Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mogadishu and Hargeysa

For one person, living is cheaper in Hargeysa: $450 a month against $616 in Mogadishu, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Mogadishu
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Mogadishu Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Hargeysa
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Hargeysa Living Index

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Mogadishu

🇸🇴 Somalia

$616

/mo nomad

Hargeysa

🇸🇴 Somalia

$450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mogadishu and in Hargeysa

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

A single person spends $616 per month in Mogadishu vs $450 in Hargeysa, rent included.

Mogadishu $616
Hargeysa $450

A couple spends around $949 per month in Mogadishu vs $734 in Hargeysa, rent included.

Mogadishu $949
Hargeysa $734

A family of three spends $1,282 per month in Mogadishu vs $1,017 in Hargeysa, rent included.

Mogadishu $1,282
Hargeysa $1,017

Mogadishu costs about 37% more than Hargeysa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Mogadishu and Hargeysa are more affordable than the global median – Mogadishu 55% lower, Hargeysa 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 SOS 1,681

$4.94 SOS 2,804

-40.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.95 SOS 19.9K

$17.31 SOS 9,834

101.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 SOS 2,573

$5.53 SOS 3,143

-18.08%

Cappuccino

$2.03 SOS 1,155

$1.47 SOS 834

38.10%

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

$1.20 SOS 680

$0.96 SOS 546

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 SOS 303

$1.11 SOS 629

-52.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 SOS 720

$1.29 SOS 735

-1.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 SOS 897

$1.06 SOS 599

49.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 SOS 449

$1.10 SOS 624

-28.18%

Eggs

$1.95 SOS 1,107

$2.49 SOS 1,417

-21.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 SOS 2,913

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.85 SOS 2,189

$6.45 SOS 3,661

-40.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.55 SOS 2,585

$3.96 SOS 2,252

14.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 SOS 2,169

$2.01 SOS 1,144

90.05%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 SOS 555

$1.49 SOS 846

-34.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 SOS 1,727

$1.95 SOS 1,108

55.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 SOS 745

$1.28 SOS 728

2.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 SOS 876

$1.23 SOS 697

25.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 SOS 1,000

$1.47 SOS 838

19.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 SOS 861

$0.98 SOS 554

55.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SOS 303

$0.63 SOS 360

-15.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.98 SOS 559

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SOS 1,156

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 SOS 298

$0.27 SOS 153

92.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.26 SOS 6,965

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 SOS 577

$0.77 SOS 438

32.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 SOS 325

$0.62 SOS 351

-8.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 SOS 1,744

$4.05 SOS 2,299

-24.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 SOS 485

$1.06 SOS 601

-19.81%

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

$9,992 SOS 5.7M

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

$6,413 SOS 3.6M

$12.0K SOS 6.8M

-46.67%

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

$161 SOS 91.6K

$45.42 SOS 25.8K

255.15%

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

$4.89 SOS 2,778

$7.26 SOS 4,125

-32.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 SOS 37.7K

$20.12 SOS 11.4K

229.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.50 SOS 17.9K

$37.36 SOS 21.2K

-15.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.05 SOS 1,164

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

$77.4 SOS 44.0K

$24.57 SOS 14.0K

214.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$771 SOS 438.1K

$268 SOS 152.4K

187.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.11 SOS 8,013

$12.57 SOS 7,137

12.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.82 SOS 7,848

$19.78 SOS 11.2K

-30.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$24.83 SOS 14.1K

$17.56 SOS 9,971

41.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.74 SOS 18.6K

$30.46 SOS 17.3K

7.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 SOS 112.6K

$110 SOS 62.6K

79.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.5 SOS 43.5K

$71.3 SOS 40.5K

7.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 SOS 267.0K

$296 SOS 168.1K

58.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 SOS 107.8K

$168 SOS 95.2K

13.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,145 SOS 1.8M

$5,099 SOS 2.9M

-38.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,428 SOS 1.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$280 SOS 159.2K

$300 SOS 170.2K

-6.46%

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 Hargeysa: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mogadishu

$233 37.8%

Hargeysa

$73 16.2% 68.7% $160

Groceries & Markets

Mogadishu

$162 * 26.3%

Hargeysa

$133 * 29.6% 17.8% $29

Accommodation & Living

Mogadishu

$77 12.4%

Hargeysa

$71 15.8% 6.8% $5.2

Eating Out

Mogadishu

$69 * 11.1%

Hargeysa

$82 * 18.2% 19.5% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Mogadishu

$38 6.3%

Hargeysa

$36 8% 6% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Mogadishu

$32 * 5.1%

Hargeysa

$37 * 8.3% 18.6% $5.9

Getting Around

Mogadishu

$6 * 1%

Hargeysa

$17 3.8% 188% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $198 in Mogadishu versus $110 in Hargeysa. 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 7% higher in Hargeysa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Mogadishu versus $17.00 in Hargeysa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $133 – making Hargeysa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇴 Mogadishu

🇸🇴 Hargeysa

🕒 Local time

15:00 3:00 PM

Same time as Mogadishu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,610,000 Capital

1,960,000 Capital

💱 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 Hargeysa 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mogadishu
Hargeysa

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 Hargeysa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mogadishu costs about 37% more than Hargeysa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $924 per month in Mogadishu and $675 in Hargeysa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hargeysa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $616 in Mogadishu and $450 in Hargeysa. That's a gap of about 37%.

Kindergarten costs $77.4 per month in Mogadishu and $24.57 in Hargeysa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $616 in Mogadishu and $450 in Hargeysa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Hargeysa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hargeysa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mogadishu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.