Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mogadishu Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mogadishu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $621 in Mogadishu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $948 in Mogadishu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,274 in Mogadishu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 273% more expensive than in Mogadishu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Mogadishu is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$2.94 SOS 1,671

488.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$34.31 SOS 19.5K

84.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$4.41 SOS 2,504

158.28%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.02 SOS 1,148

57.92%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.19 SOS 678

105.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.50 SOS 285

252.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.31 SOS 746

-5.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.57 SOS 894

26.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.76 SOS 431

100.00%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$1.94 SOS 1,103

108.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$4.94 SOS 2,805

174.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$3.93 SOS 2,233

113.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$4.54 SOS 2,576

301.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.85 SOS 2,188

-40.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$0.99 SOS 561

75.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$3.08 SOS 1,748

-39.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.25 SOS 712

110.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.46 SOS 828

31.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.78 SOS 1,009

17.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.54 SOS 877

-6.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.50 SOS 287

68.00%

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

$1.97 SOS 1,119

-29.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.48 SOS 274

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$0.98 SOS 555

325.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.54 SOS 305

111.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$2.93 SOS 1,667

503.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$0.92 SOS 522

152.17%

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

$6,464 SOS 3.7M

541.20%

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

$170 €147

$157 SOS 89.1K

8.61%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$5.02 SOS 2,849

285.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$66.3 SOS 37.7K

-49.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$31.89 SOS 18.1K

50.83%

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

$78.6 SOS 44.7K

812.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$751 SOS 426.6K

2226.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$14.26 SOS 8,102

634.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$14.25 SOS 8,096

229.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$25.29 SOS 14.4K

308.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$32.84 SOS 18.7K

277.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$193 SOS 109.6K

768.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$78.9 SOS 44.8K

1511.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$484 SOS 274.7K

517.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$189 SOS 107.4K

953.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$3,230 SOS 1.8M

142.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$2,437 SOS 1.4M

91.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$275 SOS 156.3K

475.02%

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 Mogadishu: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $193 in Mogadishu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 475% 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 $34.00 in Mogadishu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $162 per month, with Mogadishu 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 Mogadishu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mogadishu differ by about 273% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $621 including rent). Mogadishu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 475% 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 $193 in Mogadishu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $621 in Mogadishu – a 273% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $621 in Mogadishu versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mogadishu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mogadishu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Mogadishu 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 Mogadishu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 273% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.