Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matola and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Matola: $995 a month against $1,594 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Matola
Learn more

Matola Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

Jump to prices

Matola

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$995

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Matola and in Sofia

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

A single person spends $995 per month in Matola vs $1,594 in Sofia, rent included.

Matola $995
Sofia $1,594

A couple spends around $1,520 per month in Matola vs $2,478 in Sofia, rent included.

Matola $1,520
Sofia $2,478

A family of three spends $2,045 per month in Matola vs $3,361 in Sofia, rent included.

Matola $2,045
Sofia $3,361

Matola is about 38% cheaper than Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Matola sits 26% below the global median, while Sofia is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.60 MZN 481

$16.87 BGN 29.35

-54.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 MZN 4,010

$65.8 BGN 115

-3.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 MZN 463

$11.32 BGN 19.69

-35.34%

Cappuccino

$1.58 MZN 99.9

$3.43 BGN 5.98

-53.94%

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

$0.82 MZN 52.1

$2.41 BGN 4.19

-65.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 MZN 46.85

$1.85 BGN 3.22

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 MZN 72.9

$3.70 BGN 6.44

-68.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 MZN 96.3

$4.58 BGN 7.97

-66.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 MZN 97.4

$2.02 BGN 3.51

-23.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 MZN 62.8

$1.56 BGN 2.72

-36.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MZN 105

$2.33 BGN 4.05

-28.76%

Eggs

$1.84 MZN 117

$4.36 BGN 7.59

-57.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 MZN 828

$11.76 BGN 20.47

11.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 MZN 357

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-36.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.55 MZN 288

$17.46 BGN 30.38

-73.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 MZN 131

$2.15 BGN 3.74

-3.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 MZN 37.08

$1.98 BGN 3.44

-70.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MZN 108

$1.93 BGN 3.37

-11.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 MZN 67.9

$4.24 BGN 7.37

-74.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 MZN 62.7

$1.04 BGN 1.80

-4.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 MZN 51.8

$0.85 BGN 1.48

-3.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 MZN 61.2

$1.15 BGN 2.00

-15.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MZN 33.63

$0.89 BGN 1.56

-40.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 MZN 179

$4.21 BGN 7.33

-32.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.98 MZN 442

$7.46 BGN 12.98

-6.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MZN 57.2

$1.15 BGN 2.01

-21.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 MZN 78.4

$1.85 BGN 3.23

-32.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 BGN 1.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 BGN 49.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 MZN 101

$1.68 BGN 2.93

-5.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MZN 75.6

$0.94 BGN 1.63

27.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.67 MZN 1,560

$15.35 BGN 26.70

60.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MZN 89.8

$1.69 BGN 2.94

-15.98%

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

$32.2K MZN 2.0M

$29.8K BGN 51.9K

8.12%

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

$22.8K MZN 1.4M

$26.1K BGN 45.5K

-12.65%

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

$39.72 MZN 2,512

$156 BGN 272

-74.55%

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

$7.80 MZN 493

$21.56 BGN 37.52

-63.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.3 MZN 4,891

$15.24 BGN 26.51

407.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.53 MZN 2,500

$46.08 BGN 80.2

-14.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 BGN 48.58

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 MZN 498

$10.18 BGN 17.72

-22.69%

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

$130 MZN 8,234

$774 BGN 1,347

-83.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,052 MZN 319.5K

$12.8K BGN 22.3K

-60.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.07 MZN 3,104

$89.9 BGN 157

-45.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MZN 3,606

$41.29 BGN 71.8

38.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 MZN 4,939

$105 BGN 183

-25.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 MZN 5,019

$107 BGN 186

-25.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 MZN 29.9K

$783 BGN 1,362

-39.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 MZN 24.6K

$597 BGN 1,038

-34.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 MZN 43.8K

$1,516 BGN 2,638

-54.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 MZN 34.9K

$1,030 BGN 1,792

-46.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,350 BGN 7,568

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 BGN 5,528

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$315 MZN 19.9K

$1,735 BGN 3,019

-81.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.89

765.05%

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

Last update for Matola: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Matola

$389 39.1%

Sofia

$597 37.4% 53.3% $207

Groceries & Markets

Matola

$182 18.3%

Sofia

$290 18.2% 59.3% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matola

$125 12.6%

Sofia

$193 12.1% 54.5% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Matola

$119 11.9%

Sofia

$154 9.7% 30.2% $36

Eating Out

Matola

$117 11.7%

Sofia

$255 16% 118% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Matola

$55 5.6%

Sofia

$66 4.2% 20.2% $11

Getting Around

Matola

$7.6 * 0.8%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 407% $31

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 $783 in Sofia. 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 451% higher in Sofia, 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 $66.0 in Sofia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $182 vs $290 – making Matola the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇿 Matola

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

12:04 12:04 PM

1 h ahead of Matola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

675,422

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, 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).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to MZN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Matola Sofia 7,690 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Matola
Sofia

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 Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $995 in Matola, $1,594 in Sofia – roughly 60% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,492 per month in Matola and $2,391 in Sofia. 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 $1,594 in Sofia. That's a gap of about 60%.

Kindergarten costs $130 per month in Matola and $774 in Sofia. 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 Sofia at $1,594. In Matola it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sofia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sofia has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $995 in Matola to $1,594 in Sofia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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