Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mombasa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mombasa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $618 in Mombasa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,060 in Mombasa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,502 in Mombasa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 270% more expensive than in Mombasa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Mombasa is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$2.35 KES 304

588.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$19.18 KES 2,478

230.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$8.80 KES 1,137

17.27%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$3.18 KES 411

-11.01%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.48 KES 62.4

377.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.48 KES 61.7

229.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$1.96 KES 253

73.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.82 KES 364

42.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$0.82 KES 106

32.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.49 KES 63.9

257.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.40 KES 180

25.71%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.79 KES 231

77.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$9.71 KES 1,255

35.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$5.82 KES 752

36.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$5.22 KES 675

197.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.79 KES 231

32.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.91 KES 117

87.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.52 KES 197

32.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$0.79 KES 102

207.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.68 KES 87.5

158.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.08 KES 139

87.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.66 KES 85.4

190.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.60 KES 78.0

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$3.30 KES 427

99.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$7.95 KES 1,027

-29.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.88 KES 242

-29.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.77 KES 358

7.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.75 KES 96.4

204.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$35.08 KES 4,532

30.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$3.05 KES 394

38.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.94 KES 251

-58.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$4.58 KES 592

302.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.60 KES 206

30.00%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$12.0K KES 1.5M

189.15%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$11.8K KES 1.5M

231.96%

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

$148 €129

$44.61 KES 5,764

231.88%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$14.45 KES 1,867

41.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$43.55 KES 5,626

-9.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$18.09 KES 2,337

165.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$19.19 KES 2,480

-3.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$4.71 KES 609

95.75%

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

$616 €538

$87.7 KES 11.3K

602.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,406 KES 698.5K

204.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$13.03 KES 1,684

688.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$13.80 KES 1,784

202.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$23.61 KES 3,050

301.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$45.93 KES 5,934

165.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$181 KES 23.4K

802.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$118 KES 15.3K

943.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$590 KES 76.3K

424.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$462 KES 59.7K

339.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$5,440 KES 702.8K

43.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$3,820 KES 493.6K

14.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$321 KES 41.5K

400.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-70.69%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $181 in Mombasa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 400% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $19.00 in Mombasa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $169 per month, with Mombasa cheaper across the board.

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

Lisbon vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mombasa differ by about 270% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $618 including rent). Mombasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 400% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $181 in Mombasa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $87.7 in Mombasa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $618 in Mombasa versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mombasa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mombasa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Mombasa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mombasa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 270% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.