Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Xai-Xai and Maputo

For one person, living is cheaper in Xai-Xai: $680 a month against $1,128 in Maputo, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Xai-Xai
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Xai-Xai Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Maputo
Learn more

Maputo Living Index

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Xai-Xai

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$680

/mo nomad

Maputo

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$1,128

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $680 per month in Xai-Xai vs $1,128 in Maputo, rent included.

Xai-Xai $680
Maputo $1,128

A couple spends around $1,143 per month in Xai-Xai vs $1,739 in Maputo, rent included.

Xai-Xai $1,143
Maputo $1,739

A family of three spends $1,607 per month in Xai-Xai vs $2,351 in Maputo, rent included.

Xai-Xai $1,607
Maputo $2,351

Xai-Xai is about 40% cheaper than Maputo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Xai-Xai and Maputo are more affordable than the global median – Xai-Xai 50% lower, Maputo 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.00 MZN 632

$10.28 MZN 650

-2.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.2 MZN 3,932

$63.7 MZN 4,026

-2.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.29 MZN 461

$7.16 MZN 453

1.82%

Cappuccino

$2.25 MZN 142

$2.23 MZN 141

0.90%

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

$0.86 MZN 54.6

$0.89 MZN 56.3

-3.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 MZN 44.08

$0.73 MZN 46.00

-4.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 MZN 97.6

$1.58 MZN 99.7

-2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 MZN 150

$2.41 MZN 152

-1.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 MZN 96.1

$1.58 MZN 100

-3.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MZN 65.4

$0.99 MZN 62.4

4.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 MZN 101

$1.60 MZN 101

-0.63%

Eggs

$2.43 MZN 154

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.25 MZN 1,344

$21.22 MZN 1,342

0.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 MZN 360

$5.70 MZN 361

-0.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.55 MZN 351

$5.79 MZN 366

-4.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 MZN 126

$2.02 MZN 128

-1.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 MZN 48.08

$0.75 MZN 47.17

1.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 MZN 103

$1.69 MZN 107

-3.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 MZN 66.2

$1.07 MZN 67.8

-1.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 MZN 63.7

$1.01 MZN 63.8

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 MZN 50.2

$0.74 MZN 46.88

6.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 MZN 58.9

$0.92 MZN 58.2

1.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 MZN 54.5

$0.91 MZN 57.9

-5.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 MZN 174

$2.89 MZN 183

-5.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.08 MZN 638

$10.36 MZN 655

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 MZN 62.5

$1.03 MZN 64.8

-3.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MZN 81.1

$1.34 MZN 85.1

-4.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MZN 23.80

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.39 MZN 1,479

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 MZN 98.0

$1.52 MZN 96.1

1.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MZN 75.4

$1.19 MZN 75.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.71 MZN 1,563

$24.82 MZN 1,570

-0.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 MZN 89.4

$1.35 MZN 85.6

4.44%

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

$32.1K MZN 2.0M

$32.3K MZN 2.0M

-0.43%

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

$22.8K MZN 1.4M

$23.2K MZN 1.5M

-1.42%

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

$70.5 MZN 4,459

$69.9 MZN 4,418

0.93%

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

$7.86 MZN 497

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.5 MZN 5,597

$89.1 MZN 5,638

-0.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.69 MZN 2,700

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.63 MZN 1,621

Cinema Ticket

$8.01 MZN 507

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

$129 MZN 8,179

$127 MZN 8,033

1.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,214 MZN 329.8K

$5,168 MZN 326.9K

0.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.93 MZN 3,158

$49.94 MZN 3,158

-0.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MZN 3,541

$55.0 MZN 3,478

1.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 MZN 4,938

$79.7 MZN 5,043

-2.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 MZN 5,065

$80.4 MZN 5,086

-0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$546 MZN 34.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 MZN 23.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 MZN 69.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 MZN 35.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,248 MZN 268.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,061 MZN 130.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$323 MZN 20.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Xai-Xai: October 11, 2026

Last update for Maputo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Xai-Xai

$223 32.8%

Maputo

$226 20% 1.2% $2.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Xai-Xai

$167 24.5%

Maputo

$167 14.8% 0% $0

Eating Out

Xai-Xai

$148 21.7%

Maputo

$150 13.3% 1.5% $2.2

Clothing & Footwear

Xai-Xai

$119 17.5%

Maputo

$119 10.6% 0.4% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Xai-Xai

$16 * 2.4%

Maputo

$59 5.2% 267% $43

Getting Around

Xai-Xai

$7.5 * 1.1%

Maputo

$32 2.9% 331% $25

Accommodation & Living

Xai-Xai

- * 0%

Maputo

$375 33.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Xai-Xai versus $64.0 in Maputo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $226 – making Xai-Xai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇿 Xai-Xai

🇲🇿 Maputo

🕒 Local time

08:55 8:55 AM

Same time as Xai-Xai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,343

1,244,227 Capital

💱 Currency

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

📈 Exchange rate

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Xai-Xai Maputo 150 km

From you

Xai-Xai
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

Xai-Xai vs Maputo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $680 in Xai-Xai, $1,128 in Maputo – roughly 66% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,020 per month in Xai-Xai and $1,692 in Maputo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $680 in Xai-Xai and $1,128 in Maputo. That's a gap of about 66%.

Kindergarten costs $129 per month in Xai-Xai and $127 in Maputo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Xai-Xai, where all-in costs run around $680, than in Maputo at $1,128. In Xai-Xai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Maputo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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