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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $618 in Mombasa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,060 in Mombasa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,502 in Mombasa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 275% more expensive than in Mombasa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Mombasa is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.43

$2.35 KES 304

651.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.9

$19.18 KES 2,478

263.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.37

$8.80 KES 1,137

60.91%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.18 KES 411

-11.95%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.48 KES 62.4

485.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$0.48 KES 61.7

329.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$1.96 KES 253

134.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$2.82 KES 364

66.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$0.82 KES 106

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.49 KES 63.9

314.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.40 KES 180

41.43%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.79 KES 231

94.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.01

$9.71 KES 1,255

88.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.59

$5.82 KES 752

68.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.71

$5.22 KES 675

266.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.79 KES 231

52.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$0.91 KES 117

161.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.52 KES 197

36.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.79 KES 102

248.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.68 KES 87.5

188.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.08 KES 139

65.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.66 KES 85.4

124.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.60 KES 78.0

51.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.23

$3.30 KES 427

116.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.88

$7.95 KES 1,027

-0.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.88 KES 242

-26.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.77 KES 358

-13.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.75 KES 96.4

301.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.65

$35.08 KES 4,532

-16.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.81

$3.05 KES 394

42.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.94 KES 251

9.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.86

$4.58 KES 592

546.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.60 KES 206

13.75%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$12.0K KES 1.5M

216.01%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$11.8K KES 1.5M

174.51%

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

$189 €165

$44.61 KES 5,764

323.74%

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

$22.29 €19.48

$14.45 KES 1,867

54.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.47

$43.55 KES 5,626

-14.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.7

$18.09 KES 2,337

220.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.05

$19.19 KES 2,480

7.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.50

$4.71 KES 609

130.79%

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

$706 €617

$87.7 KES 11.3K

704.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$5,406 KES 698.5K

174.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.2

$13.03 KES 1,684

586.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €31.98

$13.80 KES 1,784

165.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.9

$23.61 KES 3,050

340.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$45.93 KES 5,934

159.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,379

$181 KES 23.4K

773.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,082

$118 KES 15.3K

948.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,370

$590 KES 76.3K

359.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,782

$462 KES 59.7K

341.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,576

$5,440 KES 702.8K

38.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,577

$3,820 KES 493.6K

37.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,065

$321 KES 41.5K

635.66%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $181 in Mombasa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 636% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $19.00 in Mombasa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $169 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 275% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $618 including rent). Mombasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 636% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $181 in Mombasa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $87.7 in Mombasa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $618 in Mombasa versus $2,320 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 275% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.