Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maputo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maputo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,145 in Maputo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,752 in Maputo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,358 in Maputo, rent included.

Medellin costs about 47% more than Maputo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Maputo is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$10.25 MZN 648

-21.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$61.5 MZN 3,891

-22.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.14 MZN 451

38.52%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.27 MZN 143

37.89%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.83 MZN 52.3

130.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.68 MZN 42.92

122.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.60 MZN 102

95.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.33 MZN 147

146.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.58 MZN 100

-8.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.03 MZN 65.2

141.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.58 MZN 99.9

12.03%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.49 MZN 157

18.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$20.61 MZN 1,304

-51.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$5.63 MZN 356

79.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$5.80 MZN 367

146.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.97 MZN 124

110.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.80 MZN 50.7

101.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.62 MZN 103

38.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.09 MZN 69.1

106.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.03 MZN 65.4

98.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.82 MZN 51.8

87.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.98 MZN 62.3

19.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.92 MZN 58.1

42.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.81 MZN 177

38.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$10.11 MZN 639

38.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.02 MZN 64.5

70.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.27 MZN 80.4

125.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.40 MZN 25.37

205.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$23.29 MZN 1,473

245.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.60 MZN 101

-18.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.14 MZN 72.0

92.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$24.31 MZN 1,537

-64.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.40 MZN 88.3

-2.14%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$31.7K MZN 2.0M

-12.25%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$23.1K MZN 1.5M

55.00%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$70.6 MZN 4,467

151.06%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$7.73 MZN 489

79.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$86.5 MZN 5,471

-65.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$42.45 MZN 2,685

5.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$26.45 MZN 1,673

-35.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$8.00 MZN 506

-16.87%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$129 MZN 8,176

528.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$5,136 MZN 324.9K

78.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$49.81 MZN 3,150

79.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$55.7 MZN 3,524

5.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$78.7 MZN 4,980

75.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$79.1 MZN 5,005

29.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$554 MZN 35.0K

91.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$383 MZN 24.2K

73.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,074 MZN 67.9K

75.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$568 MZN 35.9K

80.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$4,174 MZN 264.0K

0.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$2,072 MZN 131.1K

-19.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$333 MZN 21.1K

103.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-56.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Maputo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $554 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 104% higher in Medellin, 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $62.0 in Maputo. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Medellin vs $224 in Maputo – so Maputo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Medellin vs Maputo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,681 in Medellin, $1,145 in Maputo – roughly 47% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,718 in Maputo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $813 per month in Medellin and $129 in Maputo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Maputo, where all-in costs run around $1,145, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Maputo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,145 in Maputo to $1,681 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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