Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bosaso

For one person, living is cheaper in Bosaso: $320 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Bosaso, Somalia
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Bosaso
🇸🇴 Somalia
$320
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Bosaso

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $320 in Bosaso.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Bosaso $320

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $495 in Bosaso.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Bosaso $495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $670 in Bosaso.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Bosaso $670

Living in Lisbon is roughly 591% more expensive than in Bosaso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Bosaso is 77% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Bosaso
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$1.99 SOS 1,128
736.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
-
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$5.09 SOS 2,890
123.18%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$1.47 SOS 834
102.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$1.02 SOS 579
124.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.62 SOS 352
180.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Bosaso
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$3.08 SOS 1,752
-62.34%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
-
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$0.39 SOS 220
287.18%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
-
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$3.07 SOS 1,743
153.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$4.03 SOS 2,289
340.69%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$1.98 SOS 1,122
16.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.92 SOS 1,659
-40.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.47 SOS 834
-51.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$0.98 SOS 555
571.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Bosaso
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$0.31 SOS 178
651.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$1.71 SOS 974
125.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.93 SOS 527
15.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$2.45 SOS 1,392
571.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$0.87 SOS 493
152.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Bosaso
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$10.10 SOS 5,739
82.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$31.92 SOS 18.1K
2.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Bosaso
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Bosaso
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Bosaso
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$10.82 SOS 6,144
842.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$14.82 SOS 8,420
200.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$13.14 SOS 7,466
649.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$14.75 SOS 8,379
738.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Bosaso
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$126 SOS 71.4K
1179.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$85.8 SOS 48.7K
1287.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$198 SOS 112.3K
1322.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$189 SOS 107.2K
966.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$29.6K SOS 16.8M
-73.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Bosaso
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$303 SOS 172.4K
418.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
10
-61.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bosaso: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Bosaso
–
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Bosaso
–
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Bosaso
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Bosaso
–
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Bosaso
–
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Bosaso
–
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Bosaso
–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $126 in Bosaso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 5.2 times 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
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇸🇴 Bosaso
🕒 Local time
01:45 1:45 AM
04:45 4:45 AM
3 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
74,287
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

SOS, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Somali Shilling exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 568 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 634 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.58 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Bosaso 6,490 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Bosaso

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
Lisbon vs Bosaso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Bosaso?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $320 in Bosaso, so Bosaso is about 86% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Bosaso?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 5.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Bosaso?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $126 in Bosaso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 160% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Bosaso?
All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $320 in Bosaso – Bosaso is about 86% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $320 in Bosaso versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,200 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.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Bosaso?
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.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Bosaso?
It comes down to priorities – Bosaso wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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