Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mogadishu and Baidoa

For one person, living is cheaper in Baidoa: $104 a month against $604 in Mogadishu, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mogadishu
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Mogadishu Living Index

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Mogadishu

🇸🇴 Somalia

$604

/mo nomad

Baidoa

🇸🇴 Somalia

$104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mogadishu and in Baidoa

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 Baidoa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $604 per month in Mogadishu vs $104 in Baidoa, rent included.

Mogadishu $604
Baidoa $104

A couple spends around $877 per month in Mogadishu vs $184 in Baidoa, rent included.

Mogadishu $877
Baidoa $184

A family of three spends $1,151 per month in Mogadishu vs $264 in Baidoa, rent included.

Mogadishu $1,151
Baidoa $264

Mogadishu costs about 478% more than Baidoa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mogadishu and Baidoa are more affordable than the global median – Mogadishu 55% lower, Baidoa 92% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 SOS 1,150

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.57 SOS 7,705

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.43 SOS 2,519

Cappuccino

$1.96 SOS 1,114

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

$1.20 SOS 681

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 SOS 302

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 SOS 724

$2.03 SOS 1,152

-36.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 SOS 904

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 SOS 453

$1.22 SOS 692

-34.43%

Eggs

$1.87 SOS 1,061

$3.51 SOS 1,995

-46.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.07 SOS 2,879

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.90 SOS 2,213

$8.80 SOS 5,000

-55.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.60 SOS 2,612

$7.06 SOS 4,010

-34.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 SOS 2,156

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 SOS 585

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 SOS 1,717

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 SOS 741

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 SOS 835

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 SOS 1,008

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 SOS 831

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 SOS 283

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 SOS 1,124

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 SOS 276

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 SOS 583

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 SOS 325

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 SOS 1,681

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 SOS 523

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

$6,445 SOS 3.7M

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

$158 SOS 89.6K

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

$4.97 SOS 2,820

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 SOS 37.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.32 SOS 17.8K

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

$77.0 SOS 43.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$760 SOS 431.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.21 SOS 8,070

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.91 SOS 7,901

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.39 SOS 14.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.83 SOS 18.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 SOS 112.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$77.8 SOS 44.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 SOS 264.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 SOS 108.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,137 SOS 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,442 SOS 1.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$280 SOS 158.8K

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

Last update for Mogadishu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Baidoa: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mogadishu

$229 37.9%

Baidoa

–

Groceries & Markets

Mogadishu

$161 * 26.7%

Baidoa

–

Accommodation & Living

Mogadishu

$78 12.9%

Baidoa

–

Eating Out

Mogadishu

$60 * 9.9%

Baidoa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mogadishu

$39 6.4%

Baidoa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mogadishu

$31 * 5.2%

Baidoa

–

Getting Around

Mogadishu

$5.8 * 1%

Baidoa

–

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

Good to know

🇸🇴 Mogadishu

🇸🇴 Baidoa

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

Same time as Mogadishu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,610,000 Capital

129,839

💱 Currency

Somali Shilling SOS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.56 EUR

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Mogadishu Baidoa 220 km

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Mogadishu
Baidoa

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 Baidoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $604 in Mogadishu, $104 in Baidoa – Baidoa comes out roughly 83% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $906 per month in Mogadishu and $157 in Baidoa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $604 in Mogadishu and $104 in Baidoa. That makes Baidoa about 83% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Mogadishu, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $604 in Mogadishu and $104 in Baidoa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Mogadishu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $104 in Baidoa to $604 in Mogadishu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.