Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mogadishu and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Mogadishu: $610 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Mogadishu

🇸🇴 Somalia

$610

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mogadishu and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $610 in Mogadishu versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Mogadishu $610
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $940 in Mogadishu versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Mogadishu $940
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,270 in Mogadishu versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Mogadishu $1,270
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Mogadishu costs roughly 73% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mogadishu is 55% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 SOS 1,664

$16.50 €14.67

-82.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 SOS 19.8K

$61.3 €54.5

-43.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 SOS 2,532

$11.27 €10.03

-60.43%

Cappuccino

$1.97 SOS 1,121

$3.06 €2.72

-35.62%

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

$1.15 SOS 652

$2.26 €2.01

-49.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 SOS 282

$1.73 €1.54

-71.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 SOS 717

$1.12 €1.00

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 SOS 935

$1.86 €1.65

-11.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 SOS 431

$1.53 €1.36

-50.33%

Eggs

$1.87 SOS 1,061

$3.96 €3.53

-52.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.02 SOS 2,852

$12.76 €11.35

-60.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 SOS 2,259

$7.90 €7.02

-49.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.52 SOS 2,566

$16.97 €15.09

-73.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 SOS 2,160

$2.27 €2.02

67.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 SOS 583

$1.75 €1.55

-41.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 SOS 1,730

$1.85 €1.64

64.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 SOS 711

$2.57 €2.28

-51.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 SOS 831

$1.86 €1.65

-21.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 SOS 970

$2.02 €1.80

-15.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 SOS 842

$1.44 €1.28

2.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SOS 305

$0.82 €0.73

-34.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 SOS 1,118

$1.28 €1.14

53.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 SOS 275

$2.35 €2.09

-79.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 SOS 562

$3.99 €3.55

-75.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 SOS 302

$1.09 €0.97

-51.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 SOS 1,720

$16.64 €14.81

-81.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 SOS 480

$2.28 €2.03

-62.72%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

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

$6,440 SOS 3.7M

$39.3K €35.0K

-83.61%

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

$158 SOS 89.7K

$167 €149

-5.69%

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

$5.13 SOS 2,913

$18.80 €16.72

-72.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.7 SOS 37.3K

$33.09 €29.43

98.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.16 SOS 18.3K

$46.01 €40.93

-30.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

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

$79.2 SOS 45.0K

$677 €602

-88.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$775 SOS 440.3K

$16.9K €15.1K

-95.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.05 SOS 7,982

$101 €90.1

-86.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.92 SOS 7,907

$45.76 €40.70

-69.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.37 SOS 14.4K

$100.0 €88.9

-74.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.90 SOS 18.1K

$123 €109

-74.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$194 SOS 110.2K

$1,614 €1,436

-87.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.4 SOS 43.4K

$1,197 €1,065

-93.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 SOS 270.9K

$2,862 €2,545

-83.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 SOS 105.4K

$1,990 €1,770

-90.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,219 SOS 1.8M

$7,577 €6,740

-57.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,421 SOS 1.4M

$4,307 €3,831

-43.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$271 SOS 154.0K

$1,588 €1,412

-82.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Mogadishu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mogadishu

$229 37.5%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 4.1% $9.3

Groceries & Markets

Mogadishu

$162 * 26.5%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 66.6% $108

Accommodation & Living

Mogadishu

$76 12.5%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 1466% $1.1K

Eating Out

Mogadishu

$67 * 11%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 261% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Mogadishu

$38 6.3%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 334% $128

Sport & Entertainment

Mogadishu

$32 * 5.3%

Lisbon

$66 3% 104% $34

Getting Around

Mogadishu

$5.6 * 0.9%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 1029% $57

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 $194 in Mogadishu and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 486% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Mogadishu vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $162 vs $269 per month, with Mogadishu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇴 Mogadishu

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

09:08 9:08 AM

07:08 7:08 AM

2 h behind Mogadishu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,610,000 Capital

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Somali Shilling SOS Sh

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SOS – Somali Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇴 Somali Shilling (Sh)

Somali Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 568 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 639 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to SOS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mogadishu Lisbon 6,850 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Mogadishu
Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mogadishu and Lisbon differ by about 264% in total monthly costs ($610 vs $2,223 including rent). Mogadishu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 486% lower in Lisbon. 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: $194 in Mogadishu versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $610 per month in Mogadishu versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 264% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $610 in Mogadishu versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mogadishu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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.

Safety-wise, Mogadishu and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mogadishu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 264% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.