How much does a trip to Mozambique cost? Daily budget and prices

Mozambique splits into two price worlds. Beds, meals and chapas are cheap; anything on the water — dives, dhow trips, marine park fees — is priced for foreign visitors and adds up fast. Lodges on the Bazaruto islands usually quote in US dollars and often sell all-inclusive packages, so the daily figure there is really a package rate.

The table below is per person per day, sharing a room at mid-range and comfort, with flights excluded. It is a 2026 estimate. Solo travellers pay more for rooms; couples and pairs get closer to the lower end.

These are the numbers that decide your day: what a meal, a beer, a ride and a dive cost on the ground. Beach restaurants in Tofo, Vilankulo and Ponta do Ouro cluster around the same range, and Maputo is slightly dearer for restaurants but cheaper for transport.

Activities, not beds, are the swing item. One dive or boat trip a day at mid-range adds US$50–80, which is why the mid-range day lands near US$200. Doing a dive every second or third day, and filling the rest with snorkelling from shore, beach walks and the fish market, pulls a two-week trip down by several hundred dollars.

Accommodation is the second lever. Dorms and beach huts at US$10–20 exist in Tofo and Maputo; a lodge with breakfast and a pool starts around US$50–100. On Bazaruto and the Quirimbas, the all-inclusive model means the room rate is the trip — there is little to trim once you are on the island.

Food is the easy saving. Local restaurants and markets run US$10–15 a day; a beach restaurant dinner with prawns and a couple of beers can hit US$20–30 on its own. Transport is cheap if you use chapas and shared minibuses, and expensive if you book private transfers or fly between coastal towns.

The currency is the Mozambican metical (MZN, MT). Cards work in Maputo and at larger lodges, but markets, small restaurants and all transport are cash. ATMs exist in cities and tourist towns but can be empty or offline, so carry a buffer. South African rand and US dollars are sometimes accepted near the South African border and at lodges — ask before you rely on them.

Declare cash of 10,000 MT or more, or foreign currency worth US$5,000 or more, on arrival (check). Marine park fees, dive gear rental and park entry are usually quoted separately from the headline price, so add them before you compare lodges. Domestic flights and private transfers are the two costs that most often blow a Mozambique budget.

Season moves prices more than anything else. Peak season over the southern-hemisphere winter and the December holidays pushes lodge rates up and fills the good rooms; the shoulder months are cheaper and still diveable. Check the best time to visit before you fix dates.

Trip length and route matter too. A Maputo-and-south trip (Tofo, Ponta do Ouro) is cheaper per day than an island trip, because you are not paying for boat transfers and all-inclusive rates. Flying between coastal towns adds roughly US$250 a hop. If you are still choosing, the itinerary options show how the days and costs stack up.

Two worked examples, per person, excluding international flights. A 10-day backpacker run — Maputo, Tofo, Ponta do Ouro — lands around US$500–750 with a dive every few days. A 7-day mid-range island trip — Maputo, Vilankulo, Bazaruto — lands around US$1,200–1,800 including the domestic flight, lodge nights and two boat days. Comfort trips are set by the lodge package and start near US$4,000 a week.