Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kisii and Mombasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kisii: $304 a month against $721 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses 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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Kisii

🇰🇪 Kenya

$304

/mo nomad

Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $304 in Kisii versus $721 in Mombasa.

Kisii $304
Mombasa $721

Estimated couple costs with rent: $444 in Kisii versus $1,150 in Mombasa.

Kisii $444
Mombasa $1,150

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $585 in Kisii versus $1,578 in Mombasa.

Kisii $585
Mombasa $1,578

Living in Kisii costs roughly 58% less than in Mombasa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kisii 78% lower, Mombasa 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 KES 358

$2.75 KES 357

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.43 KES 3,302

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 KES 1,335

Cappuccino

$1.37 KES 178

$2.68 KES 348

-48.88%

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

$0.87 KES 113

$0.69 KES 89.5

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 KES 28.46

$0.52 KES 67.4

-57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 KES 237

$2.34 KES 304

-21.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 KES 293

$3.31 KES 430

-32.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 KES 122

$0.98 KES 127

-4.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 KES 62.0

$0.50 KES 64.7

-4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 KES 294

$1.53 KES 198

47.71%

Eggs

$1.81 KES 236

$1.76 KES 228

2.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 KES 1,808

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.95 KES 642

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.67 KES 606

$5.41 KES 702

-13.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 KES 271

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 KES 154

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 KES 237

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.1

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.8

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 KES 137

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 KES 78.1

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 54.6

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 KES 532

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 KES 1,241

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 KES 256

$1.92 KES 250

2.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 KES 371

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 KES 47.40

$0.80 KES 104

-53.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.58 KES 2,022

$38.88 KES 5,048

-59.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 KES 98.6

$3.17 KES 411

-76.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 KES 227

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 KES 611

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 KES 190

$1.60 KES 208

-8.13%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

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

$11.7K KES 1.5M

$12.2K KES 1.6M

-4.20%

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

$79.4 KES 10.3K

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

$16.21 KES 2,105

$9.00 KES 1,168

80.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.51 KES 6,169

$35.29 KES 4,582

34.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.93 KES 2,328

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.22 KES 2,496

Cinema Ticket

$15.25 KES 1,980

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

$37.99 KES 4,932

$87.3 KES 11.3K

-56.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,448 KES 707.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.44 KES 1,486

$12.90 KES 1,674

-11.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.67 KES 1,775

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.57 KES 5,007

$23.36 KES 3,032

65.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.24 KES 3,926

$46.73 KES 6,067

-35.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.5 KES 9,801

$158 KES 20.5K

-52.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 KES 69.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 KES 20.1K

$373 KES 48.4K

-58.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,392 KES 700.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 KES 497.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$313 KES 40.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Kisii: October 31, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kisii

–

Mombasa

$185 25.7%

Accommodation & Living

Kisii

–

Mombasa

$158 21.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kisii

–

Mombasa

$124 17.2%

Eating Out

Kisii

–

Mombasa

$108 15%

Getting Around

Kisii

–

Mombasa

$54 7.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Kisii

–

Mombasa

$48 6.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Kisii

–

Mombasa

$43 6%

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kisii

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🕒 Local time

21:25 9:25 PM

Same time as Kisii

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,000

1,300,000

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.85 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.85 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Kisii Mombasa 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kisii
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

Kisii vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kisii wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Mombasa. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kisii the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $456 in Kisii and $1,082 in Mombasa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 241% higher in Mombasa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $304 per month in Kisii versus $721 in Mombasa – Kisii is about 58% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Kisii gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.