Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mbabane and Manzini

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $362 a month against $753 in Mbabane, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mbabane
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Mbabane Living Index

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Mbabane

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$753

/mo nomad

Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mbabane and in Manzini

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

A single person spends $753 per month in Mbabane vs $362 in Manzini, rent included.

Mbabane $753
Manzini $362

A couple spends around $1,211 per month in Mbabane vs $386 in Manzini, rent included.

Mbabane $1,211
Manzini $386

A family of three spends $1,668 per month in Mbabane vs $410 in Manzini, rent included.

Mbabane $1,668
Manzini $410

Mbabane costs about 108% more than Manzini, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mbabane and Manzini are more affordable than the global median – Mbabane 45% lower, Manzini 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.34 SZL 172

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.94 SZL 565

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.95 SZL 99.0

Cappuccino

$2.50 SZL 41.62

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

$1.09 SZL 18.08

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 SZL 10.30

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 SZL 35.72

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SZL 40.14

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 SZL 26.50

$1.26 SZL 21.05

26.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 SZL 13.21

$0.95 SZL 15.78

-16.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 SZL 28.05

$1.84 SZL 30.64

-8.70%

Eggs

$1.84 SZL 30.59

$1.18 SZL 19.66

55.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 SZL 183

$7.29 SZL 121

50.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 SZL 94.1

$2.96 SZL 49.34

90.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.22 SZL 86.9

$1.85 SZL 30.86

182.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 SZL 30.08

$1.37 SZL 22.87

32.12%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 SZL 10.38

$0.62 SZL 10.25

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 SZL 20.21

$0.74 SZL 12.38

63.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 SZL 22.51

$0.50 SZL 8.28

170.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 SZL 21.66

$0.57 SZL 9.53

128.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 SZL 25.04

$0.47 SZL 7.82

219.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 SZL 10.89

$0.44 SZL 7.31

47.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 SZL 12.39

$0.68 SZL 11.33

8.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.83 SZL 47.11

$3.08 SZL 51.2

-8.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 SZL 102

$3.24 SZL 53.9

89.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 SZL 25.69

$0.58 SZL 9.62

165.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 SZL 27.93

$0.76 SZL 12.65

121.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 SZL 12.56

$0.59 SZL 9.75

27.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 SZL 23.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 SZL 49.92

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 SZL 21.86

$1.31 SZL 21.79

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

$17.0K SZL 282.3K

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

$15.8K SZL 263.5K

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

$63.4 SZL 1,055

$72.6 SZL 1,209

-12.71%

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

$38.11 SZL 635

$11.79 SZL 196

223.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.81 SZL 446

$29.60 SZL 493

-9.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.69 SZL 378

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.04 SZL 50.6

Cinema Ticket

$3.64 SZL 60.6

$3.71 SZL 61.8

-1.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,345 SZL 105.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.87 SZL 581

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.98 SZL 249

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.3 SZL 1,187

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.0 SZL 883

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 SZL 4,531

$182 SZL 3,033

49.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 SZL 2,877

$122 SZL 2,038

41.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$454 SZL 7,553

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 SZL 5,757

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$484 SZL 8,062

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$362 SZL 6,033

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 SZL 8,164

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.25

-27.50%

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

Last update for Mbabane: October 27, 2026

Last update for Manzini: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mbabane

$181 24%

Manzini

–

Accommodation & Living

Mbabane

$173 22.9%

Manzini

–

Eating Out

Mbabane

$153 20.3%

Manzini

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mbabane

$128 17%

Manzini

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mbabane

$78 10.4%

Manzini

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mbabane

$30 4%

Manzini

–

Getting Around

Mbabane

$10 * 1.3%

Manzini

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $272 in Mbabane versus $182 in Manzini. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇸🇿 Mbabane

🇸🇿 Manzini

🕒 Local time

01:56 1:56 AM

Same time as Mbabane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

94,874 Capital

110,508

💱 Currency

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 SZL = 6.01 USD

100 SZL = 5.4 EUR

100 SZL = 6.01 USD

100 SZL = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mbabane Manzini 30 km

From you

Mbabane
Manzini

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

Mbabane vs Manzini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mbabane costs about 108% more than Manzini, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,130 per month in Mbabane and $543 in Manzini. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manzini, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $182 there versus $272 in Mbabane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $753 in Mbabane and $362 in Manzini. That makes Manzini about 52% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Mbabane, though the gap depends on what you buy.