Maputo vs Soweto - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated: October 14, 2025

	Maputo	Soweto
🚶 Cost of living one person	$915	$984
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family	$2130	$1812
🏠 One person rent	$428	$567
🏘️ Family rent	$677	$581
🍽️ Food expenses	$312	$247
🚐 Transport expenses	$88.3	$104
💳 Monthly salary after tax	$111	$1672
😷 Air quality	Moderate	Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity	1 km	29 km
🎓 Higher education	29	63
😀 Quality of life	42	45
🏙️ Population	1.13M	1.27M

The cost of living in Maputo is 7% less expensive than in Soweto. Cities ranked 6137th and 5704th ($915 vs $984) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 7th and 7th 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 1.7 months in Soweto. Maputo ranked 1st best city to live in Mozambique vs Soweto ranked 9th in South Africa, while ranked 7527th and 7050th among best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Maputo vs Soweto infographic

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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	$9.36	$6.53
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2	$51.1	$28.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's	$7.79	$4.24
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$1.42	$2
☕ Cappuccino	$2.09	$2.14
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz	$0.77	$1.07
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$415	$867
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$253	$362
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$737	$538
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$448	$415
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$51.6	$69.9
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$80.6	$108
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited	$90.5	$33.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years	24.12%	11.64%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$4181	$907
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$2063	$724
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket	$0.35	$2.49
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport	$13.1	$32.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi	$15	$11.3
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal	$1.35	$1.2
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt	$1.57	$1.14
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb	$1.02	$0.96
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.65	$1.33
🥚 Eggs, x12	$2.39	$2.62
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$15.2	$8.24
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$5.7	$4.25
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$5.98	$6.66
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.92	$1.71
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$0.79	$1.56
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.37	$1.63
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$0.97	$1.55
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$0.96	$1.31
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$0.7	$1.2
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt	$0.48	$0.66
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz	$1.41	$1.21
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle	$9.03	$7.85
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$0.98	$1.65
🚬 Cigarette pack	$2.8	$2.69
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week	$4.65	$2.99
🧴 Hair Shampoo	$3.98	$2.57
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls	$1.87	$1.23
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube	$1.26	$0.51
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month	$43.2	$13.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person	$7.89	$6
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit	$36.1	$21.9
💇 Haircut, simple	$5.61	$3.1
👖 Brand Jeans	$52.1	$49.6
👟 Brand Sneakers	$78.8	$75.1
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month	$144	$202
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year	$5749	$3811

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	$908
136 km or 85 mi	Manzini	$469
144 km or 90 mi	Xai-Xai	$915
148 km or 92 mi	Mbabane	$599
272 km or 169 mi	Vryheid	$827
310 km or 193 mi	Middelburg	$830
318 km or 197 mi	Bethal	$838
415 km or 258 mi	Springs	$740
426 km or 265 mi	Benoni	$826
439 km or 273 mi	Centurion	$892
440 km or 273 mi	Pretoria	$975
453 km or 281 mi	Sandton	$984
454 km or 282 mi	Johannesburg	$1082
457 km or 284 mi	Randburg	$890
460 km or 286 mi	Pietermaritzburg	$705
464 km or 288 mi	Durban	$892
471 km or 292 mi	Vereeniging	$706
472 km or 293 mi	Soweto	$984
480 km or 299 mi	Vanderbijlpark	$799
483 km or 300 mi	Brits	$875
534 km or 332 mi	Butha-Buthe	$570
536 km or 333 mi	Rustenburg	$940
553 km or 343 mi	Potchefstroom	$731
564 km or 351 mi	Kroonstad	$808
598 km or 371 mi	Teyateyaneng	$533
598 km or 372 mi	Klerksdorp	$762
624 km or 388 mi	Welkom	$762
628 km or 390 mi	Maseru	$650
661 km or 411 mi	Mahalapye	$577
667 km or 414 mi	Palapye	$514
674 km or 419 mi	Masvingo	$873
680 km or 422 mi	Mafeteng	$598
685 km or 425 mi	Gaborone	$668
695 km or 432 mi	Mmabatho	$833
697 km or 433 mi	Lobatse	$637
712 km or 443 mi	Serowe	$536
715 km or 444 mi	Beira	$996
720 km or 447 mi	Bloemfontein	$698
730 km or 453 mi	Mthatha	$901
732 km or 455 mi	Molepolole	$607

Cities near Soweto

Distance	City	Cost of living
19 km or 12 mi	Johannesburg	$1082
24 km or 15 mi	Randburg	$890
26 km or 16 mi	Sandton	$984
46 km or 28 mi	Vereeniging	$706
46 km or 29 mi	Benoni	$826
48 km or 30 mi	Vanderbijlpark	$799
56 km or 34 mi	Centurion	$892
58 km or 36 mi	Springs	$740
66 km or 41 mi	Pretoria	$975
73 km or 45 mi	Brits	$875
91 km or 56 mi	Potchefstroom	$731
92 km or 57 mi	Rustenburg	$940
137 km or 85 mi	Klerksdorp	$762
159 km or 99 mi	Bethal	$838
166 km or 103 mi	Kroonstad	$808
170 km or 106 mi	Middelburg	$830
222 km or 138 mi	Welkom	$762
228 km or 142 mi	Mmabatho	$833
249 km or 155 mi	Lobatse	$637
266 km or 165 mi	Gaborone	$668
282 km or 175 mi	Butha-Buthe	$570
290 km or 180 mi	Kanye	$637
315 km or 196 mi	Molepolole	$607
321 km or 199 mi	Teyateyaneng	$533
329 km or 204 mi	Mbabane	$599
335 km or 208 mi	Vryheid	$827
341 km or 212 mi	Maseru	$650
350 km or 217 mi	Manzini	$469
354 km or 220 mi	Bloemfontein	$698
367 km or 228 mi	Mahalapye	$577
399 km or 248 mi	Mafeteng	$598
412 km or 256 mi	Kimberley	$861
420 km or 261 mi	Palapye	$514
446 km or 277 mi	Pietermaritzburg	$705
447 km or 278 mi	Serowe	$536
461 km or 286 mi	Matola	$908
472 km or 293 mi	Maputo	$915
506 km or 314 mi	Durban	$892
567 km or 353 mi	Francistown	$587
595 km or 370 mi	Xai-Xai	$915