Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mogadishu and Garowe

For one person, living is cheaper in Garowe: $515 a month against $616 in Mogadishu, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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

Garowe

🇸🇴 Somalia

$515

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mogadishu and in Garowe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $616 in Mogadishu versus $515 in Garowe.

Mogadishu $616
Garowe $515

Estimated couple costs with rent: $949 in Mogadishu versus $708 in Garowe.

Mogadishu $949
Garowe $708

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,282 in Mogadishu versus $902 in Garowe.

Mogadishu $1,282
Garowe $902

Living in Mogadishu is roughly 20% more expensive than in Garowe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mogadishu 55% lower, Garowe 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 SOS 1,681

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.95 SOS 19.9K

$9.17 SOS 5,206

281.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 SOS 2,573

Cappuccino

$2.03 SOS 1,155

$2.96 SOS 1,680

-31.42%

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

$1.20 SOS 680

$1.51 SOS 860

-20.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 SOS 303

$0.21 SOS 121

152.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$32.79 SOS 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 SOS 720

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 SOS 897

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 SOS 449

Eggs

$1.95 SOS 1,107

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 SOS 2,913

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.85 SOS 2,189

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.55 SOS 2,585

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 SOS 2,169

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 SOS 555

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

$1.32 SOS 748

-59.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SOS 1,156

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 SOS 298

$0.29 SOS 164

79.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 SOS 577

$1.53 SOS 869

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 SOS 325

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 SOS 1,744

$4.96 SOS 2,819

-38.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 SOS 485

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

$121 SOS 68.7K

33.28%

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

$4.89 SOS 2,778

$9.88 SOS 5,614

-50.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 SOS 37.7K

$49.84 SOS 28.3K

33.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.50 SOS 17.9K

$19.93 SOS 11.3K

58.05%

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

$77.4 SOS 44.0K

$35.27 SOS 20.0K

119.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$771 SOS 438.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.11 SOS 8,013

$20.21 SOS 11.5K

-30.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.82 SOS 7,848

$30.48 SOS 17.3K

-54.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$24.83 SOS 14.1K

$15.15 SOS 8,604

63.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.74 SOS 18.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 SOS 112.6K

$88.6 SOS 50.3K

123.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.5 SOS 43.5K

$59.9 SOS 34.0K

27.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 SOS 267.0K

$345 SOS 196.1K

36.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 SOS 107.8K

$181 SOS 102.7K

4.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,145 SOS 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,428 SOS 1.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$280 SOS 159.2K

$399 SOS 226.8K

-29.80%

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

Last update for Mogadishu: October 18, 2026

Last update for Garowe: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mogadishu

$233 37.8%

Garowe

–

Groceries & Markets

Mogadishu

$162 * 26.3%

Garowe

–

Accommodation & Living

Mogadishu

$77 12.4%

Garowe

–

Eating Out

Mogadishu

$69 * 11.1%

Garowe

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mogadishu

$38 6.3%

Garowe

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mogadishu

$32 * 5.1%

Garowe

–

Getting Around

Mogadishu

$6 * 1%

Garowe

–

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 $88.6 in Garowe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Garowe pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Mogadishu vs $9.00 in Garowe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $162 vs $16.00 per month, with Garowe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇴 Mogadishu

🇸🇴 Garowe

🕒 Local time

17:24 5:24 PM

Same time as Mogadishu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,610,000 Capital

57,300

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Mogadishu Garowe 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mogadishu
Garowe

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 Garowe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Garowe is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and clothing. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Garowe. 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 $88.6 in Garowe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $77.4 in Mogadishu versus $35.27 in Garowe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Garowe – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $35.00 in Mogadishu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Garowe 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 Garowe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Mogadishu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.