Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Garissa and Mombasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Garissa: $381 a month against $719 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index

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Garissa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$381

/mo nomad

Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $381 per month in Garissa vs $719 in Mombasa, rent included.

Garissa $381
Mombasa $719

A couple spends around $667 per month in Garissa vs $1,147 in Mombasa, rent included.

Garissa $667
Mombasa $1,147

A family of three spends $952 per month in Garissa vs $1,575 in Mombasa, rent included.

Garissa $952
Mombasa $1,575

Garissa is about 47% cheaper than Mombasa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Garissa and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Garissa 72% lower, Mombasa 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.79 KES 1,528

$2.66 KES 345

343.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.02 KES 2,984

$25.34 KES 3,285

-9.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 KES 1,359

Cappuccino

$7.73 KES 1,002

$2.74 KES 355

182.12%

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

$1.88 KES 244

$0.68 KES 88.0

176.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 KES 147

$0.52 KES 67.7

117.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KES 303

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 KES 428

Milk (1 liter)

$0.52 KES 66.9

$1.00 KES 130

-48.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 KES 76.9

$0.51 KES 65.6

15.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 KES 191

$1.55 KES 201

-5.16%

Eggs

$1.92 KES 249

$1.82 KES 236

5.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 KES 1,803

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.10 KES 791

$5.00 KES 648

22.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.39 KES 698

$5.25 KES 681

2.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 KES 490

$2.10 KES 272

80.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 KES 403

$1.16 KES 150

168.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 KES 608

$1.76 KES 228

166.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$0.70 KES 90.9

12.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 KES 158

$0.72 KES 93.8

69.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$1.01 KES 130

55.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 KES 307

$0.60 KES 78.4

295.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 KES 72.3

$0.43 KES 55.6

30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 KES 518

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 KES 741

$9.56 KES 1,239

-40.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 KES 217

$1.99 KES 258

-16.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 KES 496

$2.82 KES 365

35.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 104

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.84 KES 5,035

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 410

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 KES 227

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 KES 603

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

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

$76.9 KES 9,975

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

$9.14 KES 1,184

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.48 KES 4,470

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 KES 2,357

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.93 KES 2,454

Cinema Ticket

$15.63 KES 2,027

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

$86.4 KES 11.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,415 KES 702.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.05 KES 1,692

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.77 KES 1,785

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.30 KES 3,021

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.20 KES 5,990

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)

$129 KES 16.8K

$313 KES 40.5K

-58.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Garissa: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Garissa

–

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Accommodation & Living

Garissa

–

Mombasa

$157 21.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Garissa

–

Mombasa

$121 16.8%

Eating Out

Garissa

–

Mombasa

$109 15.1%

Getting Around

Garissa

–

Mombasa

$54 7.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Garissa

–

Mombasa

$49 6.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Garissa

–

Mombasa

$43 6%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 142% higher in Mombasa, 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 $23.00 in Garissa versus $25.00 in Mombasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $182 vs $185 – making Garissa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Garissa

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

Same time as Garissa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,696

1,300,000

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Garissa Mombasa 400 km

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Garissa
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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

Garissa vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $381 in Garissa, $719 in Mombasa – roughly 89% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $572 per month in Garissa and $1,078 in Mombasa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Garissa and $25.00 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 $381 in Garissa and $719 in Mombasa. That's a gap of about 89%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $381 in Garissa and $719 in Mombasa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Garissa – 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 Garissa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mombasa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.