Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bosaso and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Bosaso: $319 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $22,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Bosaso

🇸🇴 Somalia

$319

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bosaso and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bosaso and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $319 in Bosaso versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Bosaso $319
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $494 in Bosaso versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Bosaso $494
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $668 in Bosaso versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Bosaso $668
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Bosaso costs roughly 86% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bosaso is 76% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 SOS 1,104

$16.50 €14.67

-88.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 SOS 2,814

$11.27 €10.03

-56.08%

Cappuccino

$1.49 SOS 845

$3.06 €2.72

-51.31%

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

$1.03 SOS 585

$2.26 €2.01

-54.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 SOS 361

$1.73 €1.54

-63.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SOS 1,725

$1.12 €1.00

171.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.39 SOS 220

$1.53 €1.36

-74.51%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.91 SOS 1,656

$7.90 €7.02

-63.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.08 SOS 2,318

$16.97 €15.09

-75.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 SOS 1,112

$2.27 €2.02

-13.66%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 SOS 1,755

$1.75 €1.55

76.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 SOS 840

$0.82 €0.73

80.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.98 SOS 557

$6.56 €5.83

-85.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 SOS 179

$2.35 €2.09

-86.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 SOS 967

$3.99 €3.55

-57.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 SOS 503

$1.09 €0.97

-18.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 SOS 1,392

$16.64 €14.81

-85.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 SOS 520

$2.28 €2.03

-59.65%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

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

$39.3K €35.0K

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

$167 €149

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

$9.89 SOS 5,618

$18.80 €16.72

-47.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.55 SOS 18.5K

$33.09 €29.43

-1.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

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

$677 €602

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.13 SOS 6,321

$101 €90.1

-89.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.24 SOS 8,659

$45.76 €40.70

-66.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$13.02 SOS 7,395

$100.0 €88.9

-86.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$14.74 SOS 8,371

$123 €109

-87.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$125 SOS 71.1K

$1,614 €1,436

-92.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$84.7 SOS 48.1K

$1,197 €1,065

-92.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 SOS 112.7K

$2,862 €2,545

-93.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 SOS 106.5K

$1,990 €1,770

-90.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$30.0K SOS 17.1M

$7,577 €6,740

296.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$302 SOS 171.4K

$1,588 €1,412

-80.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

159.74%

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

Last update for Bosaso: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bosaso

–

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Groceries & Markets

Bosaso

–

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Eating Out

Bosaso

–

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bosaso

–

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Bosaso

–

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Bosaso

–

Lisbon

$66 3%

Getting Around

Bosaso

–

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $125 in Bosaso and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 426% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇸🇴 Bosaso

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

08:41 8:41 AM

06:41 6:41 AM

2 h behind Bosaso

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,287

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Somali Shilling SOS Sh

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SOS – Somali Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇴 Somali Shilling (Sh)

Somali Shilling exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 568 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 639 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to SOS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bosaso Lisbon 6,490 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Bosaso
Lisbon

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

Bosaso vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bosaso and Lisbon differ by about 598% in total monthly costs ($319 vs $2,223 including rent). Bosaso is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 426% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $125 in Bosaso versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 157% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $319 per month in Bosaso versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 598% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $319 in Bosaso versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bosaso but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bosaso the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bosaso and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bosaso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 598% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.