Maputo vs Soweto - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated: March 11, 2026

	Maputo	Soweto
🚶 Cost of living one person	$966	$1057
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family	$2229	$1932
🏠 One person rent	$466	$620
🏘️ Family rent	$741	$639
🍽️ Food expenses	$327	$268
🚐 Transport expenses	$85.4	$99.3
💳 Monthly salary after tax	$129	$1631
😷 Air quality	Moderate	Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity	1 km	29 km
🎓 Higher education	30	63
😀 Quality of life	42	48
🏙️ Population	1.13M	1.27M

The cost of living in Maputo is 9% less expensive than in Soweto. Cities ranked 5915th and 5251st ($966 vs $1057) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 4th and 6th in Mozambique and South Africa, respectively. Check Mozambique vs South Africa comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.1 months in Maputo compared to 1.5 months in Soweto. Maputo ranked 1st best city to live in Mozambique vs Soweto ranked 8th in South Africa, while ranked 7630th and 6890th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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<img src="https://livingcost.org/assets/photo/cost/maputo/soweto.jpg" alt="Cost of living in Maputo vs Soweto infographic" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto;"><p>Source: <a href="https://livingcost.org/cost/maputo/soweto" target="_blank">Maputo vs Soweto - Cost of Living Comparison</a></p>

Prices in Maputo vs Soweto

Prices for goods and services in Maputo and Soweto are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

	Maputo	Soweto
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu	$10.2	$7.11
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2	$58.8	$30.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's	$7.88	$4.5
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$1.57	$2.17
☕ Cappuccino	$2.13	$2.37
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz	$0.8	$1.15
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$482	$942
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$293	$394
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$851	$587
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$511	$452
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$52.9	$79.7
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$80.5	$124
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited	$82.1	$36.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years	24.33%	11.11%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$4210	$933
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$2095	$779
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket	$0.31	$2.16
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport	$14.4	$35.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi	$14	$9.53
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal	$1.35	$1.29
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt	$1.54	$1.19
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb	$0.98	$1.06
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.72	$1.52
🥚 Eggs, x12	$2.57	$2.77
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$15.3	$8.88
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$5.76	$4.58
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$5.7	$7.57
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.93	$1.88
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$0.74	$1.65
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.59	$1.79
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.06	$1.68
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.01	$1.38
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$0.78	$1.39
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt	$0.51	$0.75
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz	$1.52	$1.34
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle	$8.94	$7.95
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$0.99	$1.81
🚬 Cigarette pack	$2.59	$3.08
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week	$4.72	$3.28
🧴 Hair Shampoo	$3.98	$2.8
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls	$1.84	$1.33
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube	$1.25	$0.56
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month	$44.6	$15.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person	$7.83	$5.97
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit	$35.9	$23.9
💇 Haircut, simple	$5.64	$3.44
👖 Brand Jeans	$51.9	$52.7
👟 Brand Sneakers	$78.7	$76.9
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month	$143	$229
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year	$5840	$4370

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Maputo

Distance	City	Cost of living
12 km or 7.7 mi	Matola	$916
136 km or 85 mi	Manzini	$511
144 km or 90 mi	Xai-Xai	$950
148 km or 92 mi	Mbabane	$652
272 km or 169 mi	Vryheid	$912
310 km or 193 mi	Middelburg	$899
318 km or 197 mi	Bethal	$910
415 km or 258 mi	Springs	$792
426 km or 265 mi	Benoni	$892
439 km or 273 mi	Centurion	$967
440 km or 273 mi	Pretoria	$1049
453 km or 281 mi	Sandton	$1089
454 km or 282 mi	Johannesburg	$1171
457 km or 284 mi	Randburg	$958
460 km or 286 mi	Pietermaritzburg	$716
464 km or 288 mi	Durban	$948
471 km or 292 mi	Vereeniging	$765
472 km or 293 mi	Soweto	$1057
480 km or 299 mi	Vanderbijlpark	$865
483 km or 300 mi	Brits	$950
534 km or 332 mi	Butha-Buthe	$604
536 km or 333 mi	Rustenburg	$1017
553 km or 343 mi	Potchefstroom	$791
564 km or 351 mi	Kroonstad	$875
598 km or 371 mi	Teyateyaneng	$573
598 km or 372 mi	Klerksdorp	$826
624 km or 388 mi	Welkom	$826
628 km or 390 mi	Maseru	$681
661 km or 411 mi	Mahalapye	$628
667 km or 414 mi	Palapye	$551
674 km or 419 mi	Masvingo	$861
680 km or 422 mi	Mafeteng	$630
685 km or 425 mi	Gaborone	$731
695 km or 432 mi	Mmabatho	$901
697 km or 433 mi	Lobatse	$697
712 km or 443 mi	Serowe	$583
715 km or 444 mi	Beira	$1000
720 km or 447 mi	Bloemfontein	$763
730 km or 453 mi	Mthatha	$952
732 km or 455 mi	Molepolole	$662

Cities near Soweto

Distance	City	Cost of living
19 km or 12 mi	Johannesburg	$1171
24 km or 15 mi	Randburg	$958
26 km or 16 mi	Sandton	$1089
46 km or 28 mi	Vereeniging	$765
46 km or 29 mi	Benoni	$892
48 km or 30 mi	Vanderbijlpark	$865
56 km or 34 mi	Centurion	$967
58 km or 36 mi	Springs	$792
66 km or 41 mi	Pretoria	$1049
73 km or 45 mi	Brits	$950
91 km or 56 mi	Potchefstroom	$791
92 km or 57 mi	Rustenburg	$1017
137 km or 85 mi	Klerksdorp	$826
159 km or 99 mi	Bethal	$910
166 km or 103 mi	Kroonstad	$875
170 km or 106 mi	Middelburg	$899
222 km or 138 mi	Welkom	$826
228 km or 142 mi	Mmabatho	$901
249 km or 155 mi	Lobatse	$697
266 km or 165 mi	Gaborone	$731
282 km or 175 mi	Butha-Buthe	$604
290 km or 180 mi	Kanye	$694
315 km or 196 mi	Molepolole	$662
321 km or 199 mi	Teyateyaneng	$573
329 km or 204 mi	Mbabane	$652
335 km or 208 mi	Vryheid	$912
341 km or 212 mi	Maseru	$681
350 km or 217 mi	Manzini	$511
354 km or 220 mi	Bloemfontein	$763
367 km or 228 mi	Mahalapye	$628
399 km or 248 mi	Mafeteng	$630
412 km or 256 mi	Kimberley	$927
420 km or 261 mi	Palapye	$551
446 km or 277 mi	Pietermaritzburg	$716
447 km or 278 mi	Serowe	$583
461 km or 286 mi	Matola	$916
472 km or 293 mi	Maputo	$966
506 km or 314 mi	Durban	$948
567 km or 353 mi	Francistown	$633
595 km or 370 mi	Xai-Xai	$950