Cost of Living Comparison Between Mogadishu and Chengdu Cost of Living Comparison Between Mogadishu and Chengdu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $600 per month in Mogadishu vs $677 in Chengdu, rent included.

A couple spends around $944 per month in Mogadishu vs $1,074 in Chengdu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,289 per month in Mogadishu vs $1,472 in Chengdu, rent included.

Mogadishu is about 11% cheaper than Chengdu, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Mogadishu and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Mogadishu 55% lower, Chengdu 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.55 SOS 2,016

$2.82 ¥19.09

25.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.03 SOS 10.2K

$24.08 ¥163

-25.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.38 SOS 2,487

$4.97 ¥33.66

-11.87%

Cappuccino

$1.47 SOS 835

$2.76 ¥18.71

-46.74%

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

$0.49 SOS 278

$0.43 ¥2.92

13.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 SOS 187

$0.28 ¥1.88

17.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.04 SOS 2,293

$1.14 ¥7.70

254.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$15.09 SOS 8,570

$2.06 ¥13.97

632.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 SOS 822

$1.81 ¥12.28

-19.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 SOS 768

$1.39 ¥9.39

-2.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 SOS 528

$0.93 ¥6.31

Eggs

$1.91 SOS 1,087

$1.94 ¥13.10

-1.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.04 SOS 2,865

$13.76 ¥93.2

-63.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.06 SOS 2,305

$3.61 ¥24.41

12.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.01 SOS 2,847

$11.32 ¥76.6

-55.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 SOS 1,972

$1.91 ¥12.94

81.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 SOS 551

$1.22 ¥8.28

-20.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 SOS 1,834

$1.50 ¥10.18

115.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 SOS 772

$1.02 ¥6.90

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 SOS 676

$0.71 ¥4.81

67.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 SOS 860

$0.70 ¥4.76

115.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 SOS 762

$0.60 ¥4.09

123.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 SOS 273

$0.61 ¥4.16

-21.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.21 SOS 688

$3.40 ¥23.02

-64.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.50 ¥37.19

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 SOS 1,128

$0.95 ¥6.42

109.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ¥12.53

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 SOS 274

$0.43 ¥2.94

11.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.18 SOS 11.5K

$27.94 ¥189

-27.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 SOS 575

$1.24 ¥8.38

-18.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 SOS 330

$0.28 ¥1.91

107.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 SOS 3,646

$4.16 ¥28.15

54.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 SOS 579

$1.17 ¥7.95

-12.82%

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

$7,519 SOS 4.3M

$18.5K ¥125.0K

-59.28%

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

$6,136 SOS 3.5M

$16.7K ¥112.7K

-63.16%

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

$84.4 SOS 47.9K

$44.66 ¥302

88.92%

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

$5.04 SOS 2,860

$11.53 ¥78.1

-56.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 SOS 32.4K

$11.33 ¥76.7

403.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.90 SOS 17.6K

$24.18 ¥164

27.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.41 SOS 5,912

$11.55 ¥78.2

-9.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.69 ¥38.53

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

$49.70 SOS 28.2K

$330 ¥2,232

-84.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$577 SOS 327.5K

$12.3K ¥83.5K

-95.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.37 SOS 9,864

$37.54 ¥254

-53.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.39 SOS 13.9K

$38.48 ¥260

-36.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$26.34 SOS 15.0K

$66.8 ¥452

-60.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 SOS 34.3K

$50.0 ¥339

20.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$158 SOS 89.5K

$320 ¥2,165

-50.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$66.7 SOS 37.9K

$183 ¥1,237

-63.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 SOS 264.9K

$611 ¥4,138

-23.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 SOS 100.3K

$329 ¥2,224

-46.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,226 SOS 1.8M

$3,785 ¥25.6K

-14.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,405 SOS 1.4M

$1,925 ¥13.0K

24.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$262 SOS 148.6K

$1,278 ¥8,647

-79.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

90.02%

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

Last update for Mogadishu: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $158 in Mogadishu versus $320 in Chengdu. 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 388% higher in Chengdu, 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 $18.00 in Mogadishu versus $24.00 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $160 vs $198 – making Mogadishu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $600 in Mogadishu, $677 in Chengdu – roughly 13% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $900 per month in Mogadishu and $1,015 in Chengdu. 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 $18.00 in Mogadishu and $24.00 in Chengdu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $600 in Mogadishu and $677 in Chengdu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $600 in Mogadishu and $677 in Chengdu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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, Chengdu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.