Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Mombasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Mombasa: $726 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
Learn more

Mombasa Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu 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 Cebu and in Mombasa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $726 in Mombasa.

Cebu $934
Mombasa $726

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $1,140 in Mombasa.

Cebu $1,415
Mombasa $1,140

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $1,553 in Mombasa.

Cebu $1,896
Mombasa $1,553

Living in Cebu is roughly 29% more expensive than in Mombasa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Mombasa 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$2.65 KES 343

14.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$24.75 KES 3,210

-5.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$10.36 KES 1,343

-60.52%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$2.75 KES 357

-8.36%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$0.68 KES 88.1

126.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$0.52 KES 67.1

-5.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$2.28 KES 296

-21.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$3.33 KES 432

-32.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$0.99 KES 128

96.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$0.53 KES 69.3

169.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$1.52 KES 197

-32.89%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$1.75 KES 227

17.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$13.89 KES 1,802

-29.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$4.92 KES 639

-6.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$5.42 KES 703

42.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$2.17 KES 282

52.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$1.15 KES 149

26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.77 KES 230

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$0.71 KES 91.6

116.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$0.74 KES 95.8

218.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.05 KES 136

89.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$0.60 KES 78.0

91.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$0.46 KES 59.4

45.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$3.99 KES 517

-24.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$9.71 KES 1,259

-34.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.93 KES 250

-32.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.90 KES 377

-40.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$0.80 KES 103

-68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$39.24 KES 5,089

-67.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$3.17 KES 411

-76.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$1.76 KES 229

-88.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$4.49 KES 583

-3.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.59 KES 206

-16.35%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

79.60%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$12.2K KES 1.6M

59.55%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$76.8 KES 9,958

57.05%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$9.20 KES 1,194

57.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$34.52 KES 4,478

-18.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$18.03 KES 2,339

81.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$19.39 KES 2,515

-67.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$15.22 KES 1,974

-64.13%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$85.5 KES 11.1K

219.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$5,377 KES 697.4K

51.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$13.31 KES 1,727

272.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$13.57 KES 1,760

83.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$23.10 KES 2,996

231.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$46.02 KES 5,969

28.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$231 KES 30.0K

118.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$157 KES 20.3K

97.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$538 KES 69.8K

95.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$374 KES 48.5K

65.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$5,456 KES 707.6K

-46.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$3,836 KES 497.6K

-51.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$318 KES 41.3K

7.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-44.62%

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

Last update for Cebu: 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

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Mombasa

$157 21.8% 49.3% $153

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Mombasa

$186 26% 11.4% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Mombasa

$121 16.8% 26.2% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Mombasa

$43 6% 54.3% $51

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Mombasa

$108 15.1% 22.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Mombasa

$48 6.8% 11.2% $4.9

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Mombasa

$54 7.6% 252% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $231 in Mombasa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 7% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $25.00 in Mombasa. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $186, with Mombasa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🕒 Local time

15:10 3:10 PM

10:10 10:10 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

1,300,000

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 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).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Mombasa 9,460 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
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

Cebu vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mombasa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and clothing. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Cebu, 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: $506 in Cebu versus $231 in Mombasa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $726 in Mombasa – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mombasa runs roughly 210% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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.

For families, Mombasa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu 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 29% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.