
$84.8 $84.8
-7.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 MZN 5,019
$103 $103
-22.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Matola
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$473 MZN 29.9K
$1,907 $1,907
-75.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$389 MZN 24.6K
$1,274 $1,274
-69.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$693 MZN 43.8K
$3,664 $3,664
-81.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$552 MZN 34.9K
$2,538 $2,538
-78.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,614 $7,614
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,157 $3,157
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Matola
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$315 MZN 19.9K
$5,121 $5,121
-93.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
25
6.79
268.19%

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

Last update for Matola: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Matola
$389
Austin, TX
$1.3K 227% $885
Groceries & Markets
Matola
$182
Austin, TX
$405 122% $222
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Matola
$125
Austin, TX
$358 187% $233
Clothing & Footwear
Matola
$119
Austin, TX
$128 7.9% $9.4
Eating Out
Matola
$117
Austin, TX
$354 203% $237
Sport & Entertainment
Matola
$55
Austin, TX
$86 55.2% $31
Getting Around
Matola
$7.6 *
Austin, TX
$59 675% $51

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $473 in Matola and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1527% 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 Matola vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $405 per month, with Matola cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇿 Matola
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
14:21 2:21 PM
07:21 7:21 AM
7 h behind Matola
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
675,422
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MZN – Mozambican Metical Converter

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.11 MZN (100 MZN = 1.41 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Matola Austin, TX 15,150 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Matola
  • Austin, TX

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
Matola vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Matola or Austin, TX?
Matola wins on cost – living expenses run 168% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Matola the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Matola or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 1527% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Matola compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $473 in Matola versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Matola and in Austin, TX?
Childcare runs $130 in Matola versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Matola and in Austin, TX?
Dining out is cheaper in Matola – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Matola or in Austin, TX?
At $995 in Matola versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Matola but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Matola the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Matola or Austin, TX?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Matola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 168% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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