Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Mombasa Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Mombasa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $677 per month in Chengdu vs $618 in Mombasa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,074 per month in Chengdu vs $1,060 in Mombasa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,472 per month in Chengdu vs $1,502 in Mombasa, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 9% more than Mombasa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Chengdu and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 49% lower, Mombasa 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.82 ¥19.09

$2.35 KES 304

20.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.08 ¥163

$19.18 KES 2,478

25.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 ¥33.66

$8.80 KES 1,137

-43.52%

Cappuccino

$2.76 ¥18.71

$3.18 KES 411

-13.21%

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

$0.43 ¥2.92

$0.48 KES 62.4

-10.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.88

$0.48 KES 61.7

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ¥7.70

$1.96 KES 253

-41.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.97

$2.82 KES 364

-26.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ¥12.28

$0.82 KES 106

120.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ¥9.39

$0.49 KES 63.9

183.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.31

$1.40 KES 180

-33.57%

Eggs

$1.94 ¥13.10

$1.79 KES 231

8.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.76 ¥93.2

$9.71 KES 1,255

41.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.61 ¥24.41

$5.82 KES 752

-37.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.32 ¥76.6

$5.22 KES 675

116.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ¥12.94

$1.79 KES 231

6.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.28

$0.91 KES 117

34.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.18

$1.52 KES 197

-1.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.90

$0.79 KES 102

29.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.81

$0.68 KES 87.5

4.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.76

$1.08 KES 139

-35.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.09

$0.66 KES 85.4

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.16

$0.60 KES 78.0

1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 ¥23.02

$3.30 KES 427

3.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.50 ¥37.19

$7.95 KES 1,027

-30.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥6.42

$1.88 KES 242

-49.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ¥12.53

$2.77 KES 358

-33.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.75 KES 96.4

-42.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.94 ¥189

$35.08 KES 4,532

-20.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 ¥8.38

$3.05 KES 394

-59.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ¥1.91

$1.94 KES 251

-85.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 ¥28.15

$4.58 KES 592

-9.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥7.95

$1.60 KES 206

-26.88%

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

$18.5K ¥125.0K

$12.0K KES 1.5M

54.01%

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

$16.7K ¥112.7K

$11.8K KES 1.5M

41.19%

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

$44.66 ¥302

$44.61 KES 5,764

0.11%

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

$11.53 ¥78.1

$14.45 KES 1,867

-20.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.33 ¥76.7

$43.55 KES 5,626

-73.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.18 ¥164

$18.09 KES 2,337

33.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.55 ¥78.2

$19.19 KES 2,480

-39.81%

Cinema Ticket

$5.69 ¥38.53

$4.71 KES 609

20.81%

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

$330 ¥2,232

$87.7 KES 11.3K

275.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ¥83.5K

$5,406 KES 698.5K

128.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.54 ¥254

$13.03 KES 1,684

188.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.48 ¥260

$13.80 KES 1,784

178.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.8 ¥452

$23.61 KES 3,050

183.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.0 ¥339

$45.93 KES 5,934

8.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 ¥2,165

$181 KES 23.4K

76.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 ¥1,237

$118 KES 15.3K

54.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ¥4,138

$590 KES 76.3K

3.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 ¥2,224

$462 KES 59.7K

-28.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,785 ¥25.6K

$5,440 KES 702.8K

-30.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,925 ¥13.0K

$3,820 KES 493.6K

-49.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,278 ¥8,647

$321 KES 41.5K

297.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

-67.62%

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

Last update for Chengdu: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $320 in Chengdu versus $181 in Mombasa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 298% higher in Chengdu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Chengdu versus $19.00 in Mombasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $169 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Chengdu vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $677 in Chengdu, $618 in Mombasa – roughly 9% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,015 per month in Chengdu and $928 in Mombasa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mombasa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Chengdu and $19.00 in Mombasa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $677 in Chengdu and $618 in Mombasa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $677 in Chengdu and $618 in Mombasa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Mombasa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Mombasa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chengdu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.