Cost of Living Comparison Between Garissa and Mombasa Cost of Living Comparison Between Garissa and Mombasa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $461 per month in Garissa vs $604 in Mombasa, rent included.

A couple spends around $775 per month in Garissa vs $1,064 in Mombasa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,089 per month in Garissa vs $1,525 in Mombasa, rent included.

Garissa is about 24% cheaper than Mombasa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Garissa and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Garissa 66% lower, Mombasa 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.38 KES 827

$2.37 KES 308

169.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.95 KES 2,974

$19.29 KES 2,498

18.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.67 KES 346

$8.53 KES 1,106

-68.70%

Cappuccino

$4.16 KES 539

$3.25 KES 421

28.00%

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

$1.10 KES 143

$0.51 KES 66.3

115.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 KES 87.9

$0.47 KES 61.2

44.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 KES 246

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 KES 343

$2.93 KES 380

-9.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 KES 109

$0.81 KES 104

3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 KES 66.3

$0.53 KES 69.3

-3.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$1.44 KES 187

-20.14%

Eggs

$1.65 KES 214

$1.73 KES 223

-4.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 KES 1,291

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 KES 819

$5.82 KES 754

8.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.25 KES 550

$5.24 KES 679

-18.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 KES 408

$1.81 KES 234

74.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 KES 296

$0.93 KES 121

145.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 KES 399

$1.56 KES 202

97.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 KES 83.4

$0.76 KES 98.2

-15.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 KES 112

$0.71 KES 92.4

21.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 KES 148

$1.05 KES 136

8.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 KES 90.2

$0.67 KES 86.9

4.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 KES 57.2

$0.57 KES 74.0

-22.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 KES 297

$3.32 KES 430

-31.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.66 KES 733

$7.90 KES 1,023

-28.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 KES 243

$1.94 KES 252

-3.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 KES 414

$2.73 KES 354

17.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KES 103

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.09 KES 4,546

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 KES 299

$3.02 KES 391

-23.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 KES 252

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 KES 597

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 KES 140

$1.60 KES 208

-32.50%

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)

$9,343 KES 1.2M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

-20.73%

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

$15.74 KES 2,040

$44.87 KES 5,813

-64.92%

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

$14.07 KES 1,822

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.24 KES 3,011

$44.11 KES 5,715

-47.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.82 KES 2,956

$18.18 KES 2,356

25.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 KES 2,455

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 KES 589

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

$87.3 KES 11.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,325 KES 689.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.81 KES 1,531

$13.39 KES 1,734

-11.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.53 KES 976

$13.83 KES 1,792

-45.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.75 KES 2,948

$23.61 KES 3,059

-3.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.61 KES 3,058

$47.29 KES 6,126

-50.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$99.9 KES 12.9K

$178 KES 23.0K

-43.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$77.2 KES 10.0K

$115 KES 14.9K

-32.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$191 KES 24.8K

$605 KES 78.4K

-68.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 KES 22.5K

$465 KES 60.2K

-62.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,402 KES 699.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,839 KES 497.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$128 KES 16.6K

$318 KES 41.2K

-59.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Garissa: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $99.9 in Garissa 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 148% 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 $19.00 in Mombasa. Groceries tell a different story – $154 in Garissa vs $170 in Mombasa – so Garissa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: $461 in Garissa, $604 in Mombasa – roughly 31% apart. Mombasa costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $691 per month in Garissa 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 Garissa, 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 $23.00 in Garissa 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 $461 in Garissa 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 $461 in Garissa and $604 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.