Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bosaso and Mogadishu

For one person, living is cheaper in Bosaso: $319 a month against $616 in Mogadishu, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mogadishu
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Mogadishu Living Index

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Bosaso

🇸🇴 Somalia

$319

/mo nomad

Mogadishu

🇸🇴 Somalia

$616

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bosaso and in Mogadishu

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 Mogadishu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $319 in Bosaso versus $616 in Mogadishu.

Bosaso $319
Mogadishu $616

Estimated couple costs with rent: $494 in Bosaso versus $949 in Mogadishu.

Bosaso $494
Mogadishu $949

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $670 in Bosaso versus $1,282 in Mogadishu.

Bosaso $670
Mogadishu $1,282

Living in Bosaso costs roughly 48% less than in Mogadishu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bosaso 76% lower, Mogadishu 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.01 SOS 1,144

$2.96 SOS 1,681

-32.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.95 SOS 19.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 SOS 2,829

$4.53 SOS 2,573

9.93%

Cappuccino

$1.54 SOS 874

$2.03 SOS 1,155

-24.14%

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

$0.98 SOS 554

$1.20 SOS 680

-18.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 SOS 377

$0.53 SOS 303

24.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.91 SOS 1,653

$1.27 SOS 720

129.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 SOS 897

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.41 SOS 235

$0.79 SOS 449

-48.10%

Eggs

$1.95 SOS 1,107

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 SOS 2,913

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.04 SOS 1,728

$3.85 SOS 2,189

-21.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.90 SOS 2,217

$4.55 SOS 2,585

-14.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 SOS 1,111

$3.82 SOS 2,169

-48.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 SOS 1,720

$0.98 SOS 555

209.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 SOS 1,727

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 SOS 745

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 SOS 876

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 SOS 1,000

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 SOS 861

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SOS 836

$0.53 SOS 303

177.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.03 SOS 584

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SOS 1,156

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 SOS 162

$0.52 SOS 298

-44.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 SOS 1,015

$1.02 SOS 577

75.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 SOS 487

$0.57 SOS 325

50.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 SOS 1,414

$3.07 SOS 1,744

-18.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 SOS 494

$0.85 SOS 485

2.35%

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

$6,413 SOS 3.6M

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

$161 SOS 91.6K

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

$10.06 SOS 5,715

$4.89 SOS 2,778

105.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.98 SOS 18.2K

$66.3 SOS 37.7K

-51.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.50 SOS 17.9K

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

$77.4 SOS 44.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$771 SOS 438.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.02 SOS 6,260

$14.11 SOS 8,013

-21.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.83 SOS 8,424

$13.82 SOS 7,848

7.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$12.88 SOS 7,315

$24.83 SOS 14.1K

-48.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$14.88 SOS 8,451

$32.74 SOS 18.6K

-54.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$125 SOS 70.9K

$198 SOS 112.6K

-37.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.2 SOS 48.9K

$76.5 SOS 43.5K

12.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$203 SOS 115.1K

$470 SOS 267.0K

-56.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 SOS 108.8K

$190 SOS 107.8K

0.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.7K SOS 16.8M

$3,145 SOS 1.8M

842.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,428 SOS 1.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$300 SOS 170.7K

$280 SOS 159.2K

7.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Bosaso: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mogadishu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bosaso

–

Mogadishu

$233 37.8%

Groceries & Markets

Bosaso

–

Mogadishu

$162 * 26.3%

Accommodation & Living

Bosaso

–

Mogadishu

$77 12.4%

Eating Out

Bosaso

–

Mogadishu

$69 * 11.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Bosaso

–

Mogadishu

$38 6.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Bosaso

–

Mogadishu

$32 * 5.1%

Getting Around

Bosaso

–

Mogadishu

$6 * 1%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $125 in Bosaso and $198 in Mogadishu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bosaso pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇸🇴 Bosaso

🇸🇴 Mogadishu

🕒 Local time

18:16 6:16 PM

Same time as Bosaso

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,287

2,610,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Somali Shilling SOS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bosaso Mogadishu 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Bosaso
Mogadishu

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 Mogadishu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bosaso and Mogadishu differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($319 vs $616 including rent). Bosaso is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Bosaso, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $125 in Bosaso versus $198 in Mogadishu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Mogadishu. 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 $616 in Mogadishu – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Bosaso gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Bosaso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Mogadishu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.