Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matola and Maputo

For one person, living is cheaper in Matola: $995 a month against $1,128 in Maputo, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Matola
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Matola Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Maputo
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Maputo Living Index

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Matola

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$995

/mo nomad

Maputo

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$1,128

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Matola and in Maputo

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

A single person spends $995 per month in Matola vs $1,128 in Maputo, rent included.

Matola $995
Maputo $1,128

A couple spends around $1,520 per month in Matola vs $1,739 in Maputo, rent included.

Matola $1,520
Maputo $1,739

A family of three spends $2,045 per month in Matola vs $2,351 in Maputo, rent included.

Matola $2,045
Maputo $2,351

Matola is about 12% cheaper than Maputo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Matola and Maputo are more affordable than the global median – Matola 26% lower, Maputo 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.60 MZN 481

$10.28 MZN 650

-26.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 MZN 4,010

$63.7 MZN 4,026

-0.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 MZN 463

$7.16 MZN 453

2.23%

Cappuccino

$1.58 MZN 99.9

$2.23 MZN 141

-29.15%

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

$0.82 MZN 52.1

$0.89 MZN 56.3

-7.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 MZN 46.85

$0.73 MZN 46.00

1.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 MZN 72.9

$1.58 MZN 99.7

-27.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MZN 96.3

$2.41 MZN 152

-36.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 MZN 97.4

$1.58 MZN 100

-2.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MZN 62.8

$0.99 MZN 62.4

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MZN 105

$1.60 MZN 101

3.75%

Eggs

$1.84 MZN 117

$2.43 MZN 154

-24.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 MZN 828

$21.22 MZN 1,342

-38.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 MZN 357

$5.70 MZN 361

-0.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.55 MZN 288

$5.79 MZN 366

-21.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 MZN 131

$2.02 MZN 128

2.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 MZN 37.08

$0.75 MZN 47.17

-21.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MZN 108

$1.69 MZN 107

1.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 MZN 67.9

$1.07 MZN 67.8

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 MZN 62.7

$1.01 MZN 63.8

-1.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 MZN 51.8

$0.74 MZN 46.88

10.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 MZN 61.2

$0.92 MZN 58.2

5.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MZN 33.63

$0.91 MZN 57.9

-41.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 MZN 179

$2.89 MZN 183

-2.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.98 MZN 442

$10.36 MZN 655

-32.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MZN 57.2

$1.03 MZN 64.8

-12.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 MZN 78.4

$1.34 MZN 85.1

-7.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MZN 23.80

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.39 MZN 1,479

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MZN 101

$1.52 MZN 96.1

4.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MZN 75.6

$1.19 MZN 75.1

0.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.67 MZN 1,560

$24.82 MZN 1,570

-0.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MZN 89.8

$1.35 MZN 85.6

5.19%

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

$32.2K MZN 2.0M

$32.3K MZN 2.0M

-0.18%

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

$22.8K MZN 1.4M

$23.2K MZN 1.5M

-1.40%

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

$39.72 MZN 2,512

$69.9 MZN 4,418

-43.14%

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

$7.80 MZN 493

$7.86 MZN 497

-0.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.3 MZN 4,891

$89.1 MZN 5,638

-13.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.53 MZN 2,500

$42.69 MZN 2,700

-7.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.63 MZN 1,621

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 MZN 498

$8.01 MZN 507

-1.75%

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

$130 MZN 8,234

$127 MZN 8,033

2.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,052 MZN 319.5K

$5,168 MZN 326.9K

-2.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.07 MZN 3,104

$49.94 MZN 3,158

-1.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MZN 3,606

$55.0 MZN 3,478

3.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 MZN 4,939

$79.7 MZN 5,043

-2.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 MZN 5,019

$80.4 MZN 5,086

-1.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 MZN 29.9K

$546 MZN 34.5K

-13.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 MZN 24.6K

$375 MZN 23.7K

3.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 MZN 43.8K

$1,091 MZN 69.0K

-36.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 MZN 34.9K

$563 MZN 35.6K

-2.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,248 MZN 268.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,061 MZN 130.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$315 MZN 19.9K

$323 MZN 20.4K

-2.44%

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 Maputo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Matola

$389 39.1%

Maputo

$375 33.3% 3.6% $14

Groceries & Markets

Matola

$182 18.3%

Maputo

$226 20% 23.8% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matola

$125 12.6%

Maputo

$167 14.8% 33.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Matola

$119 11.9%

Maputo

$119 10.6% 0.6% $0.7

Eating Out

Matola

$117 11.7%

Maputo

$150 13.3% 28.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Matola

$55 5.6%

Maputo

$59 5.2% 6.2% $3.4

Getting Around

Matola

$7.6 * 0.8%

Maputo

$32 2.9% 327% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $473 in Matola versus $546 in Maputo. 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 2% higher in Maputo, 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 Matola versus $64.0 in Maputo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $182 vs $226 – making Matola the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇿 Matola

🇲🇿 Maputo

🕒 Local time

09:48 9:48 AM

Same time as Matola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

675,422

1,244,227 Capital

💱 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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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 Maputo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $995 in Matola, $1,128 in Maputo – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,492 per month in Matola and $1,692 in Maputo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Matola, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $995 in Matola and $1,128 in Maputo. That's a gap of about 13%.

Kindergarten costs $130 per month in Matola and $127 in Maputo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Matola, where all-in costs run around $995, than in Maputo at $1,128. In Matola it covers expenses comfortably, while in Maputo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Matola – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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