Cost of Living Comparison Between Mogadishu and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Mogadishu and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $621 in Mogadishu versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $948 in Mogadishu versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,274 in Mogadishu versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Mogadishu costs roughly 50% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mogadishu 55% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 SOS 1,671

$4.56 ฿150

-35.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.31 SOS 19.5K

$32.62 ฿1,072

5.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.41 SOS 2,504

$8.90 ฿293

-50.45%

Cappuccino

$2.02 SOS 1,148

$2.80 ฿92.2

-27.86%

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

$1.19 SOS 678

$0.88 ฿28.93

35.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 SOS 285

$0.49 ฿16.08

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 SOS 746

$1.79 ฿58.7

-26.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 SOS 894

$1.44 ฿47.38

9.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 SOS 431

$1.58 ฿52.1

-51.90%

Eggs

$1.94 SOS 1,103

$2.13 ฿69.9

-8.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.94 SOS 2,805

$19.92 ฿655

-75.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.93 SOS 2,233

$3.43 ฿113

14.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.54 SOS 2,576

$11.33 ฿372

-59.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 SOS 2,188

$2.95 ฿96.9

30.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 SOS 561

$1.72 ฿56.6

-42.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 SOS 1,748

$2.32 ฿76.4

32.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 SOS 712

$2.08 ฿68.4

-39.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 SOS 828

$1.47 ฿48.33

-0.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 SOS 1,009

$1.36 ฿44.64

30.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 SOS 877

$1.10 ฿36.12

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 SOS 287

$0.57 ฿18.89

-12.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 SOS 1,119

$1.87 ฿61.5

5.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 SOS 274

$2.22 ฿72.9

-78.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 SOS 555

$3.03 ฿99.6

-67.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 SOS 305

$1.07 ฿35.31

-49.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 SOS 1,667

$3.93 ฿129

-25.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 SOS 522

$1.49 ฿49.04

-38.26%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

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

$6,464 SOS 3.7M

$27.5K ฿902.3K

-76.45%

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

$157 SOS 89.1K

$103 ฿3,379

52.56%

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

$5.02 SOS 2,849

$10.99 ฿361

-54.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 SOS 37.7K

$17.51 ฿576

278.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.89 SOS 18.1K

$53.5 ฿1,760

-40.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

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

$78.6 SOS 44.7K

$557 ฿18.3K

-85.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$751 SOS 426.6K

$11.9K ฿389.6K

-93.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.26 SOS 8,102

$64.1 ฿2,106

-77.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.25 SOS 8,096

$29.07 ฿956

-50.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.29 SOS 14.4K

$96.0 ฿3,154

-73.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.84 SOS 18.7K

$90.3 ฿2,970

-63.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$193 SOS 109.6K

$730 ฿24.0K

-73.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$78.9 SOS 44.8K

$500 ฿16.4K

-84.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 SOS 274.7K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-76.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 SOS 107.4K

$1,209 ฿39.7K

-84.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,230 SOS 1.8M

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-10.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,437 SOS 1.4M

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-3.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$275 SOS 156.3K

$503 ฿16.5K

-45.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Mogadishu: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $193 in Mogadishu and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 83% 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: $34.00 in Mogadishu vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $162 vs $273, with Mogadishu cheaper for home cooking.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mogadishu wins on cost – living expenses run 102% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mogadishu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 83% lower in Phuket. 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: $193 in Mogadishu versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $78.6 in Mogadishu versus $557 in Phuket. 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 $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $621 in Mogadishu versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mogadishu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mogadishu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mogadishu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $621 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mogadishu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mogadishu and Phuket 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 102% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.