Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mogadishu

For one person, living is cheaper in Mogadishu: $616 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Mogadishu
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Mogadishu Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Mogadishu

🇸🇴 Somalia

$616

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Mogadishu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Mogadishu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $616 in Mogadishu, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Mogadishu $616

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $949 in Mogadishu, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Mogadishu $949

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,282 in Mogadishu, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Mogadishu $1,282

Medellin costs about 164% more than Mogadishu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Mogadishu is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$2.96 SOS 1,681

180.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$34.95 SOS 19.9K

34.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$4.53 SOS 2,573

103.97%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.03 SOS 1,155

50.25%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.20 SOS 680

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.53 SOS 303

160.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.27 SOS 720

18.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.58 SOS 897

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$0.79 SOS 449

115.19%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.95 SOS 1,107

51.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$5.13 SOS 2,913

99.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$3.85 SOS 2,189

152.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$4.55 SOS 2,585

205.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.82 SOS 2,169

8.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$0.98 SOS 555

56.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$3.04 SOS 1,727

-26.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.31 SOS 745

73.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.54 SOS 876

29.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.76 SOS 1,000

-5.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.52 SOS 861

-22.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.53 SOS 303

133.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.04 SOS 1,156

-18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.52 SOS 298

138.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.02 SOS 577

25.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.57 SOS 325

277.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$3.07 SOS 1,744

172.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$0.85 SOS 485

58.82%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$6,413 SOS 3.6M

440.86%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$161 SOS 91.6K

3.31%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$4.89 SOS 2,778

178.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$66.3 SOS 37.7K

-56.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$31.50 SOS 17.9K

43.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$77.4 SOS 44.0K

921.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$771 SOS 438.1K

1072.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$14.11 SOS 8,013

522.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$13.82 SOS 7,848

320.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$24.83 SOS 14.1K

459.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$32.74 SOS 18.6K

201.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$198 SOS 112.6K

418.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$76.5 SOS 43.5K

709.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$470 SOS 267.0K

300.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$190 SOS 107.8K

431.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$3,145 SOS 1.8M

26.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$2,428 SOS 1.4M

-29.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$280 SOS 159.2K

136.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mogadishu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Mogadishu

$77 12.4% 87.6% $543

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Mogadishu

$162 * 26.3% 45.5% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Mogadishu

$233 37.8% 11.1% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Mogadishu

$38 6.3% 77.7% $134

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Mogadishu

$69 * 11.1% 59.8% $102

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Mogadishu

$6 * 1% 93.7% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Mogadishu

$32 * 5.1% 46.6% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $198 in Mogadishu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 137% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $35.00 in Mogadishu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $162 – making Mogadishu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇴 Mogadishu

🕒 Local time

06:38 6:38 AM

14:38 2:38 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,610,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Somali Shilling SOS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SOS, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Somali Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 568 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 639 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Mogadishu 13,390 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Mogadishu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Medellin vs Mogadishu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 164%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $924 in Mogadishu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mogadishu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $35.00 in Mogadishu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 84% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mogadishu, where all-in costs run around $616, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Mogadishu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mogadishu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Mogadishu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.