Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galle and Mombasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Galle: $464 a month against $719 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Galle
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Galle Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index

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Galle

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$464

/mo nomad

Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $464 in Galle versus $719 in Mombasa.

Galle $464
Mombasa $719

Estimated couple costs with rent: $756 in Galle versus $1,147 in Mombasa.

Galle $756
Mombasa $1,147

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,047 in Galle versus $1,575 in Mombasa.

Galle $1,047
Mombasa $1,575

Living in Galle costs roughly 35% less than in Mombasa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Galle 66% lower, Mombasa 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.55 LKR 513

$2.66 KES 345

-41.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.95 LKR 7,934

$25.34 KES 3,285

-5.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.37 LKR 2,441

$10.48 KES 1,359

-29.68%

Cappuccino

$1.85 LKR 613

$2.74 KES 355

-32.48%

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

$0.67 LKR 223

$0.68 KES 88.0

-1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.6

$0.52 KES 67.7

-51.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 LKR 406

$2.34 KES 303

-47.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 LKR 489

$3.30 KES 428

-55.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 LKR 545

$1.00 KES 130

64.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 189

$0.51 KES 65.6

11.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$1.55 KES 201

-47.10%

Eggs

$1.67 LKR 552

$1.82 KES 236

-8.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.59 LKR 4,501

$13.91 KES 1,803

-2.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 LKR 1,606

$5.00 KES 648

-3.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.27 LKR 2,408

$5.25 KES 681

38.48%

Apples (1kg)

$6.46 LKR 2,139

$2.10 KES 272

207.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 LKR 258

$1.16 KES 150

-32.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.47 LKR 1,481

$1.76 KES 228

153.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 LKR 442

$0.70 KES 90.9

91.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 LKR 344

$0.72 KES 93.8

44.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 274

$1.01 KES 130

-17.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 LKR 314

$0.60 KES 78.4

58.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 LKR 139

$0.43 KES 55.6

-2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 LKR 3,346

$4.00 KES 518

152.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.07 LKR 3,005

$9.56 KES 1,239

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 645

$1.99 KES 258

-2.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 LKR 997

$2.82 KES 365

6.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 LKR 48.05

$0.80 KES 104

-81.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.84 KES 5,035

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 LKR 95.1

$3.16 KES 410

-90.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 LKR 94.8

$1.75 KES 227

-83.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 LKR 292

$4.65 KES 603

-81.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 LKR 438

$1.56 KES 202

-15.38%

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

$36.6K LKR 12.1M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

202.88%

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

$39.9K LKR 13.2M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

237.24%

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

$59.5 LKR 19.7K

$76.9 KES 9,975

-22.71%

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

$4.33 LKR 1,436

$9.14 KES 1,184

-52.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.07 LKR 6,978

$34.48 KES 4,470

-38.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 KES 2,357

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.93 KES 2,454

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 LKR 1,523

$15.63 KES 2,027

-70.57%

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

$38.04 LKR 12.6K

$86.4 KES 11.2K

-55.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,206 LKR 399.3K

$5,415 KES 702.1K

-77.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.27 LKR 6,052

$13.05 KES 1,692

40.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.40 LKR 5,433

$13.77 KES 1,785

19.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 LKR 26.7K

$23.30 KES 3,021

245.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.26 LKR 13.7K

$46.20 KES 5,990

-10.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$227 KES 29.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 KES 70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 KES 48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,411 KES 701.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,884 KES 503.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$305 LKR 101.1K

$313 KES 40.5K

-2.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

-2.38%

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

Last update for Galle: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Galle

$228 49.1%

Mombasa

$185 25.8% 18.6% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galle

$85 18.3%

Mombasa

$121 16.8% 42% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Galle

$70 15.2%

Mombasa

$43 6% 38.4% $27

Eating Out

Galle

$69 15%

Mombasa

$109 15.1% 56.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Galle

$9.2 * 2%

Mombasa

$49 6.9% 438% $40

Getting Around

Galle

$2.3 * 0.5%

Mombasa

$54 7.5% 2246% $52

Accommodation & Living

Galle

- * 0%

Mombasa

$157 21.9%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Mombasa pays 2% 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: $24.00 in Galle vs $25.00 in Mombasa. Groceries flip the comparison at $228 vs $185, with Mombasa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Galle

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🕒 Local time

17:17 5:17 PM

14:47 2:47 PM

2 h 30 min behind Galle

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000

1,300,000

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Galle Mombasa 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Galle
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

Galle vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Galle is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and leisure. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Mombasa. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $38.04 in Galle versus $86.4 in Mombasa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Galle – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $25.00 in Mombasa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Galle gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

Expats usually find Galle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Mombasa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.