Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Mozambique Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Mozambique

Name: Mozambique
Address: MZ

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,019 per month in South Africa vs $401 in Mozambique, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,594 per month in South Africa vs $631 in Mozambique, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,168 per month in South Africa vs $860 in Mozambique, rent included.

South Africa costs about 154% more than Mozambique on average — the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Mozambique are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 24% lower, Mozambique 70% lower.

Mozambique has a wider regional cost range ($0–$1,119) than South Africa ($817–$1,336), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Mozambique.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R 143

$9.00 MZN 572

-3.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.43 R 647

$39.84 MZN 2,534

-1.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.16 R 84.6

$7.99 MZN 508

-35.42%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R 33.30

$2.17 MZN 138

-6.45%

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

$1.03 R 16.93

$0.85 MZN 54.3

21.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 12.91

$0.56 MZN 35.71

41.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 R 37.76

$1.22 MZN 77.6

88.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 R 41.84

$1.60 MZN 102

59.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.27

$1.67 MZN 106

-33.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.03

$0.96 MZN 61.2

8.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.33

$1.68 MZN 107

-8.33%

Eggs

$2.24 R 36.79

$2.27 MZN 144

-1.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 129

$15.11 MZN 961

-47.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.73 R 77.7

$4.45 MZN 283

6.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 R 109

$5.24 MZN 333

26.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.82

$2.16 MZN 138

-30.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 R 23.07

$1.15 MZN 73.2

22.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.46

$1.57 MZN 99.9

-5.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.63

$1.43 MZN 91.1

9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.59

$1.12 MZN 71.2

6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 R 21.26

$0.86 MZN 54.9

51.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 17.10

$0.94 MZN 60.0

10.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.78

$0.73 MZN 46.16

31.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 R 47.96

$2.62 MZN 166

11.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.80 R 78.8

$7.71 MZN 490

-37.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.89

$1.03 MZN 65.4

29.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.25

$1.46 MZN 93.0

17.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 R 27.89

$0.30 MZN 18.84

466.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.20 R 741

$13.13 MZN 835

244.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 17.92

$1.58 MZN 100

-31.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 R 17.23

$3.08 MZN 196

-65.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 R 77.6

$24.40 MZN 1,552

-80.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R 21.23

$1.40 MZN 89.0

-7.86%

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

$21.1K R 345.3K

$34.5K MZN 2.2M

-39.05%

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

$23.6K R 386.6K

$19.6K MZN 1.2M

20.13%

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

$112 R 1,830

$85.8 MZN 5,454

30.10%

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

$31.97 R 524

$14.52 MZN 924

120.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.41 R 663

$102 MZN 6,504

-60.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.85 R 522

$41.02 MZN 2,610

-22.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.68 R 159

$26.48 MZN 1,685

-63.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 R 109

$7.69 MZN 489

-13.65%

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

$190 R 3,119

$184 MZN 11.7K

3.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,317 R 70.8K

$5,705 MZN 362.9K

-24.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.50 R 795

$49.57 MZN 3,153

-2.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.47 R 500

$60.9 MZN 3,877

-50.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 R 1,546

$83.5 MZN 5,313

12.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 R 1,335

$78.5 MZN 4,993

3.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$453 R 7,425

$601 MZN 38.2K

-24.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 R 6,084

$366 MZN 23.3K

1.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 R 14.5K

$1,090 MZN 69.3K

-19.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.6K

$639 MZN 40.7K

10.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,147 R 18.8K

$4,163 MZN 264.8K

-72.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$818 R 13.4K

$2,095 MZN 133.2K

-60.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,476 R 24.2K

$377 MZN 24.0K

291.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

24.33

-52.53%

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

Last update for South Africa: April 12, 2026

Last update for Mozambique: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $120 in Mozambique. For reference, capital cities sit at $397 in Pretoria and $611 in Maputo.

Average salary: $1,459 in South Africa vs $335 in Mozambique. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 207% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 75% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 1500% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 336% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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

South Africa vs Mozambique: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mozambique is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 92% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Mozambique, contributing to the overall 92% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Mozambique, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Mozambique is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.