Cost of Living Comparison Between Aracaju and Mombasa Cost of Living Comparison Between Aracaju and Mombasa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $634 in Aracaju versus $619 in Mombasa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $987 in Aracaju versus $1,079 in Mombasa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,340 in Aracaju versus $1,539 in Mombasa.

Living in Aracaju is roughly 2% more expensive than in Mombasa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Aracaju 52% lower, Mombasa 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.99 R$25.30

$2.34 KES 302

113.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.20 R$108

$19.58 KES 2,531

8.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 R$27.57

$8.87 KES 1,146

-38.78%

Cappuccino

$1.55 R$7.87

$3.30 KES 426

-53.03%

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

$0.96 R$4.88

$0.52 KES 66.8

84.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.88

$0.48 KES 61.5

18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.87 KES 242

-3.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R$13.01

$2.89 KES 373

-11.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 R$4.71

$0.82 KES 105

13.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 R$6.40

$0.54 KES 70.3

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.99

$1.44 KES 186

-31.94%

Eggs

$1.50 R$7.59

$1.75 KES 226

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 R$33.40

$10.05 KES 1,299

-34.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 R$17.27

$6.01 KES 777

-43.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 R$32.25

$5.21 KES 673

22.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.25

$1.81 KES 234

-9.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.85

$0.86 KES 111

33.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.64 R$3.26

$1.53 KES 198

-58.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.70

$0.73 KES 94.8

27.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.74

$0.72 KES 92.9

29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 R$4.47

$1.07 KES 138

-17.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 R$2.34

$0.62 KES 80.5

-25.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.13

$0.58 KES 75.0

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 R$10.12

$3.44 KES 445

-42.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.81 R$29.48

$7.94 KES 1,026

-26.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.62

$1.96 KES 254

-33.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 R$9.26

$2.84 KES 367

-35.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 R$4.29

$0.74 KES 96.3

14.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.78 R$192

$35.00 KES 4,524

7.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 R$5.26

$3.11 KES 402

-66.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 R$5.49

$1.87 KES 242

-42.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 R$31.61

$4.61 KES 596

35.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 R$5.26

$1.60 KES 206

-35.00%

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

$18.1K R$91.7K

$12.2K KES 1.6M

48.12%

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

$26.9K R$136.7K

$12.2K KES 1.6M

120.62%

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

$68.0 R$345

$44.01 KES 5,688

54.53%

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

$14.24 R$72.3

$14.12 KES 1,825

0.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.69 R$79.6

$44.43 KES 5,743

-64.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.98 R$96.3

$18.28 KES 2,363

3.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.76 R$126

$19.64 KES 2,538

26.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 R$29.01

$4.59 KES 593

24.62%

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

$170 R$862

$86.0 KES 11.1K

97.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,821 R$24.5K

$5,470 KES 707.0K

-11.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 R$269

$13.40 KES 1,732

295.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.89 R$152

$13.87 KES 1,792

115.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 R$348

$23.46 KES 3,032

192.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 R$392

$46.74 KES 6,041

65.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 R$918

$181 KES 23.3K

0.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 R$597

$118 KES 15.2K

-0.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 R$3,091

$595 KES 76.9K

2.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 R$1,065

$448 KES 57.8K

-53.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,289 R$6,540

$5,454 KES 704.9K

-76.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$900 R$4,567

$3,880 KES 501.5K

-76.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$441 R$2,238

$314 KES 40.5K

40.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.35

-20.38%

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

Last update for Aracaju: July 26, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $181 in Aracaju and $181 in Mombasa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aracaju pays 41% 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: $21.00 in Aracaju vs $20.00 in Mombasa. Groceries flip the comparison at $146 vs $171, with Aracaju 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

Aracaju vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aracaju and Mombasa differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($634 vs $619 including rent). Mombasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 41% higher in Aracaju, 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: $181 in Aracaju versus $181 in Mombasa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $170 in Aracaju versus $86.0 in Mombasa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Aracaju pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Mombasa gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Mombasa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Aracaju. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.