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 $405 in Mozambique, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,598 per month in South Africa vs $632 in Mozambique, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,175 per month in South Africa vs $859 in Mozambique, rent included.

South Africa costs about 152% 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.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 148

$8.98 MZN 568

0.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 644

$39.73 MZN 2,513

-0.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.6

$8.01 MZN 507

-38.33%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.60

$2.17 MZN 137

-5.07%

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

$0.95 R 15.46

$0.93 MZN 58.8

2.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.19

$0.56 MZN 35.23

44.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.05

$1.28 MZN 81.1

72.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.50

$1.55 MZN 97.8

60.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.14

$1.59 MZN 100

-30.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.71

$0.87 MZN 55.3

17.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.39

$1.61 MZN 102

-3.11%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.21

$2.25 MZN 142

4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$15.41 MZN 975

-49.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.4

$4.41 MZN 279

1.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 110

$5.26 MZN 333

27.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.50

$2.26 MZN 143

-30.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.32

$1.10 MZN 69.6

30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.58

$1.63 MZN 103

-11.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.65

$1.48 MZN 93.6

2.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.89

$1.11 MZN 70.2

9.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.83

$0.94 MZN 59.2

36.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.96

$0.87 MZN 55.0

19.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.27

$0.77 MZN 48.85

22.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.75

$2.52 MZN 159

18.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 84.2

$7.89 MZN 499

-34.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.65

$1.03 MZN 65.0

34.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 27.04

$1.49 MZN 94.0

11.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.59

$0.30 MZN 18.88

443.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 735

$12.95 MZN 819

247.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.48

$1.52 MZN 96.2

-25.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 18.00

$3.06 MZN 194

-64.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 79.3

$24.25 MZN 1,534

-79.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.23

$1.35 MZN 85.3

-8.15%

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

$20.3K R 331.6K

$34.7K MZN 2.2M

-41.42%

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

$23.5K R 383.0K

$20.0K MZN 1.3M

17.50%

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

$113 R 1,851

$84.7 MZN 5,356

33.94%

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

$32.36 R 528

$14.65 MZN 926

120.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 676

$103 MZN 6,511

-59.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 516

$41.51 MZN 2,626

-23.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 157

$25.98 MZN 1,643

-63.01%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$7.96 MZN 504

-14.20%

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

$187 R 3,052

$181 MZN 11.5K

3.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 71.2K

$5,708 MZN 361.0K

-23.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 808

$49.53 MZN 3,132

-0.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 496

$62.1 MZN 3,927

-51.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,496

$86.2 MZN 5,452

6.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,287

$77.9 MZN 4,930

1.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,205

$612 MZN 38.7K

-27.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,988

$369 MZN 23.3K

-0.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$1,059 MZN 67.0K

-16.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$628 MZN 39.7K

15.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.8K

$4,130 MZN 261.2K

-73.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$2,095 MZN 132.5K

-62.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.4K

$334 MZN 21.1K

366.07%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mozambique: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $120 in Mozambique. For reference, capital cities sit at $765 in Cape Town and $604 in Maputo.

Average salary: $1,520 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 207% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 75% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 1500% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 375% 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 93% 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 93% 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.