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: $640 in Aracaju versus $614 in Mombasa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,001 in Aracaju versus $1,068 in Mombasa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,362 in Aracaju versus $1,523 in Mombasa.

Living in Aracaju is roughly 4% more expensive than Mombasa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Aracaju 52% lower, Mombasa 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.92 R$24.52

$2.33 KES 301

111.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.87 R$109

$19.28 KES 2,491

13.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 R$27.63

$8.94 KES 1,155

-37.92%

Cappuccino

$1.61 R$8.00

$3.25 KES 419

-50.46%

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

$1.02 R$5.06

$0.48 KES 61.8

112.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$2.99

$0.45 KES 57.9

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 R$9.06

$1.97 KES 255

-7.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 R$13.05

$2.91 KES 376

-9.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 R$4.65

$0.83 KES 107

12.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 R$6.24

$0.54 KES 69.8

131.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.16

$1.41 KES 182

-26.24%

Eggs

$1.57 R$7.83

$1.82 KES 235

-13.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.83 R$34.02

$9.91 KES 1,280

-31.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 R$16.86

$5.87 KES 758

-42.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.42 R$31.95

$5.24 KES 677

22.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.12

$1.82 KES 235

-10.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.66

$0.87 KES 112

31.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.61 R$3.02

$1.52 KES 197

-59.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 R$4.59

$0.76 KES 98.1

21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 R$4.37

$0.66 KES 85.8

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 R$4.07

$1.07 KES 138

-23.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 R$2.46

$0.63 KES 81.0

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.08

$0.62 KES 79.9

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.04 R$10.14

$3.32 KES 429

-38.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 R$30.03

$7.79 KES 1,006

-22.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 R$6.35

$1.95 KES 252

-34.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 R$9.16

$2.77 KES 358

-33.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 R$3.98

$0.73 KES 94.5

9.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.84 R$193

$34.27 KES 4,428

13.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 R$5.13

$3.16 KES 408

-67.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 R$5.68

$1.90 KES 246

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.18 R$30.78

$4.55 KES 588

35.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.38

$1.63 KES 211

-33.74%

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

$18.0K R$89.6K

$11.9K KES 1.5M

51.48%

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

$26.3K R$130.9K

$11.8K KES 1.5M

122.75%

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

$66.5 R$331

$44.31 KES 5,727

50.06%

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

$13.88 R$69.1

$14.23 KES 1,839

-2.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.34 R$76.4

$44.18 KES 5,709

-65.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.76 R$93.4

$18.34 KES 2,370

2.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.92 R$119

$19.55 KES 2,526

22.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.90 R$29.37

$4.59 KES 593

28.54%

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

$166 R$825

$85.7 KES 11.1K

93.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,806 R$23.9K

$5,452 KES 704.5K

-11.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 R$257

$13.12 KES 1,695

293.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.07 R$150

$13.86 KES 1,791

116.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 R$340

$23.60 KES 3,049

189.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 R$391

$46.61 KES 6,023

68.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 R$900

$179 KES 23.2K

0.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 R$587

$114 KES 14.7K

3.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 R$3,039

$597 KES 77.1K

2.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$215 R$1,070

$455 KES 58.8K

-52.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,298 R$6,462

$5,498 KES 710.5K

-76.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$903 R$4,496

$3,826 KES 494.4K

-76.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$460 R$2,293

$319 KES 41.3K

44.11%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $181 in Aracaju and $179 in Mombasa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aracaju pays 44% 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: $22.00 in Aracaju vs $19.00 in Mombasa. Groceries flip the comparison at $147 vs $170, 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 4% in total monthly costs ($640 vs $614 including rent). Mombasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Aracaju pays 44% 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: $181 in Aracaju versus $179 in Mombasa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $166 in Aracaju versus $85.7 in Mombasa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Aracaju pay roughly 16% 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 4% less than in Aracaju. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.