Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Machakos and Mombasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Machakos: $520 a month against $715 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Machakos
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Machakos Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index

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Machakos

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $520 in Machakos versus $715 in Mombasa.

Machakos $520
Mombasa $715

Estimated couple costs with rent: $802 in Machakos versus $1,138 in Mombasa.

Machakos $802
Mombasa $1,138

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,084 in Machakos versus $1,560 in Mombasa.

Machakos $1,084
Mombasa $1,560

Living in Machakos costs roughly 27% less than in Mombasa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Machakos 62% lower, Mombasa 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.99 KES 389

$2.63 KES 342

13.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.26 KES 2,500

$24.66 KES 3,201

-21.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 KES 812

$10.51 KES 1,364

-40.44%

Cappuccino

$1.97 KES 255

$2.71 KES 351

-27.31%

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

$0.66 KES 85.4

$0.74 KES 95.5

-10.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 KES 69.6

$0.48 KES 62.3

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 KES 281

$2.33 KES 303

-7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 KES 346

$3.26 KES 423

-18.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.39 KES 50.9

$0.92 KES 119

-57.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 KES 62.7

$0.50 KES 64.3

-4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 KES 104

$1.57 KES 204

-49.04%

Eggs

$1.36 KES 177

$1.82 KES 236

-25.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 KES 1,413

$13.98 KES 1,814

-22.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 KES 826

$4.89 KES 635

30.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.71 KES 612

$5.25 KES 682

-10.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 KES 195

$2.16 KES 280

-30.56%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 KES 105

$1.14 KES 148

-28.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.37 KES 47.49

$1.84 KES 239

-79.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.40 KES 51.6

$0.71 KES 92.4

-43.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$0.69 KES 88.9

14.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 KES 98.6

$1.02 KES 132

-25.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 KES 97.6

$0.59 KES 77.0

27.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 KES 51.1

$0.42 KES 55.1

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 KES 455

$3.97 KES 515

-11.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 KES 1,468

$9.51 KES 1,234

18.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 KES 248

$1.98 KES 257

-3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 KES 351

$2.94 KES 382

-8.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 KES 105

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.41 KES 4,986

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 KES 96.4

$3.16 KES 410

-76.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 KES 97.8

$1.70 KES 221

-55.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 KES 371

$4.61 KES 598

-37.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 KES 195

$1.53 KES 199

-1.96%

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

$19.1K KES 2.5M

$12.2K KES 1.6M

56.76%

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

$21.7K KES 2.8M

$11.9K KES 1.5M

83.04%

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

$57.0 KES 7,396

$76.8 KES 9,962

-25.76%

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

$7.83 KES 1,017

$9.07 KES 1,177

-13.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.58 KES 1,503

$34.36 KES 4,460

-66.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.98 KES 5,060

$17.66 KES 2,292

120.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.32 KES 2,508

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 KES 994

$15.26 KES 1,980

-49.80%

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

$45.51 KES 5,907

$86.7 KES 11.3K

-47.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$5,484 KES 711.9K

124.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.62 KES 1,509

$12.89 KES 1,673

-9.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.49 KES 3,698

$13.50 KES 1,752

111.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 KES 8,923

$23.07 KES 2,995

198.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.19 KES 4,956

$46.74 KES 6,067

-18.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$94.2 KES 12.2K

$229 KES 29.7K

-58.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.4 KES 9,132

$157 KES 20.4K

-55.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$155 KES 20.1K

$535 KES 69.4K

-71.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 KES 15.1K

$368 KES 47.7K

-68.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,457 KES 708.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 KES 503.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$385 KES 50.0K

$317 KES 41.1K

21.47%

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 Machakos: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Machakos

$161 31%

Mombasa

$185 25.8% 14.8% $24

Eating Out

Machakos

$87 16.8%

Mombasa

$108 15.1% 23.9% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Machakos

$76 14.7%

Mombasa

$120 16.8% 57.3% $44

Accommodation & Living

Machakos

$70 13.5%

Mombasa

$157 22% 124% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Machakos

$66 12.7%

Mombasa

$43 6.1% 34.6% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Machakos

$54 10.4%

Mombasa

$48 6.7% 11.3% $6.1

Getting Around

Machakos

$4.5 * 0.9%

Mombasa

$53 7.5% 1082% $49

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $94 in Machakos and $229 in Mombasa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Machakos pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19 in Machakos vs $25 in Mombasa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $161 vs $185 per month, with Machakos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Machakos

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🕒 Local time

18:05 6:05 PM

Same time as Machakos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,109

1,300,000

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Machakos Mombasa 390 km

From you

Machakos
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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

Machakos vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machakos wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Mombasa. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Machakos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Machakos, 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: $94 in Machakos versus $229 in Mombasa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Mombasa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $520 per month in Machakos versus $715 in Mombasa – Machakos is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Machakos 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.