Cost of Living Comparison Between Mogadishu and Damascus Cost of Living Comparison Between Mogadishu and Damascus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $621 in Mogadishu versus $858 in Damascus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $948 in Mogadishu versus $1,383 in Damascus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,274 in Mogadishu versus $1,909 in Damascus.

Living in Mogadishu costs roughly 28% less than in Damascus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mogadishu 55% lower, Damascus 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 SOS 1,671

$10.16 SYP 1,235

-71.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.31 SOS 19.5K

$45.49 SYP 5,528

-24.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.41 SOS 2,504

$6.79 SYP 825

-35.05%

Cappuccino

$2.02 SOS 1,148

$3.66 SYP 445

-44.81%

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

$1.19 SOS 678

$2.19 SYP 267

-45.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 SOS 285

$0.82 SYP 99.5

-39.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SYP 229

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 SYP 356

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 SOS 746

$1.09 SYP 133

20.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 SOS 894

$0.39 SYP 46.97

302.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 SOS 431

$1.59 SYP 193

-52.20%

Eggs

$1.94 SOS 1,103

$1.62 SYP 197

19.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.94 SOS 2,805

$3.93 SYP 478

25.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.93 SOS 2,233

$5.85 SYP 710

-32.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.54 SOS 2,576

$13.75 SYP 1,670

-66.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 SOS 2,188

$1.02 SYP 124

277.45%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 SOS 561

$1.41 SYP 171

-29.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 SOS 1,748

$1.10 SYP 134

180.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 SOS 712

$1.05 SYP 128

19.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 SOS 828

$0.74 SYP 89.8

97.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 SOS 1,009

$0.74 SYP 90.1

140.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 SOS 877

$0.44 SYP 53.2

250.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 SOS 287

$0.61 SYP 74.2

-18.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 SYP 332

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 SYP 740

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 SOS 1,119

$1.05 SYP 128

87.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 SYP 360

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 SOS 274

$0.21 SYP 25.49

128.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.04 SYP 1,220

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 SOS 555

$1.02 SYP 124

-3.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 SOS 305

$1.49 SYP 180

-63.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 SOS 1,667

$7.68 SYP 933

-61.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 SOS 522

$3.72 SYP 452

-75.27%

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

$15.1K SYP 1.8M

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

$6,464 SOS 3.7M

$18.8K SYP 2.3M

-65.58%

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

$157 SOS 89.1K

$138 SYP 16.8K

13.35%

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

$5.02 SOS 2,849

$9.53 SYP 1,158

-47.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 SOS 37.7K

$46.09 SYP 5,600

43.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.89 SOS 18.1K

$28.43 SYP 3,454

12.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.57 SYP 1,042

Cinema Ticket

$5.64 SYP 686

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

$78.6 SOS 44.7K

$66.8 SYP 8,113

17.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$751 SOS 426.6K

$1,746 SYP 212.1K

-56.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.26 SOS 8,102

$28.89 SYP 3,510

-50.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.25 SOS 8,096

$40.07 SYP 4,869

-64.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.29 SOS 14.4K

$59.4 SYP 7,212

-57.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.84 SOS 18.7K

$58.4 SYP 7,101

-43.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$193 SOS 109.6K

$527 SYP 64.1K

-63.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$78.9 SOS 44.8K

$183 SYP 22.3K

-56.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 SOS 274.7K

$837 SYP 101.7K

-42.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 SOS 107.4K

$443 SYP 53.8K

-57.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,230 SOS 1.8M

$1,705 SYP 207.2K

89.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 SOS 1.4M

$611 SYP 74.2K

298.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$275 SOS 156.3K

$72.7 SYP 8,829

278.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.25

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

Last update for Mogadishu: August 30, 2026

Last update for Damascus: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $193 in Mogadishu and $527 in Damascus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mogadishu pays 279% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Mogadishu vs $45.00 in Damascus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $162 vs $169 per month, with Mogadishu cheaper across the board.

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 Damascus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mogadishu and Damascus differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($621 vs $858 including rent). Mogadishu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 279% 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: $193 in Mogadishu versus $527 in Damascus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $78.6 in Mogadishu versus $66.8 in Damascus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mogadishu – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $45.00 in Damascus. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $621 in Mogadishu versus $858 in Damascus, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mogadishu but tight or insufficient in Damascus. The gap between the two cities makes Mogadishu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Mogadishu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Damascus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.