Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mogadishu and Afgoye

For one person, living is cheaper in Afgoye: $70.2 a month against $616 in Mogadishu, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Mogadishu
Learn more

Mogadishu Living Index

Jump to prices

Mogadishu

🇸🇴 Somalia

$616

/mo nomad

Afgoye

🇸🇴 Somalia

$70.2

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mogadishu and in Afgoye

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $616 in Mogadishu versus $70.2 in Afgoye.

Mogadishu $616
Afgoye $70.2

Estimated couple costs with rent: $949 in Mogadishu versus $137 in Afgoye.

Mogadishu $949
Afgoye $137

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,282 in Mogadishu versus $205 in Afgoye.

Mogadishu $1,282
Afgoye $205

Living in Mogadishu is roughly 777% more expensive than in Afgoye, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mogadishu 55% lower, Afgoye 95% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 SOS 1,681

$1.02 SOS 578

190.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.95 SOS 19.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 SOS 2,573

$3.48 SOS 1,976

30.17%

Cappuccino

$2.03 SOS 1,155

$0.51 SOS 291

298.04%

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

$1.20 SOS 680

$0.48 SOS 275

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 SOS 303

$0.21 SOS 119

152.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 SOS 720

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 SOS 897

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 SOS 449

Eggs

$1.95 SOS 1,107

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 SOS 2,913

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.85 SOS 2,189

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.55 SOS 2,585

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 SOS 2,169

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 SOS 555

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 SOS 1,727

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 SOS 745

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 SOS 876

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 SOS 1,000

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 SOS 861

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SOS 303

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SOS 1,156

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 SOS 298

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 SOS 577

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 SOS 325

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 SOS 1,744

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 SOS 485

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

$6,413 SOS 3.6M

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

$161 SOS 91.6K

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

$4.89 SOS 2,778

$4.97 SOS 2,825

-1.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 SOS 37.7K

$25.29 SOS 14.4K

162.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.50 SOS 17.9K

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

$77.4 SOS 44.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$771 SOS 438.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.11 SOS 8,013

$9.84 SOS 5,589

43.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.82 SOS 7,848

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$24.83 SOS 14.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.74 SOS 18.6K

$17.78 SOS 10.1K

84.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 SOS 112.6K

$58.9 SOS 33.5K

236.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.5 SOS 43.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 SOS 267.0K

$162 SOS 91.9K

190.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 SOS 107.8K

$89.6 SOS 50.9K

111.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,145 SOS 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,428 SOS 1.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$280 SOS 159.2K

$203 SOS 115.1K

38.39%

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

Last update for Mogadishu: October 18, 2026

Last update for Afgoye: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mogadishu

$233 37.8%

Afgoye

–

Groceries & Markets

Mogadishu

$162 * 26.3%

Afgoye

–

Accommodation & Living

Mogadishu

$77 12.4%

Afgoye

–

Eating Out

Mogadishu

$69 * 11.1%

Afgoye

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mogadishu

$38 6.3%

Afgoye

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mogadishu

$32 * 5.1%

Afgoye

–

Getting Around

Mogadishu

$6 * 1%

Afgoye

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $198 in Mogadishu and $58.9 in Afgoye. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mogadishu pays 38% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇸🇴 Mogadishu

🇸🇴 Afgoye

🕒 Local time

13:49 1:49 PM

Same time as Mogadishu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,610,000 Capital

65,461

💱 Currency

Somali Shilling SOS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mogadishu Afgoye 27 km

From you

Mogadishu
Afgoye

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

Mogadishu vs Afgoye: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mogadishu and Afgoye differ by about 777% in total monthly costs ($616 vs $70.2 including rent). Afgoye is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Mogadishu, 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: $198 in Mogadishu versus $58.9 in Afgoye. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Afgoye gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Afgoye gentler on the wallet – expenses run 777% less than in Mogadishu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.