Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mombasa Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mombasa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $604 in Mombasa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,064 in Mombasa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,525 in Mombasa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 291% more expensive than Mombasa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Mombasa is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$2.37 KES 308

641.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$19.29 KES 2,498

254.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.53 KES 1,106

64.83%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.25 KES 421

-14.46%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.51 KES 66.3

449.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.47 KES 61.2

338.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.90 KES 246

134.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.93 KES 380

57.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.81 KES 104

53.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.53 KES 69.3

283.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.44 KES 187

33.33%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.73 KES 223

91.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$9.96 KES 1,291

85.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$5.82 KES 754

63.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$5.24 KES 679

265.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.81 KES 234

45.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.93 KES 121

163.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.56 KES 202

35.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.76 KES 98.2

275.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.71 KES 92.4

187.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.05 KES 136

76.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.67 KES 86.9

119.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.57 KES 74.0

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$3.32 KES 430

115.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$7.90 KES 1,023

-0.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.94 KES 252

-28.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.73 KES 354

-15.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.79 KES 103

277.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$35.09 KES 4,546

-16.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$3.02 KES 391

52.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.95 KES 252

6.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$4.61 KES 597

532.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.60 KES 208

15.00%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$12.1K KES 1.6M

222.84%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$11.8K KES 1.5M

177.42%

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

$188 €162

$44.87 KES 5,813

318.59%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$14.07 KES 1,822

62.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$44.11 KES 5,715

-16.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$18.18 KES 2,356

215.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$18.95 KES 2,455

9.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$4.55 KES 589

145.93%

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

$721 €620

$87.3 KES 11.3K

725.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$5,325 KES 689.9K

182.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$13.39 KES 1,734

543.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$13.83 KES 1,792

168.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$23.61 KES 3,059

332.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$47.29 KES 6,126

145.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$178 KES 23.0K

762.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$115 KES 14.9K

960.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$605 KES 78.4K

345.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$465 KES 60.2K

332.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$5,402 KES 699.9K

33.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$3,839 KES 497.3K

35.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$318 KES 41.2K

642.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-73.92%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $178 in Mombasa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 643% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $19.00 in Mombasa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $170 per month, with Mombasa 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

Barcelona vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mombasa differ by about 291% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $604 including rent). Mombasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 643% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $178 in Mombasa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $87.3 in Mombasa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $604 in Mombasa versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mombasa but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Mombasa 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 Mombasa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 291% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.