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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $600 in Mogadishu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $944 in Mogadishu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,289 in Mogadishu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 282% more expensive than in Mogadishu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Mogadishu is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$3.55 SOS 2,016

356.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$18.03 SOS 10.2K

251.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$4.38 SOS 2,487

135.62%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.47 SOS 835

92.52%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.49 SOS 278

367.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.33 SOS 187

378.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$4.04 SOS 2,293

-15.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$15.09 SOS 8,570

-73.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.45 SOS 822

-24.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.35 SOS 768

29.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.93 SOS 528

89.25%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.91 SOS 1,087

65.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$5.04 SOS 2,865

161.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$4.06 SOS 2,305

96.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$5.01 SOS 2,847

209.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.47 SOS 1,972

-31.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.97 SOS 551

76.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.23 SOS 1,834

-37.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.36 SOS 772

78.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.19 SOS 676

47.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.51 SOS 860

34.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.34 SOS 762

43.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.48 SOS 273

77.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$1.21 SOS 688

443.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.99 SOS 1,128

-33.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.48 SOS 274

375.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$20.18 SOS 11.5K

126.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.01 SOS 575

318.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.58 SOS 330

39.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$6.42 SOS 3,646

187.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.02 SOS 579

103.92%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$7,519 SOS 4.3M

361.09%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$6,136 SOS 3.5M

538.16%

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

$148 €130

$84.4 SOS 47.9K

75.48%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$5.04 SOS 2,860

305.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$57.0 SOS 32.4K

-30.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$30.90 SOS 17.6K

55.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$10.41 SOS 5,912

78.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

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

$616 €539

$49.70 SOS 28.2K

1139.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$577 SOS 327.5K

2751.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$17.37 SOS 9,864

491.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$24.39 SOS 13.9K

71.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$26.34 SOS 15.0K

259.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$60.3 SOS 34.3K

102.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$158 SOS 89.5K

936.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$66.7 SOS 37.9K

1748.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$466 SOS 264.9K

564.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$177 SOS 100.3K

1050.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$3,226 SOS 1.8M

142.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,405 SOS 1.4M

82.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$262 SOS 148.6K

514.22%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mogadishu: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $158 in Mogadishu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 514% 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 $18.00 in Mogadishu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $160 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 282% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $600 including rent). Mogadishu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 514% 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 $158 in Mogadishu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $49.70 in Mogadishu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $600 in Mogadishu versus $2,291 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 282% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.