Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mombasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Mombasa: $726 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Mombasa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $726 in Mombasa.

Austin, TX $2,704
Mombasa $726

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,140 in Mombasa.

Austin, TX $4,133
Mombasa $1,140

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,553 in Mombasa.

Austin, TX $5,562
Mombasa $1,553

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 272% more expensive than in Mombasa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Mombasa is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$2.65 KES 343

663.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$24.75 KES 3,210

243.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.36 KES 1,343

19.21%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.75 KES 357

98.91%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.68 KES 88.1

461.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.52 KES 67.1

380.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.28 KES 296

253.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.33 KES 432

169.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.99 KES 128

14.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.53 KES 69.3

613.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.52 KES 197

113.82%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.75 KES 227

136.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$13.89 KES 1,802

-5.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$4.92 KES 639

190.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$5.42 KES 703

194.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.17 KES 282

101.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.15 KES 149

26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.77 KES 230

156.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$0.71 KES 91.6

490.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.74 KES 95.8

255.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.05 KES 136

124.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.60 KES 78.0

193.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.46 KES 59.4

369.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.99 KES 517

145.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$9.71 KES 1,259

51.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.93 KES 250

44.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.90 KES 377

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.80 KES 103

86.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$39.24 KES 5,089

3.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.17 KES 411

-15.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.76 KES 229

-10.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$4.49 KES 583

685.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.59 KES 206

-37.74%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$12.1K KES 1.6M

195.44%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$12.2K KES 1.6M

123.53%

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

$219 $219

$76.8 KES 9,958

185.58%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$9.20 KES 1,194

530.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$34.52 KES 4,478

98.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$18.03 KES 2,339

221.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$19.39 KES 2,515

-23.57%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$15.22 KES 1,974

-7.16%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$85.5 KES 11.1K

1666.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,377 KES 697.4K

299.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$13.31 KES 1,727

288.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$13.57 KES 1,760

224.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$23.10 KES 2,996

268.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$46.02 KES 5,969

128.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$231 KES 30.0K

736.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$157 KES 20.3K

711.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$538 KES 69.8K

581.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$374 KES 48.5K

575.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$5,456 KES 707.6K

39.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$3,836 KES 497.6K

-16.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$318 KES 41.3K

1504.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-47.77%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Mombasa

$157 21.8% 87.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Mombasa

$186 26% 53.8% $217

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Mombasa

$108 15.1% 68.9% $240

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Mombasa

$121 16.8% 65.1% $225

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Mombasa

$43 6% 66.4% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Mombasa

$48 6.8% 43.7% $38

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Mombasa

$54 7.6% 4.6% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $231 in Mombasa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1504% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $25.00 in Mombasa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $186 per month, with Mombasa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🕒 Local time

02:24 2:24 AM

10:24 10:24 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,300,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR).

KES to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Mombasa 14,680 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mombasa

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

Austin, TX vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mombasa wins on cost – living expenses run 272% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mombasa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1504% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $231 in Mombasa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $726 in Mombasa – a 272% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mombasa runs roughly 3% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $726 in Mombasa versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mombasa but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mombasa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 272% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.