Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mogadishu

For one person, living is cheaper in Mogadishu: $616 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Mogadishu
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Mogadishu Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Mogadishu

🇸🇴 Somalia

$616

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mogadishu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Mogadishu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $616 in Mogadishu.

Phuket $1,208
Mogadishu $616

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $949 in Mogadishu.

Phuket $2,027
Mogadishu $949

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,282 in Mogadishu.

Phuket $2,845
Mogadishu $1,282

Living in Phuket is roughly 96% more expensive than in Mogadishu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Mogadishu 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$2.96 SOS 1,681

48.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$34.95 SOS 19.9K

-7.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$4.53 SOS 2,573

93.38%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.03 SOS 1,155

39.41%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.20 SOS 680

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.53 SOS 303

-11.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.27 SOS 720

36.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.58 SOS 897

-6.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.79 SOS 449

91.14%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.95 SOS 1,107

11.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$5.13 SOS 2,913

284.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$3.85 SOS 2,189

-13.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$4.55 SOS 2,585

145.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$3.82 SOS 2,169

-25.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$0.98 SOS 555

73.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$3.04 SOS 1,727

-27.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.31 SOS 745

56.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.54 SOS 876

-5.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.76 SOS 1,000

-21.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.52 SOS 861

-29.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.53 SOS 303

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$2.04 SOS 1,156

-12.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.52 SOS 298

334.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.02 SOS 577

195.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.57 SOS 325

85.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$3.07 SOS 1,744

25.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.85 SOS 485

70.59%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$6,413 SOS 3.6M

320.15%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$161 SOS 91.6K

-40.25%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$4.89 SOS 2,778

125.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$66.3 SOS 37.7K

-74.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$31.50 SOS 17.9K

65.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$77.4 SOS 44.0K

618.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$771 SOS 438.1K

1401.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$14.11 SOS 8,013

355.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$13.82 SOS 7,848

107.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$24.83 SOS 14.1K

284.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$32.74 SOS 18.6K

168.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$198 SOS 112.6K

271.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$76.5 SOS 43.5K

504.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$470 SOS 267.0K

345.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$190 SOS 107.8K

532.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$3,145 SOS 1.8M

10.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$2,428 SOS 1.4M

3.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$280 SOS 159.2K

78.61%

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 Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mogadishu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Mogadishu

$77 12.4% 83.4% $386

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Mogadishu

$162 * 26.3% 39.6% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Mogadishu

$233 37.8% 86.7% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Mogadishu

$38 6.3% 69.1% $86

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Mogadishu

$69 * 11.1% 43.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Mogadishu

$32 * 5.1% 53.5% $36

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Mogadishu

$6 * 1% 84.8% $33

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 $737 in Phuket and $198 in Mogadishu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 79% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Mogadishu. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $162, with Mogadishu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇴 Mogadishu

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

02:29 2:29 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

2,610,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Somali Shilling SOS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SOS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

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).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Mogadishu 5,910 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mogadishu

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

Phuket vs Mogadishu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mogadishu wins on cost – living expenses run 96% 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.

Average pay runs 79% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $198 in Mogadishu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $77.4 in Mogadishu. 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 $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $616 in Mogadishu versus $1,208 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 $616 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mogadishu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Mogadishu 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 96% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.