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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $689 per month in Chengdu vs $604 in Mombasa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,083 per month in Chengdu vs $1,064 in Mombasa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,477 per month in Chengdu vs $1,525 in Mombasa, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 14% more than Mombasa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Chengdu and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 49% lower, Mombasa 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.85 ¥19.30

$2.37 KES 308

20.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ¥162

$19.29 KES 2,498

24.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥33.72

$8.53 KES 1,106

-41.50%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ¥18.73

$3.25 KES 421

-14.77%

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

$0.46 ¥3.14

$0.51 KES 66.3

-9.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.06

$0.47 KES 61.2

-36.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ¥7.62

$1.90 KES 246

-40.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥14.43

$2.93 KES 380

-27.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.18

$0.81 KES 104

122.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ¥9.38

$0.53 KES 69.3

162.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.09

$1.44 KES 187

-37.50%

Eggs

$1.86 ¥12.59

$1.73 KES 223

7.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 ¥92.1

$9.96 KES 1,291

36.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 ¥24.07

$5.82 KES 754

-38.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥76.0

$5.24 KES 679

114.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.61

$1.81 KES 234

2.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.99

$0.93 KES 121

26.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.15

$1.56 KES 202

-3.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥7.01

$0.76 KES 98.2

36.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.73

$0.71 KES 92.4

-1.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.71

$1.05 KES 136

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.67 KES 86.9

-16.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.12

$0.57 KES 74.0

7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 ¥21.91

$3.32 KES 430

-2.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 ¥36.77

$7.90 KES 1,023

-31.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ¥6.78

$1.94 KES 252

-48.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥12.67

$2.73 KES 354

-31.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$0.79 KES 103

-48.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.31 ¥185

$35.09 KES 4,546

-22.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ¥8.28

$3.02 KES 391

-59.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.75

$1.95 KES 252

-86.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 ¥27.62

$4.61 KES 597

-11.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.69

$1.60 KES 208

-28.75%

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

$18.7K ¥126.6K

$12.1K KES 1.6M

54.89%

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

$16.0K ¥108.4K

$11.8K KES 1.5M

36.07%

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

$45.05 ¥305

$44.87 KES 5,813

0.40%

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

$11.69 ¥79.1

$14.07 KES 1,822

-16.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥77.0

$44.11 KES 5,715

-74.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.49 ¥166

$18.18 KES 2,356

34.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ¥75.5

$18.95 KES 2,455

-41.11%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 ¥37.45

$4.55 KES 589

21.76%

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

$333 ¥2,249

$87.3 KES 11.3K

280.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ¥82.1K

$5,325 KES 689.9K

127.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.92 ¥256

$13.39 KES 1,734

183.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.57 ¥261

$13.83 KES 1,792

178.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 ¥456

$23.61 KES 3,059

185.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.7 ¥343

$47.29 KES 6,126

7.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 ¥2,149

$178 KES 23.0K

78.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ¥1,213

$115 KES 14.9K

55.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 ¥4,128

$605 KES 78.4K

0.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 ¥2,263

$465 KES 60.2K

-28.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,810 ¥25.8K

$5,402 KES 699.9K

-29.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,922 ¥13.0K

$3,839 KES 497.3K

-49.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,257 ¥8,501

$318 KES 41.2K

295.76%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $318 in Chengdu versus $178 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 296% 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: $196 vs $170 – 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: $689 in Chengdu, $604 in Mombasa – roughly 14% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,033 per month in Chengdu and $907 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 $689 in Chengdu and $604 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 $689 in Chengdu and $604 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.