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 $1,143 per month in South Africa vs $435 in Mozambique, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,781 per month in South Africa vs $686 in Mozambique, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,419 per month in South Africa vs $937 in Mozambique, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 163% 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 17% lower, Mozambique 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.30 R 182

$10.12 MZN 640

11.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.51 R 717

$46.49 MZN 2,940

-4.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 R 95.0

$7.63 MZN 482

-22.67%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 39.22

$2.23 MZN 141

9.42%

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

$1.16 R 18.64

$0.96 MZN 60.7

20.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.39

$0.68 MZN 43.02

41.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.29

$1.60 MZN 101

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 49.60

$2.32 MZN 147

32.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.57

$1.62 MZN 103

-20.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.15

$0.86 MZN 54.7

31.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.55

$1.49 MZN 94.3

22.82%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.12

$2.30 MZN 146

10.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$13.49 MZN 853

-38.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 87.6

$5.36 MZN 339

1.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 R 127

$5.24 MZN 332

50.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.61

$2.40 MZN 152

-20.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.36

$1.43 MZN 90.3

18.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.14

$2.06 MZN 130

-12.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.23

$1.33 MZN 84.0

41.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.76

$1.28 MZN 81.2

20.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.03

$1.20 MZN 76.0

24.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.45

$0.96 MZN 60.7

38.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.09

$0.77 MZN 48.58

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 R 55.0

$2.86 MZN 181

19.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 81.7

$7.66 MZN 485

-33.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.28

$1.05 MZN 66.3

43.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 32.64

$1.32 MZN 83.3

53.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 R 28.39

$0.36 MZN 22.89

388.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 R 1,016

$23.14 MZN 1,464

172.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R 17.97

$1.53 MZN 97.0

-26.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.33

$1.54 MZN 97.6

-34.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 R 130

$24.65 MZN 1,559

-67.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.53

$1.36 MZN 85.7

7.35%

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

$36.8K R 592.8K

$31.6K MZN 2.0M

16.51%

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

$32.5K R 523.6K

$23.3K MZN 1.5M

39.69%

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

$136 R 2,185

$79.7 MZN 5,042

70.22%

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

$35.72 R 575

$9.07 MZN 574

293.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.40 R 667

$95.9 MZN 6,066

-56.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.96 R 563

$41.89 MZN 2,650

-16.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

$26.11 MZN 1,651

-52.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R 123

$7.73 MZN 489

-1.42%

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

$231 R 3,725

$121 MZN 7,676

90.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,726 R 92.2K

$5,235 MZN 331.1K

9.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 R 908

$44.03 MZN 2,785

28.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.91 R 546

$51.5 MZN 3,259

-34.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,639

$72.9 MZN 4,610

39.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 R 1,497

$73.6 MZN 4,654

26.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 R 8,154

$531 MZN 33.6K

-4.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,727

$382 MZN 24.2K

9.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 15.8K

$974 MZN 61.6K

0.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 R 13.5K

$500 MZN 31.6K

67.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 R 18.5K

$4,285 MZN 271.0K

-73.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

$2,105 MZN 133.2K

-61.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,554 R 25.0K

$329 MZN 20.8K

372.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

-55.04%

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

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Last update for Mozambique: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $445 in South Africa vs $113 in Mozambique. For reference, capital cities sit at $324 in Bloemfontein and $547 in Maputo.

Average salary: $1,553 in South Africa vs $320 in Mozambique. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 294% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 54% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 467% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 385% 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 120% 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 120% 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.