Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mogadishu and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Mogadishu: $616 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Mogadishu

🇸🇴 Somalia

$616

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mogadishu and in Tbilisi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $616 in Mogadishu versus $1,270 in Tbilisi.

Mogadishu $616
Tbilisi $1,270

Estimated couple costs with rent: $949 in Mogadishu versus $2,008 in Tbilisi.

Mogadishu $949
Tbilisi $2,008

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,282 in Mogadishu versus $2,745 in Tbilisi.

Mogadishu $1,282
Tbilisi $2,745

Living in Mogadishu costs roughly 52% less than in Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mogadishu 55% lower, Tbilisi 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 SOS 1,681

$11.51 ₾29.79

-74.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.95 SOS 19.9K

$38.27 ₾99.1

-8.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 SOS 2,573

$9.80 ₾25.36

-53.78%

Cappuccino

$2.03 SOS 1,155

$3.55 ₾9.19

-42.82%

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

$1.20 SOS 680

$1.06 ₾2.74

13.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 SOS 303

$0.62 ₾1.60

-14.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 ₾7.16

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 ₾7.77

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 SOS 720

$2.16 ₾5.59

-41.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 SOS 897

$0.76 ₾1.96

107.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 SOS 449

$1.74 ₾4.51

-54.60%

Eggs

$1.95 SOS 1,107

$2.79 ₾7.21

-30.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 SOS 2,913

$9.20 ₾23.83

-44.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.85 SOS 2,189

$6.53 ₾16.89

-41.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.55 SOS 2,585

$12.81 ₾33.17

-64.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 SOS 2,169

$1.67 ₾4.31

128.74%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 SOS 555

$1.85 ₾4.79

-47.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 SOS 1,727

$1.98 ₾5.13

53.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 SOS 745

$2.51 ₾6.49

-47.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 SOS 876

$0.87 ₾2.26

77.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 SOS 1,000

$0.73 ₾1.89

141.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 SOS 861

$1.42 ₾3.67

7.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SOS 303

$0.72 ₾1.88

-26.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₾8.74

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₾20.31

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SOS 1,156

$1.62 ₾4.19

25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.15

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 SOS 298

$0.37 ₾0.96

40.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ₾40.16

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 SOS 577

$1.14 ₾2.94

-10.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 SOS 325

$0.79 ₾2.05

-27.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 SOS 1,744

$11.57 ₾29.96

-73.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 SOS 485

$1.50 ₾3.87

-43.33%

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

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

$6,413 SOS 3.6M

$22.4K ₾57.9K

-71.33%

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

$161 SOS 91.6K

$88.3 ₾228

82.79%

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

$4.89 SOS 2,778

$13.08 ₾33.86

-62.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 SOS 37.7K

$19.53 ₾50.6

239.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.50 SOS 17.9K

$64.2 ₾166

-50.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ₾18.10

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

$77.4 SOS 44.0K

$373 ₾966

-79.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$771 SOS 438.1K

$10.7K ₾27.7K

-92.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.11 SOS 8,013

$103 ₾266

-86.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.82 SOS 7,848

$40.48 ₾105

-65.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$24.83 SOS 14.1K

$116 ₾301

-78.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.74 SOS 18.6K

$122 ₾316

-73.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 SOS 112.6K

$677 ₾1,753

-70.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.5 SOS 43.5K

$454 ₾1,176

-83.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 SOS 267.0K

$1,277 ₾3,305

-63.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 SOS 107.8K

$890 ₾2,304

-78.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,145 SOS 1.8M

$2,410 ₾6,238

30.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,428 SOS 1.4M

$1,418 ₾3,670

71.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$280 SOS 159.2K

$703 ₾1,819

-60.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

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

Last update for Mogadishu: October 18, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mogadishu

$233 37.8%

Tbilisi

$121 9.5% 48% $112

Groceries & Markets

Mogadishu

$162 * 26.3%

Tbilisi

$233 18.3% 43.5% $71

Accommodation & Living

Mogadishu

$77 12.4%

Tbilisi

$454 35.8% 493% $378

Eating Out

Mogadishu

$69 * 11.1%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 178% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Mogadishu

$38 6.3%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5% 346% $133

Sport & Entertainment

Mogadishu

$32 * 5.1%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 148% $47

Getting Around

Mogadishu

$6 * 1%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7% 270% $16

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 $677 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 151% 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 $38.00 in Tbilisi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $162 vs $233 per month, with Mogadishu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇴 Mogadishu

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

13:49 1:49 PM

14:49 2:49 PM

1 h ahead of Mogadishu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,610,000 Capital

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

Somali Shilling SOS Sh

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, 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).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

USD to SOS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mogadishu Tbilisi 4,410 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Mogadishu
Tbilisi

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 Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mogadishu wins on cost – living expenses run 106% lower than in Tbilisi. 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 151% lower in Tbilisi. 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 $677 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $77.4 in Mogadishu versus $373 in Tbilisi. 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 $35.00 versus $38.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $616 in Mogadishu versus $1,270 in Tbilisi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mogadishu but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. 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 $616 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mogadishu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mogadishu and Tbilisi 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 106% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.