Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Garowe Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Garowe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $524 in Garowe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $705 in Garowe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $885 in Garowe.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 342% more expensive than in Garowe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Garowe is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$8.89 SOS 5,051

611.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$3.02 SOS 1,717

5.63%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.54 SOS 877

59.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.19 SOS 106

826.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$32.86 SOS 18.7K

-89.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.27 SOS 722

-33.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.31 SOS 178

674.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.54 SOS 875

170.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$4.90 SOS 2,781

260.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

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

$35.3K €30.4K

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

$41.4K €35.7K

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

$170 €147

$121 SOS 68.9K

40.34%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$9.99 SOS 5,673

93.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$49.73 SOS 28.2K

-32.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$19.78 SOS 11.2K

143.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

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

$717 €617

$34.59 SOS 19.6K

1973.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$20.17 SOS 11.5K

419.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$29.82 SOS 16.9K

57.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$14.91 SOS 8,471

593.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$88.5 SOS 50.3K

1794.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$59.0 SOS 33.5K

2054.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$356 SOS 202.4K

737.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$177 SOS 100.6K

1024.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$397 SOS 225.2K

299.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Garowe: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $88.5 in Garowe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 299% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $9.00 in Garowe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $15.00 per month, with Garowe cheaper across the board.

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 Garowe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Garowe is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 342% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 299% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $88.5 in Garowe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $34.59 in Garowe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Garowe – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $524 in Garowe versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Garowe but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Garowe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Garowe is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Garowe are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Garowe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 342% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.