Cost of Living Comparison Between Damascus and Mogadishu Cost of Living Comparison Between Damascus and Mogadishu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $858 in Damascus versus $621 in Mogadishu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,383 in Damascus versus $948 in Mogadishu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,909 in Damascus versus $1,274 in Mogadishu.

Living in Damascus is roughly 38% more expensive than in Mogadishu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Damascus 38% lower, Mogadishu 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.16 SYP 1,235

$2.94 SOS 1,671

245.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.49 SYP 5,528

$34.31 SOS 19.5K

32.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.79 SYP 825

$4.41 SOS 2,504

53.97%

Cappuccino

$3.66 SYP 445

$2.02 SOS 1,148

81.19%

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

$2.19 SYP 267

$1.19 SOS 678

84.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 SYP 99.5

$0.50 SOS 285

64.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SYP 229

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 SYP 356

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 SYP 133

$1.31 SOS 746

-16.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 SYP 46.97

$1.57 SOS 894

-75.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 SYP 193

$0.76 SOS 431

109.21%

Eggs

$1.62 SYP 197

$1.94 SOS 1,103

-16.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.93 SYP 478

$4.94 SOS 2,805

-20.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.85 SYP 710

$3.93 SOS 2,233

48.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 SYP 1,670

$4.54 SOS 2,576

202.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 SYP 124

$3.85 SOS 2,188

-73.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 SYP 171

$0.99 SOS 561

42.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 SYP 134

$3.08 SOS 1,748

-64.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 SYP 128

$1.25 SOS 712

-16.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 SYP 89.8

$1.46 SOS 828

-49.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 SYP 90.1

$1.78 SOS 1,009

-58.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 SYP 53.2

$1.54 SOS 877

-71.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 SYP 74.2

$0.50 SOS 287

22.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 SYP 332

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 SYP 740

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 SYP 128

$1.97 SOS 1,119

-46.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 SYP 360

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 SYP 25.49

$0.48 SOS 274

-56.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.04 SYP 1,220

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 SYP 124

$0.98 SOS 555

4.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 SYP 180

$0.54 SOS 305

175.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 SYP 933

$2.93 SOS 1,667

162.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.72 SYP 452

$0.92 SOS 522

304.35%

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

$15.1K SYP 1.8M

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

$18.8K SYP 2.3M

$6,464 SOS 3.7M

190.52%

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

$138 SYP 16.8K

$157 SOS 89.1K

-11.78%

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

$9.53 SYP 1,158

$5.02 SOS 2,849

89.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.09 SYP 5,600

$66.3 SOS 37.7K

-30.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.43 SYP 3,454

$31.89 SOS 18.1K

-10.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.57 SYP 1,042

Cinema Ticket

$5.64 SYP 686

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

$66.8 SYP 8,113

$78.6 SOS 44.7K

-15.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,746 SYP 212.1K

$751 SOS 426.6K

132.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.89 SYP 3,510

$14.26 SOS 8,102

102.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.07 SYP 4,869

$14.25 SOS 8,096

181.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 SYP 7,212

$25.29 SOS 14.4K

134.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.4 SYP 7,101

$32.84 SOS 18.7K

77.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 SYP 64.1K

$193 SOS 109.6K

173.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 SYP 22.3K

$78.9 SOS 44.8K

132.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 SYP 101.7K

$484 SOS 274.7K

73.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 SYP 53.8K

$189 SOS 107.4K

133.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,705 SYP 207.2K

$3,230 SOS 1.8M

-47.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$611 SYP 74.2K

$2,437 SOS 1.4M

-74.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$72.7 SYP 8,829

$275 SOS 156.3K

-73.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.25

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

Last update for Damascus: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mogadishu: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $527 in Damascus and $193 in Mogadishu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mogadishu pays 279% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Damascus vs $34.00 in Mogadishu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $169 vs $162 per month, with Mogadishu cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Damascus vs Mogadishu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Damascus and Mogadishu differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($858 vs $621 including rent). Mogadishu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 279% lower in Mogadishu. 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: $527 in Damascus versus $193 in Mogadishu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $66.8 in Damascus versus $78.6 in Mogadishu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mogadishu – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $45.00 in Damascus. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $621 in Mogadishu versus $858 in Damascus, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mogadishu but tight or insufficient in Damascus. The gap between the two cities makes Mogadishu 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.

Expats usually find Mogadishu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Damascus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.