Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mogadishu and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Mogadishu: $616 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Mogadishu
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Mogadishu Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Mogadishu

🇸🇴 Somalia

$616

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mogadishu and in Medellin

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

A single person spends $616 per month in Mogadishu vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Mogadishu $616
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $949 per month in Mogadishu vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Mogadishu $949
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $1,282 per month in Mogadishu vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Mogadishu $1,282
Medellin $3,199

Mogadishu is about 62% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mogadishu sits 55% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 SOS 1,681

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-64.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.95 SOS 19.9K

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-25.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 SOS 2,573

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-50.97%

Cappuccino

$2.03 SOS 1,155

$3.05 COP 9,676

-33.44%

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

$1.20 SOS 680

$1.80 COP 5,707

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 SOS 303

$1.38 COP 4,382

-61.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 SOS 720

$1.50 COP 4,760

-15.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 SOS 897

$2.37 COP 7,508

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 SOS 449

$1.70 COP 5,377

-53.53%

Eggs

$1.95 SOS 1,107

$2.96 COP 9,379

-34.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 SOS 2,913

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-49.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.85 SOS 2,189

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-60.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.55 SOS 2,585

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-67.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 SOS 2,169

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-7.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 SOS 555

$1.53 COP 4,839

-35.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 SOS 1,727

$2.22 COP 7,052

36.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 SOS 745

$2.27 COP 7,194

-42.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 SOS 876

$1.99 COP 6,311

-22.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 SOS 1,000

$1.67 COP 5,285

5.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 SOS 861

$1.18 COP 3,742

28.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SOS 303

$1.24 COP 3,919

-57.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SOS 1,156

$1.66 COP 5,256

22.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 SOS 298

$1.24 COP 3,944

-58.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 SOS 577

$1.28 COP 4,044

-20.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 SOS 325

$2.15 COP 6,803

-73.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 SOS 1,744

$8.37 COP 26.5K

-63.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 SOS 485

$1.35 COP 4,288

-37.04%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$6,413 SOS 3.6M

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-81.51%

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

$161 SOS 91.6K

$167 COP 528.4K

-3.20%

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

$4.89 SOS 2,778

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-64.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 SOS 37.7K

$29.12 COP 92.3K

127.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.50 SOS 17.9K

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-30.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$77.4 SOS 44.0K

$790 COP 2.5M

-90.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$771 SOS 438.1K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-91.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.11 SOS 8,013

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-83.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.82 SOS 7,848

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-76.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$24.83 SOS 14.1K

$139 COP 440.7K

-82.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.74 SOS 18.6K

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-66.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 SOS 112.6K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-80.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.5 SOS 43.5K

$620 COP 2.0M

-87.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 SOS 267.0K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-75.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 SOS 107.8K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-81.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,145 SOS 1.8M

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-21.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,428 SOS 1.4M

$1,702 COP 5.4M

42.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$280 SOS 159.2K

$663 COP 2.1M

-57.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Mogadishu: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mogadishu

$233 37.8%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 10% $23

Groceries & Markets

Mogadishu

$162 * 26.3%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 83.7% $136

Accommodation & Living

Mogadishu

$77 12.4%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 709% $543

Eating Out

Mogadishu

$69 * 11.1%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 149% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Mogadishu

$38 6.3%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 349% $134

Sport & Entertainment

Mogadishu

$32 * 5.1%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 87.4% $28

Getting Around

Mogadishu

$6 * 1%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 1492% $89

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 $1,028 in Medellin. 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 137% higher in Medellin, 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 $35.00 in Mogadishu versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $298 – making Mogadishu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇴 Mogadishu

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:51 1:51 PM

05:51 5:51 AM

8 h behind Mogadishu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,610,000 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Somali Shilling SOS Sh

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR 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).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to SOS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mogadishu Medellin 13,390 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mogadishu
Medellin

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 164%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $924 per month in Mogadishu and $2,437 in Medellin. 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 $35.00 in Mogadishu and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 84% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mogadishu, where all-in costs run around $616, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Mogadishu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.