Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matola and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Matola: $995 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $22,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Matola
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Matola Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Matola

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$995

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Matola and in Dubai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $995 in Matola versus $2,896 in Dubai.

Matola $995
Dubai $2,896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,520 in Matola versus $4,384 in Dubai.

Matola $1,520
Dubai $4,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,045 in Matola versus $5,872 in Dubai.

Matola $2,045
Dubai $5,872

Living in Matola costs roughly 66% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Matola is 26% below, Dubai is 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.60 MZN 481

$12.67 AED 46.55

-40.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 MZN 4,010

$81.7 AED 300

-22.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 MZN 463

$9.34 AED 34.30

-21.63%

Cappuccino

$1.58 MZN 99.9

$5.89 AED 21.62

-73.17%

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

$0.82 MZN 52.1

$1.69 AED 6.20

-51.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 MZN 46.85

$0.78 AED 2.86

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 MZN 72.9

$13.66 AED 50.2

-91.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MZN 96.3

$13.49 AED 49.54

-88.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 MZN 97.4

$1.84 AED 6.78

-16.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MZN 62.8

$1.50 AED 5.50

-34.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MZN 105

$2.57 AED 9.45

-35.41%

Eggs

$1.84 MZN 117

$3.32 AED 12.18

-44.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 MZN 828

$12.60 AED 46.28

3.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 MZN 357

$9.66 AED 35.46

-41.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.55 MZN 288

$12.78 AED 46.93

-64.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 MZN 131

$2.60 AED 9.54

-20.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 MZN 37.08

$1.90 AED 6.99

-68.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MZN 108

$1.91 AED 7.02

-10.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 MZN 67.9

$1.37 AED 5.02

-21.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 MZN 62.7

$1.13 AED 4.14

-12.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 MZN 51.8

$1.01 AED 3.71

-18.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 MZN 61.2

$1.44 AED 5.30

-32.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MZN 33.63

$0.67 AED 2.48

-20.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 MZN 179

$5.88 AED 21.59

-51.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.98 MZN 442

$16.15 AED 59.3

-56.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MZN 57.2

$2.72 AED 10.00

-66.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 MZN 78.4

$3.08 AED 11.32

-59.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MZN 101

$3.24 AED 11.91

-50.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MZN 75.6

$0.71 AED 2.61

69.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.67 MZN 1,560

$7.96 AED 29.22

209.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MZN 89.8

$0.98 AED 3.62

44.90%

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

$32.2K MZN 2.0M

$27.4K AED 100.6K

17.65%

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

$22.8K MZN 1.4M

$22.0K AED 80.9K

3.63%

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

$39.72 MZN 2,512

$249 AED 913

-84.02%

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

$7.80 MZN 493

$54.4 AED 200

-85.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.3 MZN 4,891

$91.5 AED 336

-15.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.53 MZN 2,500

$103 AED 380

-61.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 MZN 498

$16.29 AED 59.8

-51.69%

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

$130 MZN 8,234

$844 AED 3,098

-84.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,052 MZN 319.5K

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-72.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.07 MZN 3,104

$67.0 AED 246

-26.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MZN 3,606

$57.9 AED 213

-1.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 MZN 4,939

$102 AED 375

-23.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 MZN 5,019

$98.7 AED 363

-19.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 MZN 29.9K

$2,393 AED 8,788

-80.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 MZN 24.6K

$1,533 AED 5,630

-74.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 MZN 43.8K

$4,594 AED 16.9K

-84.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 MZN 34.9K

$2,939 AED 10.8K

-81.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$315 MZN 19.9K

$3,461 AED 12.7K

-90.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

450.66%

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

Last update for Matola: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Matola

$389 39.1%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9% 294% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Matola

$182 18.3%

Dubai

$292 10.1% 59.9% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matola

$125 12.6%

Dubai

$394 13.6% 216% $270

Clothing & Footwear

Matola

$119 11.9%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 23.6% $28

Eating Out

Matola

$117 11.7%

Dubai

$305 10.5% 161% $188

Sport & Entertainment

Matola

$55 5.6%

Dubai

$136 4.7% 146% $81

Getting Around

Matola

$7.6 * 0.8%

Dubai

$89 3.1% 1077% $82

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 $2,393 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 999% 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 $82.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $292 per month, with Matola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇿 Matola

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

12:17 12:17 PM

2 h ahead of Matola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

675,422

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to MZN – Mozambican Metical Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇿 Mozambican Metical (MT)

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).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

USD to MZN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Matola Dubai 6,180 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Matola
Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matola is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 191% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 999% lower in Dubai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $473 in Matola versus $2,393 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Dubai. 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 $2,896 in Dubai – a 191% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $995 in Matola versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Matola but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Matola the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Matola is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Matola and Dubai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Matola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 191% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.