Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Mogadishu Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Mogadishu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $763 per month in Chengdu vs $621 in Mogadishu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,225 per month in Chengdu vs $948 in Mogadishu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,688 per month in Chengdu vs $1,274 in Mogadishu, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 23% more than Mogadishu, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Chengdu and Mogadishu are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 44% lower, Mogadishu 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ¥19.43

$2.94 SOS 1,671

-1.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.18 ¥135

$34.31 SOS 19.5K

-41.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.18 ¥34.75

$4.41 SOS 2,504

17.46%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.68

$2.02 SOS 1,148

45.54%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$1.19 SOS 678

-59.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.88

$0.50 SOS 285

-44.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ¥9.77

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 ¥16.73

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.80

$1.31 SOS 746

34.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥10.98

$1.57 SOS 894

4.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$0.76 SOS 431

23.68%

Eggs

$1.54 ¥10.29

$1.94 SOS 1,103

-20.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 ¥95.1

$4.94 SOS 2,805

187.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.51 ¥23.51

$3.93 SOS 2,233

-10.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.04 ¥74.0

$4.54 SOS 2,576

143.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.20

$3.85 SOS 2,188

-52.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.46

$0.99 SOS 561

27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$3.08 SOS 1,748

-65.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$1.25 SOS 712

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.63

$1.46 SOS 828

-52.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.83

$1.78 SOS 1,009

-59.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ¥4.91

$1.54 SOS 877

-52.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.50 SOS 287

18.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.63 ¥24.29

Wine (Bottle)

$5.47 ¥36.63

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.28

$1.97 SOS 1,119

-59.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ¥10.26

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.90

$0.48 SOS 274

-10.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.95 ¥167

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 ¥8.81

$0.98 SOS 555

34.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.54 SOS 305

-46.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 ¥29.33

$2.93 SOS 1,667

49.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.21

$0.92 SOS 522

33.70%

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

$19.4K ¥129.8K

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

$17.4K ¥116.7K

$6,464 SOS 3.7M

169.51%

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

$41.04 ¥275

$157 SOS 89.1K

-73.83%

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

$9.46 ¥63.4

$5.02 SOS 2,849

88.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.83 ¥86.0

$66.3 SOS 37.7K

-80.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.45 ¥184

$31.89 SOS 18.1K

-13.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.02 ¥73.9

Cinema Ticket

$6.02 ¥40.35

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

$410 ¥2,748

$78.6 SOS 44.7K

421.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥99.0K

$751 SOS 426.6K

1866.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.78 ¥193

$14.26 SOS 8,102

101.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.21 ¥196

$14.25 SOS 8,096

104.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.8 ¥407

$25.29 SOS 14.4K

140.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 ¥353

$32.84 SOS 18.7K

60.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$486 ¥3,260

$193 SOS 109.6K

152.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 ¥1,714

$78.9 SOS 44.8K

224.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 ¥5,692

$484 SOS 274.7K

75.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ¥3,655

$189 SOS 107.4K

188.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,813 ¥25.6K

$3,230 SOS 1.8M

18.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,909 ¥12.8K

$2,437 SOS 1.4M

-21.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,284 ¥8,602

$275 SOS 156.3K

366.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

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

Last update for Chengdu: September 1, 2026

Last update for Mogadishu: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $486 in Chengdu versus $193 in Mogadishu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 366% higher in Chengdu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chengdu versus $34.00 in Mogadishu. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in Chengdu vs $162 in Mogadishu – so Mogadishu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Chengdu vs Mogadishu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $763 in Chengdu, $621 in Mogadishu – roughly 23% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,145 per month in Chengdu and $932 in Mogadishu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mogadishu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chengdu and $34.00 in Mogadishu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Chengdu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $763 in Chengdu and $621 in Mogadishu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Mogadishu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Mogadishu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chengdu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.