Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matola and Beira

For one person, living is cheaper in Beira: $382 a month against $995 in Matola, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Matola
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Matola Living Index

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Matola

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$995

/mo nomad

Beira

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$382

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Matola and in Beira

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $995 in Matola versus $382 in Beira.

Matola $995
Beira $382

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,520 in Matola versus $726 in Beira.

Matola $1,520
Beira $726

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,045 in Matola versus $1,071 in Beira.

Matola $2,045
Beira $1,071

Living in Matola is roughly 160% more expensive than in Beira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Matola 26% lower, Beira 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.60 MZN 481

$12.50 MZN 791

-39.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 MZN 4,010

$46.40 MZN 2,935

36.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 MZN 463

Cappuccino

$1.58 MZN 99.9

$3.11 MZN 197

-49.20%

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

$0.82 MZN 52.1

$1.19 MZN 75.2

-31.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 MZN 46.85

$1.15 MZN 72.8

-35.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 MZN 72.9

$1.30 MZN 82.0

-11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MZN 96.3

$1.99 MZN 126

-23.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 MZN 97.4

$1.63 MZN 103

-5.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MZN 62.8

$0.30 MZN 18.76

230.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MZN 105

$1.51 MZN 95.8

9.93%

Eggs

$1.84 MZN 117

$1.87 MZN 118

-1.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 MZN 828

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 MZN 357

$3.80 MZN 240

48.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.55 MZN 288

$4.59 MZN 291

-0.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 MZN 131

$2.31 MZN 146

-10.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 MZN 37.08

$2.32 MZN 147

-74.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MZN 108

$2.32 MZN 146

-26.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 MZN 67.9

$1.24 MZN 78.4

-13.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 MZN 62.7

$1.22 MZN 77.3

-18.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 MZN 51.8

$0.99 MZN 62.4

-17.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 MZN 61.2

$2.32 MZN 147

-58.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MZN 33.63

$0.71 MZN 45.10

-25.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 MZN 179

$0.96 MZN 60.7

194.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.98 MZN 442

$8.33 MZN 527

-16.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MZN 57.2

$1.04 MZN 65.8

-13.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 MZN 78.4

$3.80 MZN 240

-67.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MZN 101

$0.75 MZN 47.74

112.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MZN 75.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.67 MZN 1,560

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MZN 89.8

$1.40 MZN 88.6

1.43%

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

$32.2K MZN 2.0M

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

$22.8K MZN 1.4M

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

$39.72 MZN 2,512

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

$7.80 MZN 493

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.3 MZN 4,891

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.53 MZN 2,500

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 MZN 498

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

$130 MZN 8,234

$90.1 MZN 5,699

44.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,052 MZN 319.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.07 MZN 3,104

$19.15 MZN 1,211

156.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MZN 3,606

$38.82 MZN 2,455

46.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 MZN 4,939

$38.78 MZN 2,453

101.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 MZN 5,019

$46.72 MZN 2,955

69.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 MZN 29.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 MZN 24.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 MZN 43.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 MZN 34.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$315 MZN 19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Matola: October 11, 2026

Last update for Beira: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Matola

$389 39.1%

Beira

–

Groceries & Markets

Matola

$182 18.3%

Beira

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matola

$125 12.6%

Beira

–

Clothing & Footwear

Matola

$119 11.9%

Beira

–

Eating Out

Matola

$117 11.7%

Beira

–

Sport & Entertainment

Matola

$55 5.6%

Beira

–

Getting Around

Matola

$7.6 * 0.8%

Beira

–

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Matola vs $46.00 in Beira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $159 per month, with Beira cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇿 Matola

🇲🇿 Beira

🕒 Local time

09:48 9:48 AM

Same time as Matola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

675,422

436,240

💱 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

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Matola Beira 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Matola
Beira

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 Beira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matola and Beira differ by about 160% in total monthly costs ($995 vs $382 including rent). Beira is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,492 in Matola and $573 in Beira to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Matola. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $995 per month in Matola versus $382 in Beira – a 160% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $382 in Beira versus $995 in Matola, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Beira but tight or insufficient in Matola. The gap between the two cities makes Beira the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Beira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 160% less than in Matola. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.