Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kisumu and Mombasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kisumu: $644 a month against $717 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $880 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Kisumu
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Kisumu Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index

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Kisumu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$644

/mo nomad

Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $644 per month in Kisumu vs $717 in Mombasa, rent included.

Kisumu $644
Mombasa $717

A couple spends around $977 per month in Kisumu vs $1,144 in Mombasa, rent included.

Kisumu $977
Mombasa $1,144

A family of three spends $1,311 per month in Kisumu vs $1,571 in Mombasa, rent included.

Kisumu $1,311
Mombasa $1,571

Kisumu is about 10% cheaper than Mombasa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Kisumu and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Kisumu 52% lower, Mombasa 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.65 KES 603

$2.75 KES 356

69.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.40 KES 3,293

$24.98 KES 3,239

1.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.55 KES 849

$10.39 KES 1,347

-36.96%

Cappuccino

$2.57 KES 334

$2.70 KES 350

-4.81%

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

$0.61 KES 79.3

$0.74 KES 96.1

-17.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 KES 78.2

$0.52 KES 67.8

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 KES 257

$2.30 KES 298

-13.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 KES 360

$3.33 KES 432

-16.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.52 KES 67.5

$0.98 KES 127

-46.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 KES 67.4

$0.50 KES 64.2

4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 KES 254

$1.50 KES 195

30.67%

Eggs

$1.69 KES 219

$1.82 KES 236

-7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 KES 1,363

$14.11 KES 1,830

-25.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.43 KES 834

$4.93 KES 639

30.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.07 KES 658

$5.48 KES 711

-7.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 KES 444

$2.09 KES 271

64.11%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 KES 122

$1.16 KES 150

-18.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 KES 268

$1.78 KES 231

16.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 KES 147

$0.68 KES 87.6

66.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 KES 138

$0.69 KES 89.3

55.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 KES 124

$1.01 KES 131

-4.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KES 95.9

$0.61 KES 78.6

21.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 KES 94.8

$0.43 KES 55.4

69.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.14 KES 407

$4.15 KES 537

-24.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 KES 996

$9.70 KES 1,257

-20.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 KES 295

$1.93 KES 250

17.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 KES 305

$2.92 KES 379

-19.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 104

$0.80 KES 103

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.09 KES 2,994

$38.38 KES 4,976

-39.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 KES 197

$3.06 KES 397

-50.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 KES 195

$1.76 KES 228

-14.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 KES 373

$4.60 KES 597

-37.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 KES 208

$1.55 KES 202

3.87%

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

$19.7K KES 2.6M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

62.70%

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

$21.9K KES 2.8M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

81.31%

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

$55.8 KES 7,240

$77.6 KES 10.1K

-28.08%

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

$15.35 KES 1,990

$9.35 KES 1,213

64.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.77 KES 4,508

$34.13 KES 4,426

1.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.41 KES 3,036

$18.15 KES 2,354

28.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.59 KES 2,540

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 KES 1,025

$15.29 KES 1,982

-48.27%

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

$115 KES 14.9K

$88.2 KES 11.4K

30.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$5,301 KES 687.3K

132.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.77 KES 1,527

$13.08 KES 1,696

-10.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.06 KES 2,471

$13.44 KES 1,743

41.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.63 KES 2,026

$23.46 KES 3,041

-33.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$15.63 KES 2,026

$45.81 KES 5,939

-65.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$153 KES 19.8K

$227 KES 29.5K

-32.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 KES 17.9K

$156 KES 20.3K

-11.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$563 KES 73.0K

$532 KES 68.9K

5.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 KES 27.5K

$370 KES 48.0K

-42.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$756 KES 98.1K

$5,417 KES 702.3K

-86.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,805 KES 493.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 KES 98.3K

$324 KES 42.0K

133.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

13.15%

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

Last update for Kisumu: October 18, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kisumu

$189 29.4%

Mombasa

$186 25.9% 1.6% $3

Accommodation & Living

Kisumu

$138 21.5%

Mombasa

$156 21.8% 13.2% $18

Eating Out

Kisumu

$108 16.8%

Mombasa

$109 15.2% 0.7% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kisumu

$106 16.5%

Mombasa

$121 16.9% 14.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Kisumu

$39 6.1%

Mombasa

$49 6.8% 24.2% $9.5

Getting Around

Kisumu

$35 5.5%

Mombasa

$53 7.4% 51.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Kisumu

$28 4.3%

Mombasa

$43 6% 54.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $153 in Kisumu versus $227 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 134% higher in Kisumu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Kisumu versus $25.00 in Mombasa. Groceries tell a different story – $189 in Kisumu vs $186 in Mombasa – so Mombasa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kisumu

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🕒 Local time

20:00 8:00 PM

Same time as Kisumu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,155,574

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

On the map

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Between locations

Kisumu Mombasa 700 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kisumu
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

Kisumu vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mombasa costs about 11% more than Kisumu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $965 per month in Kisumu and $1,076 in Mombasa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kisumu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Mombasa – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Kisumu and $25.00 in Mombasa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $644 in Kisumu and $717 in Mombasa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kisumu costs $644 versus $717 in Mombasa. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kisumu. 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.