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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $596 in Mogadishu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $925 in Mogadishu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,253 in Mogadishu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 271% more expensive than Mogadishu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Mogadishu is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$3.40 SOS 1,930

367.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$17.86 SOS 10.1K

262.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$4.41 SOS 2,506

138.32%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.48 SOS 841

93.92%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.48 SOS 271

366.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.33 SOS 189

354.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$3.93 SOS 2,233

-11.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$14.97 SOS 8,505

-74.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.45 SOS 822

-21.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.35 SOS 764

29.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.90 SOS 510

95.56%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.90 SOS 1,082

69.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$5.02 SOS 2,851

168.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.92 SOS 2,227

101.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$4.95 SOS 2,813

220.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.33 SOS 1,891

-30.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.99 SOS 560

71.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.23 SOS 1,836

-37.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.36 SOS 772

80.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.23 SOS 701

49.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.51 SOS 858

32.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.36 SOS 774

41.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.52 SOS 295

51.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$1.22 SOS 691

441.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.02 SOS 1,148

-32.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.48 SOS 273

393.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$19.69 SOS 11.2K

131.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.02 SOS 582

320.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.61 SOS 347

34.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$6.54 SOS 3,714

179.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.01 SOS 571

103.96%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$7,566 SOS 4.3M

353.06%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$6,238 SOS 3.5M

529.93%

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

$148 €127

$84.1 SOS 47.8K

75.83%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$5.12 SOS 2,909

300.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$58.3 SOS 33.1K

-32.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$31.42 SOS 17.8K

52.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$10.54 SOS 5,988

79.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

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

$614 €529

$50.4 SOS 28.7K

1117.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$571 SOS 324.3K

2711.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$17.51 SOS 9,948

497.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$24.48 SOS 13.9K

71.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$26.72 SOS 15.2K

251.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$59.9 SOS 34.0K

99.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$158 SOS 89.7K

930.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$68.7 SOS 39.0K

1727.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$466 SOS 264.4K

550.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$182 SOS 103.6K

1007.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$3,232 SOS 1.8M

141.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$2,439 SOS 1.4M

75.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$260 SOS 147.7K

516.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-52.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mogadishu: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $158 in Mogadishu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 517% 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 $18.00 in Mogadishu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $159 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 271% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $596 including rent). Mogadishu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 517% 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 $158 in Mogadishu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $50.4 in Mogadishu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $596 in Mogadishu versus $2,210 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 271% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.