Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Mombasa Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Mombasa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $604 in Mombasa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,064 in Mombasa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,525 in Mombasa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 143% more expensive than Mombasa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Mombasa is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$2.37 KES 308

456.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$19.29 KES 2,498

179.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.53 KES 1,106

10.43%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$3.25 KES 421

9.23%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.51 KES 66.3

217.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.47 KES 61.2

136.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.90 KES 246

64.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.93 KES 380

58.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$0.81 KES 104

109.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.53 KES 69.3

413.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.44 KES 187

32.64%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$1.73 KES 223

46.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$9.96 KES 1,291

0.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.82 KES 754

39.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$5.24 KES 679

121.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.81 KES 234

64.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$0.93 KES 121

94.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.56 KES 202

28.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$0.76 KES 98.2

167.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$0.71 KES 92.4

198.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.05 KES 136

116.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.67 KES 86.9

108.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.57 KES 74.0

98.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.32 KES 430

28.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$7.90 KES 1,023

96.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.94 KES 252

-9.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.73 KES 354

31.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.79 KES 103

-51.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$35.09 KES 4,546

-45.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$3.02 KES 391

-54.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.95 KES 252

-85.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$4.61 KES 597

18.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.60 KES 208

-18.75%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$12.1K KES 1.6M

54.64%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$11.8K KES 1.5M

96.24%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$44.87 KES 5,813

-8.94%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$14.07 KES 1,822

90.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$44.11 KES 5,715

-32.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$18.18 KES 2,356

186.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$18.95 KES 2,455

41.64%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.55 KES 589

38.46%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$87.3 KES 11.3K

399.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$5,325 KES 689.9K

95.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$13.39 KES 1,734

323.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$13.83 KES 1,792

220.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$23.61 KES 3,059

335.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$47.29 KES 6,126

123.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$178 KES 23.0K

474.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$115 KES 14.9K

448.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$605 KES 78.4K

253.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$465 KES 60.2K

167.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$5,402 KES 699.9K

-27.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$3,839 KES 497.3K

-46.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$318 KES 41.2K

251.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-12.77%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $178 in Mombasa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 251% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Mombasa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $170 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

Mexico City vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Mombasa differ by about 143% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $604 including rent). Mombasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 251% more on average, 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $178 in Mombasa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mombasa runs roughly 83% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $87.3 in Mombasa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $604 in Mombasa versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mombasa but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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.

Expats usually find Mombasa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 143% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.