Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maputo

For one person, living is cheaper in Maputo: $1,127 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Maputo
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Maputo Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Maputo

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$1,127

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket 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 Phuket and in Maputo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,127 in Maputo, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Maputo $1,127

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,729 in Maputo, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Maputo $1,729

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,331 in Maputo, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Maputo $2,331

Phuket costs about 13% more than Maputo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Maputo are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Maputo 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$10.08 MZN 637

-55.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$63.4 MZN 4,010

-48.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.01 MZN 443

25.68%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.17 MZN 137

30.41%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.81 MZN 51.5

7.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.69 MZN 43.66

-28.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.60 MZN 101

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.39 MZN 151

53.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.60 MZN 101

3.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.99 MZN 62.4

47.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.59 MZN 101

-5.66%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.47 MZN 156

-15.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$20.84 MZN 1,318

-8.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.70 MZN 361

-42.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$5.68 MZN 360

92.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.97 MZN 125

48.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.76 MZN 48.10

122.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.68 MZN 106

33.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.09 MZN 69.0

90.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.00 MZN 63.3

51.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.81 MZN 51.1

70.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.98 MZN 62.2

9.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.85 MZN 54.0

-38.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.78 MZN 176

51.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$10.18 MZN 644

84.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.01 MZN 64.0

80.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.29 MZN 81.5

120.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.22 MZN 13.89

559.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$23.85 MZN 1,508

137.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.60 MZN 101

88.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.19 MZN 75.5

-14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$24.69 MZN 1,562

-85.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.36 MZN 86.2

8.09%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$31.3K MZN 2.0M

-14.52%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$23.0K MZN 1.5M

16.07%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$70.3 MZN 4,444

37.13%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$7.64 MZN 483

47.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$88.1 MZN 5,573

-80.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$42.70 MZN 2,701

57.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$26.59 MZN 1,682

-59.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.69 MZN 486

-2.47%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$174 MZN 11.0K

174.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$5,168 MZN 326.9K

117.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$50.2 MZN 3,177

24.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$56.0 MZN 3,540

-49.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$79.6 MZN 5,035

18.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$79.2 MZN 5,007

8.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$547 MZN 34.6K

30.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$381 MZN 24.1K

28.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,059 MZN 67.0K

81.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$558 MZN 35.3K

156.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$4,188 MZN 264.9K

-0.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$2,047 MZN 129.5K

48.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$326 MZN 20.6K

54.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-77.72%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Maputo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Maputo

$381 33.8% 22.3% $110

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Maputo

$224 19.9% 16% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Maputo

$166 14.7% 33.4% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Maputo

$119 10.6% 2.2% $2.6

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Maputo

$147 13% 20.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Maputo

$58 5.2% 29.4% $24

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Maputo

$32 2.9% 54.3% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $547 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 54% higher in Phuket. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $63 in Maputo. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $224 in Maputo – so Maputo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇿 Maputo

🕒 Local time

23:20 11:20 PM

18:20 6:20 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,244,227 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MZN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.62 MZN (100 MZN = 1.42 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Maputo 8,040 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Maputo

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

Phuket vs Maputo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $1,127 in Maputo – Maputo comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,690 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $547 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $174 in Maputo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,278 in Phuket and $1,127 in Maputo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Maputo – 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 Maputo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.