Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Mogadishu Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Mogadishu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,209 in Tbilisi versus $596 in Mogadishu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,867 in Tbilisi versus $925 in Mogadishu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,526 in Tbilisi versus $1,253 in Mogadishu.

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 103% more expensive than Mogadishu, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 10% lower, Mogadishu 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.80 ₾28.70

$3.40 SOS 1,930

217.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.18 ₾115

$17.86 SOS 10.1K

141.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.29 ₾22.03

$4.41 SOS 2,506

87.98%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ₾7.96

$1.48 SOS 841

102.70%

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

$0.82 ₾2.17

$0.48 SOS 271

70.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₾1.21

$0.33 SOS 189

39.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 ₾5.93

$3.93 SOS 2,233

-43.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ₾7.75

$14.97 SOS 8,505

-80.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ₾5.11

$1.45 SOS 822

33.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 ₾1.81

$1.35 SOS 764

-49.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 ₾4.99

$0.90 SOS 510

108.89%

Eggs

$2.54 ₾6.73

$1.90 SOS 1,082

33.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.42 ₾19.70

$5.02 SOS 2,851

47.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 ₾16.43

$3.92 SOS 2,227

57.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ₾24.86

$4.95 SOS 2,813

89.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 ₾3.25

$3.33 SOS 1,891

-63.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ₾4.40

$0.99 SOS 560

67.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.78

$3.23 SOS 1,836

-44.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 ₾5.96

$1.36 SOS 772

64.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ₾1.89

$1.23 SOS 701

-42.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.79

$1.51 SOS 858

-55.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₾3.13

$1.36 SOS 774

-13.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₾1.76

$0.52 SOS 295

26.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ₾7.91

$1.22 SOS 691

144.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 ₾20.21

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₾4.08

$2.02 SOS 1,148

-23.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₾5.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₾0.95

$0.48 SOS 273

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 ₾38.36

$19.69 SOS 11.2K

-26.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ₾3.96

$1.02 SOS 582

46.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 ₾1.82

$0.61 SOS 347

11.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.23 ₾19.19

$6.54 SOS 3,714

10.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₾3.04

$1.01 SOS 571

12.87%

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

$18.5K ₾49.0K

$7,566 SOS 4.3M

143.97%

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

$20.0K ₾53.0K

$6,238 SOS 3.5M

220.11%

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

$73.7 ₾196

$84.1 SOS 47.8K

-12.39%

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

$11.64 ₾30.91

$5.12 SOS 2,909

127.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.84 ₾47.39

$58.3 SOS 33.1K

-69.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 ₾160

$31.42 SOS 17.8K

91.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ₾44.63

$10.54 SOS 5,988

59.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ₾17.54

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

$266 ₾708

$50.4 SOS 28.7K

428.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,191 ₾13.8K

$571 SOS 324.3K

809.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 ₾206

$17.51 SOS 9,948

343.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.75 ₾119

$24.48 SOS 13.9K

82.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₾310

$26.72 SOS 15.2K

337.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₾300

$59.9 SOS 34.0K

88.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₾1,839

$158 SOS 89.7K

338.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ₾1,226

$68.7 SOS 39.0K

572.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 ₾3,505

$466 SOS 264.4K

183.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ₾2,056

$182 SOS 103.6K

324.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 ₾6,455

$3,232 SOS 1.8M

-24.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 ₾3,840

$2,439 SOS 1.4M

-40.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 ₾1,787

$260 SOS 147.7K

158.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.89

48.63%

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

Last update for Tbilisi: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mogadishu: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Tbilisi and $158 in Mogadishu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays 159% 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: $43.00 in Tbilisi vs $18.00 in Mogadishu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $159 per month, with Mogadishu cheaper across the board.

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

Tbilisi vs Mogadishu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mogadishu wins on cost – living expenses run 103% 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.

Tbilisi pays 159% more on average, 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: $693 in Tbilisi versus $158 in Mogadishu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mogadishu – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $43.00 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,209 per month in Tbilisi versus $596 in Mogadishu – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $596 in Mogadishu versus $1,209 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 $596 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mogadishu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi 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 103% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.