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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $518 in Garowe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $758 in Garowe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $998 in Garowe.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 326% more expensive than Garowe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Garowe is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$1.94 SOS 1,104

720.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$8.91 SOS 5,061

626.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$3.07 SOS 1,746

242.35%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.18 SOS 1,240

31.65%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.47 SOS 836

52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.22 SOS 123

581.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$14.23 SOS 8,083

-75.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.02 SOS 580

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.41 SOS 234

326.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.86 SOS 490

104.65%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.33 SOS 1,326

38.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$2.98 SOS 1,694

165.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$3.90 SOS 2,215

306.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.95 SOS 1,105

18.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.53 SOS 870

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.22 SOS 695

64.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.89 SOS 505

176.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.67 SOS 378

174.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.71 SOS 406

181.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.83 SOS 473

132.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.92 SOS 522

-14.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$0.98 SOS 559

574.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.31 SOS 177

664.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.47 SOS 836

191.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$4.97 SOS 2,822

268.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

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

$34.3K €29.5K

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

$39.3K €33.8K

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

$148 €127

$119 SOS 67.9K

23.76%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$9.99 SOS 5,674

105.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$49.08 SOS 27.9K

-19.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$19.94 SOS 11.3K

139.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

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

$614 €529

$34.75 SOS 19.7K

1666.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$20.22 SOS 11.5K

417.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$30.47 SOS 17.3K

38.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$15.16 SOS 8,611

519.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$90.6 SOS 51.5K

1696.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$61.0 SOS 34.7K

1956.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$352 SOS 199.7K

762.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$180 SOS 102.5K

1019.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$398 SOS 226.2K

302.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Garowe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $90.6 in Garowe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 303% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $9.00 in Garowe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $100 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 326% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Lisbon pays 303% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $90.6 in Garowe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $34.75 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 $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $518 in Garowe versus $2,210 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 326% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.