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 $1,020 per month in South Africa vs $400 in Mozambique, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,587 per month in South Africa vs $633 in Mozambique, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,154 per month in South Africa vs $865 in Mozambique, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 155% higher than in 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.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

$8.81 MZN 557

3.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 646

$39.56 MZN 2,501

-1.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.6

$8.15 MZN 515

-36.32%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.63

$2.11 MZN 134

-6.16%

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

$1.00 R 16.52

$0.91 MZN 57.4

9.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 12.97

$0.55 MZN 35.00

43.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.50

$1.22 MZN 77.3

81.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.45

$1.59 MZN 100

61.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.50

$1.59 MZN 101

-29.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 15.96

$0.91 MZN 57.5

6.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.47

$1.64 MZN 104

-6.10%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.10

$2.34 MZN 148

-3.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$15.08 MZN 953

-47.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.6

$4.63 MZN 293

-1.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 110

$5.01 MZN 317

33.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.98

$2.22 MZN 140

-29.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.27

$1.13 MZN 71.7

30.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.10

$1.63 MZN 103

-6.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.91

$1.41 MZN 89.2

7.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.79

$1.07 MZN 67.5

17.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.04

$0.88 MZN 55.7

44.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.93

$0.87 MZN 54.7

25.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.00

$0.73 MZN 46.29

32.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.81

$2.55 MZN 161

11.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 85.9

$7.73 MZN 489

-32.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.84

$1.02 MZN 64.3

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.36

$1.44 MZN 90.8

19.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.42

$0.32 MZN 20.41

437.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 730

$12.95 MZN 819

241.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.01

$1.60 MZN 101

-28.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.59

$3.10 MZN 196

-65.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.2

$24.10 MZN 1,523

-80.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.18

$1.35 MZN 85.2

-5.19%

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

$20.4K R 336.1K

$35.8K MZN 2.3M

-43.11%

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

$24.0K R 395.8K

$19.6K MZN 1.2M

22.23%

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

$113 R 1,864

$84.6 MZN 5,346

33.53%

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

$32.35 R 534

$14.21 MZN 898

127.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 684

$103 MZN 6,503

-59.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 512

$40.97 MZN 2,590

-24.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 160

$26.01 MZN 1,644

-62.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$7.99 MZN 505

-16.52%

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

$186 R 3,063

$183 MZN 11.5K

1.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.6K

$5,883 MZN 371.9K

-25.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 828

$47.94 MZN 3,031

4.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 501

$60.5 MZN 3,825

-49.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,541

$84.0 MZN 5,308

11.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,327

$79.3 MZN 5,013

1.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,239

$609 MZN 38.5K

-28.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,136

$366 MZN 23.2K

1.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$1,052 MZN 66.5K

-14.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.6K

$638 MZN 40.3K

10.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.4K

$4,229 MZN 267.4K

-73.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$2,110 MZN 133.4K

-62.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$340 MZN 21.5K

343.19%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mozambique: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $120 in Mozambique. For reference, capital cities sit at $292 in Bloemfontein and $607 in Maputo.

Average salary: $1,513 in South Africa vs $324 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 367% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 98% 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 98% 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.