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: $639 in Aracaju versus $625 in Mombasa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,000 in Aracaju versus $1,066 in Mombasa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,362 in Aracaju versus $1,508 in Mombasa.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.91 R$24.96

$2.34 KES 303

109.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.46 R$109

$19.23 KES 2,489

11.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 R$27.12

$8.63 KES 1,117

-38.24%

Cappuccino

$1.61 R$8.20

$3.30 KES 427

-51.21%

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

$1.02 R$5.17

$0.51 KES 66.6

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 R$3.00

$0.48 KES 62.2

22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 R$9.35

$1.98 KES 257

-7.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 R$13.39

$2.83 KES 366

-7.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 R$4.70

$0.85 KES 110

8.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 R$6.44

$0.50 KES 64.5

154.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.25

$1.44 KES 187

-28.47%

Eggs

$1.50 R$7.62

$1.81 KES 235

-17.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.81 R$34.65

$10.01 KES 1,295

-31.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 R$16.66

$5.84 KES 756

-44.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.61 R$33.65

$5.44 KES 704

21.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.38

$1.82 KES 236

-9.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.62

$0.91 KES 117

20.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.65 R$3.28

$1.52 KES 197

-57.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.91 R$4.63

$0.80 KES 103

13.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 R$4.78

$0.70 KES 91.1

34.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 R$4.35

$1.08 KES 140

-21.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 R$2.35

$0.62 KES 79.6

-25.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.89

$0.60 KES 77.7

-5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 R$10.18

$3.44 KES 446

-41.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.08 R$30.94

$7.78 KES 1,006

-21.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R$6.76

$1.91 KES 247

-30.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 R$9.74

$2.79 KES 361

-31.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 R$4.23

$0.80 KES 104

3.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.83 R$192

$34.90 KES 4,516

8.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R$5.55

$3.02 KES 390

-63.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 R$5.52

$1.90 KES 246

-43.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 R$30.85

$4.61 KES 596

31.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.19

$1.65 KES 214

-38.18%

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

$18.1K R$92.2K

$12.2K KES 1.6M

49.04%

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

$26.7K R$135.8K

$12.1K KES 1.6M

121.20%

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

$68.4 R$348

$44.92 KES 5,813

52.32%

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

$13.83 R$70.4

$13.95 KES 1,805

-0.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.36 R$78.1

$43.46 KES 5,624

-64.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.96 R$96.5

$17.80 KES 2,303

6.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.45 R$124

$19.17 KES 2,480

27.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 R$29.10

$4.73 KES 612

20.93%

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

$167 R$851

$88.7 KES 11.5K

88.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,799 R$24.4K

$5,475 KES 708.5K

-12.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 R$268

$13.32 KES 1,724

295.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 R$148

$13.48 KES 1,744

116.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 R$342

$23.12 KES 2,992

190.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 R$394

$45.71 KES 5,914

69.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$183 R$931

$182 KES 23.5K

0.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$119 R$603

$118 KES 15.3K

0.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 R$3,088

$593 KES 76.8K

2.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$215 R$1,096

$449 KES 58.1K

-52.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,293 R$6,578

$5,322 KES 688.6K

-75.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$894 R$4,546

$3,914 KES 506.4K

-77.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$458 R$2,333

$313 KES 40.5K

46.34%

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: June 16, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $183 in Aracaju and $182 in Mombasa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aracaju pays 46% 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 $19.00 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 ($639 vs $625 including rent). Mombasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Aracaju pays 46% 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: $183 in Aracaju versus $182 in Mombasa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $167 in Aracaju versus $88.7 in Mombasa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Aracaju pay roughly 17% 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.