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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $596 per month in Mogadishu vs $689 in Chengdu, rent included.

A couple spends around $925 per month in Mogadishu vs $1,083 in Chengdu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,253 per month in Mogadishu vs $1,477 in Chengdu, rent included.

Mogadishu is about 13% cheaper than Chengdu, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Mogadishu and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Mogadishu 56% lower, Chengdu 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 SOS 1,930

$2.85 ¥19.32

19.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.86 SOS 10.1K

$24.00 ¥162

-25.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.41 SOS 2,506

$4.99 ¥33.75

-11.62%

Cappuccino

$1.48 SOS 841

$2.77 ¥18.75

-46.57%

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

$0.48 SOS 271

$0.46 ¥3.14

4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 SOS 189

$0.30 ¥2.06

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 SOS 2,233

$1.13 ¥7.63

247.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.97 SOS 8,505

$2.13 ¥14.44

602.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 SOS 822

$1.80 ¥12.19

-19.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 SOS 764

$1.39 ¥9.39

-2.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 SOS 510

$0.90 ¥6.10

Eggs

$1.90 SOS 1,082

$1.86 ¥12.61

2.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.02 SOS 2,851

$13.62 ¥92.2

-63.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 SOS 2,227

$3.56 ¥24.09

10.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.95 SOS 2,813

$11.23 ¥76.0

-55.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 SOS 1,891

$1.86 ¥12.62

79.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 SOS 560

$1.18 ¥8.00

-16.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 SOS 1,836

$1.50 ¥10.16

115.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 SOS 772

$1.04 ¥7.02

30.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SOS 701

$0.70 ¥4.74

75.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 SOS 858

$0.70 ¥4.71

115.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 SOS 774

$0.56 ¥3.81

142.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 SOS 295

$0.61 ¥4.13

-14.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 SOS 691

$3.24 ¥21.93

-62.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 ¥36.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 SOS 1,148

$1.00 ¥6.79

102.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥12.69

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 SOS 273

$0.41 ¥2.77

17.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.69 SOS 11.2K

$27.31 ¥185

-27.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 SOS 582

$1.22 ¥8.29

-16.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 SOS 347

$0.26 ¥1.75

134.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 SOS 3,714

$4.09 ¥27.65

59.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 SOS 571

$1.14 ¥7.70

-11.40%

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

$7,566 SOS 4.3M

$18.7K ¥126.7K

-59.58%

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

$6,238 SOS 3.5M

$16.0K ¥108.6K

-61.11%

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

$84.1 SOS 47.8K

$45.05 ¥305

86.68%

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

$5.12 SOS 2,909

$11.69 ¥79.1

-56.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 SOS 33.1K

$11.38 ¥77.0

411.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.42 SOS 17.8K

$24.49 ¥166

28.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.54 SOS 5,988

$11.16 ¥75.6

-5.56%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 ¥37.48

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

$50.4 SOS 28.7K

$333 ¥2,251

-84.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$571 SOS 324.3K

$12.1K ¥82.1K

-95.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.51 SOS 9,948

$37.92 ¥257

-53.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.48 SOS 13.9K

$38.57 ¥261

-36.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$26.72 SOS 15.2K

$67.4 ¥456

-60.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 SOS 34.0K

$50.7 ¥343

18.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$158 SOS 89.7K

$318 ¥2,151

-50.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.7 SOS 39.0K

$179 ¥1,214

-61.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 SOS 264.4K

$610 ¥4,132

-23.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 SOS 103.6K

$335 ¥2,265

-45.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,232 SOS 1.8M

$3,810 ¥25.8K

-15.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,439 SOS 1.4M

$1,922 ¥13.0K

26.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$260 SOS 147.7K

$1,257 ¥8,510

-79.32%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $158 in Mogadishu versus $318 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 384% 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: $159 vs $196 – 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: $596 in Mogadishu, $689 in Chengdu – roughly 16% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $894 per month in Mogadishu and $1,033 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 $596 in Mogadishu and $689 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 $596 in Mogadishu and $689 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.