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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $529 in Garowe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $763 in Garowe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $998 in Garowe.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 333% more expensive than in Garowe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Garowe is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$2.02 SOS 1,148

701.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$8.80 SOS 4,998

619.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$2.96 SOS 1,679

248.65%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.20 SOS 1,252

28.64%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.52 SOS 864

50.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.20 SOS 116

690.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$14.65 SOS 8,322

-76.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$0.97 SOS 553

12.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.39 SOS 221

348.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.94 SOS 532

87.23%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.45 SOS 1,392

29.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$2.92 SOS 1,658

172.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$3.95 SOS 2,244

293.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.98 SOS 1,124

19.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.53 SOS 870

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.23 SOS 701

63.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.89 SOS 505

173.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.71 SOS 405

147.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.67 SOS 379

202.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.76 SOS 433

152.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.92 SOS 524

-7.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$1.02 SOS 578

545.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.31 SOS 177

635.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.51 SOS 858

180.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$5.01 SOS 2,847

268.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

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

$34.7K €30.3K

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

$39.2K €34.3K

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

$148 €130

$122 SOS 69.2K

21.45%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$10.06 SOS 5,712

103.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$49.50 SOS 28.1K

-20.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$20.26 SOS 11.5K

136.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

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

$616 €539

$34.64 SOS 19.7K

1678.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$20.16 SOS 11.4K

409.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$30.22 SOS 17.2K

38.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$14.92 SOS 8,473

535.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$89.9 SOS 51.1K

1716.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$60.6 SOS 34.4K

1934.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$351 SOS 199.6K

781.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$177 SOS 100.8K

1044.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$401 SOS 227.7K

300.96%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Garowe: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $89.9 in Garowe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 301% 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 $267 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 333% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 301% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $89.9 in Garowe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $34.64 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 $529 in Garowe versus $2,291 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 333% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.