Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hargeysa and Mogadishu

For one person, living is cheaper in Hargeysa: $450 a month against $616 in Mogadishu, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Hargeysa
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Hargeysa Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Mogadishu
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Mogadishu Living Index

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Hargeysa

🇸🇴 Somalia

$450

/mo nomad

Mogadishu

🇸🇴 Somalia

$616

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hargeysa 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 Hargeysa and in Mogadishu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $450 per month in Hargeysa vs $616 in Mogadishu, rent included.

Hargeysa $450
Mogadishu $616

A couple spends around $734 per month in Hargeysa vs $949 in Mogadishu, rent included.

Hargeysa $734
Mogadishu $949

A family of three spends $1,017 per month in Hargeysa vs $1,282 in Mogadishu, rent included.

Hargeysa $1,017
Mogadishu $1,282

Hargeysa is about 27% cheaper than Mogadishu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Hargeysa and Mogadishu are more affordable than the global median – Hargeysa 67% lower, Mogadishu 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.94 SOS 2,804

$2.96 SOS 1,681

66.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.31 SOS 9,834

$34.95 SOS 19.9K

-50.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 SOS 3,143

$4.53 SOS 2,573

22.08%

Cappuccino

$1.47 SOS 834

$2.03 SOS 1,155

-27.59%

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

$0.96 SOS 546

$1.20 SOS 680

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 SOS 629

$0.53 SOS 303

109.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 SOS 735

$1.27 SOS 720

1.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 SOS 599

$1.58 SOS 897

-32.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 SOS 624

$0.79 SOS 449

39.24%

Eggs

$2.49 SOS 1,417

$1.95 SOS 1,107

27.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 SOS 2,913

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 SOS 3,661

$3.85 SOS 2,189

67.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.96 SOS 2,252

$4.55 SOS 2,585

-12.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 SOS 1,144

$3.82 SOS 2,169

-47.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 SOS 846

$0.98 SOS 555

52.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 SOS 1,108

$3.04 SOS 1,727

-35.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 SOS 728

$1.31 SOS 745

-2.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SOS 697

$1.54 SOS 876

-20.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 SOS 838

$1.76 SOS 1,000

-16.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 SOS 554

$1.52 SOS 861

-35.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 SOS 360

$0.53 SOS 303

18.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.98 SOS 559

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SOS 1,156

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 SOS 153

$0.52 SOS 298

-48.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.26 SOS 6,965

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 SOS 438

$1.02 SOS 577

-24.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 SOS 351

$0.57 SOS 325

8.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 SOS 2,299

$3.07 SOS 1,744

31.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 SOS 601

$0.85 SOS 485

24.71%

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

$9,992 SOS 5.7M

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

$12.0K SOS 6.8M

$6,413 SOS 3.6M

87.52%

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

$45.42 SOS 25.8K

$161 SOS 91.6K

-71.84%

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

$7.26 SOS 4,125

$4.89 SOS 2,778

48.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 SOS 11.4K

$66.3 SOS 37.7K

-69.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.36 SOS 21.2K

$31.50 SOS 17.9K

18.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.05 SOS 1,164

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

$24.57 SOS 14.0K

$77.4 SOS 44.0K

-68.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$268 SOS 152.4K

$771 SOS 438.1K

-65.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.57 SOS 7,137

$14.11 SOS 8,013

-10.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.78 SOS 11.2K

$13.82 SOS 7,848

43.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$17.56 SOS 9,971

$24.83 SOS 14.1K

-29.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.46 SOS 17.3K

$32.74 SOS 18.6K

-6.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$110 SOS 62.6K

$198 SOS 112.6K

-44.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$71.3 SOS 40.5K

$76.5 SOS 43.5K

-6.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$296 SOS 168.1K

$470 SOS 267.0K

-37.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 SOS 95.2K

$190 SOS 107.8K

-11.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,099 SOS 2.9M

$3,145 SOS 1.8M

62.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,428 SOS 1.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$300 SOS 170.2K

$280 SOS 159.2K

6.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Hargeysa: October 18, 2026

Last update for Mogadishu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hargeysa

$133 * 29.6%

Mogadishu

$162 * 26.3% 21.6% $29

Eating Out

Hargeysa

$82 * 18.2%

Mogadishu

$69 * 11.1% 16.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hargeysa

$73 16.2%

Mogadishu

$233 37.8% 219% $160

Accommodation & Living

Hargeysa

$71 15.8%

Mogadishu

$77 12.4% 7.3% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Hargeysa

$37 * 8.3%

Mogadishu

$32 * 5.1% 15.7% $5.9

Clothing & Footwear

Hargeysa

$36 8%

Mogadishu

$38 6.3% 6.4% $2.3

Getting Around

Hargeysa

$17 3.8%

Mogadishu

$6 * 1% 65.2% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $110 in Hargeysa versus $198 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 7% higher in Hargeysa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Hargeysa versus $35.00 in Mogadishu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $133 vs $162 – making Hargeysa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇴 Hargeysa

🇸🇴 Mogadishu

🕒 Local time

15:00 3:00 PM

Same time as Hargeysa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,960,000 Capital

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

Hargeysa Mogadishu 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hargeysa
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

Hargeysa vs Mogadishu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mogadishu costs about 37% more than Hargeysa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $675 per month in Hargeysa and $924 in Mogadishu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $450 in Hargeysa and $616 in Mogadishu. That's a gap of about 37%.

Kindergarten costs $24.57 per month in Hargeysa and $77.4 in Mogadishu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $450 in Hargeysa and $616 in Mogadishu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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