Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mogadishu and Bosaso

For one person, living is cheaper in Bosaso: $319 a month against $616 in Mogadishu, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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

$616

/mo nomad

Bosaso

🇸🇴 Somalia

$319

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mogadishu and in Bosaso

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $616 in Mogadishu versus $319 in Bosaso.

Mogadishu $616
Bosaso $319

Estimated couple costs with rent: $949 in Mogadishu versus $494 in Bosaso.

Mogadishu $949
Bosaso $494

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,282 in Mogadishu versus $670 in Bosaso.

Mogadishu $1,282
Bosaso $670

Living in Mogadishu is roughly 93% more expensive than in Bosaso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mogadishu 55% lower, Bosaso 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 SOS 1,681

$2.01 SOS 1,144

47.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.95 SOS 19.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 SOS 2,573

$4.98 SOS 2,829

-9.04%

Cappuccino

$2.03 SOS 1,155

$1.54 SOS 874

31.82%

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

$1.20 SOS 680

$0.98 SOS 554

22.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 SOS 303

$0.66 SOS 377

-19.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 SOS 720

$2.91 SOS 1,653

-56.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 SOS 897

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 SOS 449

$0.41 SOS 235

92.68%

Eggs

$1.95 SOS 1,107

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 SOS 2,913

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.85 SOS 2,189

$3.04 SOS 1,728

26.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.55 SOS 2,585

$3.90 SOS 2,217

16.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 SOS 2,169

$1.96 SOS 1,111

94.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 SOS 555

$3.03 SOS 1,720

-67.66%

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

$1.47 SOS 836

-63.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.03 SOS 584

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SOS 1,156

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 SOS 298

$0.29 SOS 162

79.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 SOS 577

$1.79 SOS 1,015

-43.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 SOS 325

$0.86 SOS 487

-33.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 SOS 1,744

$2.49 SOS 1,414

23.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 SOS 485

$0.87 SOS 494

-2.30%

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

$10.06 SOS 5,715

-51.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 SOS 37.7K

$31.98 SOS 18.2K

107.44%

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

$11.02 SOS 6,260

28.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.82 SOS 7,848

$14.83 SOS 8,424

-6.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$24.83 SOS 14.1K

$12.88 SOS 7,315

92.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.74 SOS 18.6K

$14.88 SOS 8,451

120.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 SOS 112.6K

$125 SOS 70.9K

58.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.5 SOS 43.5K

$86.2 SOS 48.9K

-11.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 SOS 267.0K

$203 SOS 115.1K

131.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 SOS 107.8K

$192 SOS 108.8K

-0.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,145 SOS 1.8M

$29.7K SOS 16.8M

-89.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,428 SOS 1.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$280 SOS 159.2K

$300 SOS 170.7K

-6.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Mogadishu: October 18, 2026

Last update for Bosaso: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mogadishu

$233 37.8%

Bosaso

–

Groceries & Markets

Mogadishu

$162 * 26.3%

Bosaso

–

Accommodation & Living

Mogadishu

$77 12.4%

Bosaso

–

Eating Out

Mogadishu

$69 * 11.1%

Bosaso

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mogadishu

$38 6.3%

Bosaso

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mogadishu

$32 * 5.1%

Bosaso

–

Getting Around

Mogadishu

$6 * 1%

Bosaso

–

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 $125 in Bosaso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bosaso pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇸🇴 Mogadishu

🇸🇴 Bosaso

🕒 Local time

18:16 6:16 PM

Same time as Mogadishu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,610,000 Capital

74,287

💱 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

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Between locations

Mogadishu Bosaso 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mogadishu
Bosaso

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 Bosaso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mogadishu and Bosaso differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($616 vs $319 including rent). Bosaso is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Bosaso. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $198 in Mogadishu versus $125 in Bosaso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Mogadishu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $616 per month in Mogadishu versus $319 in Bosaso – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Bosaso 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 Bosaso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Mogadishu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.