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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $674 in Mombasa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,121 in Mombasa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,569 in Mombasa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 146% more expensive than in Mombasa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Mombasa is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$2.27 KES 294

425.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$23.05 KES 2,984

123.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$10.29 KES 1,332

10.88%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$3.69 KES 478

8.13%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$1.01 KES 131

64.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.43 KES 55.1

209.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.37 KES 306

46.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.27 KES 423

80.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$0.94 KES 122

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$0.50 KES 64.6

550.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$1.56 KES 202

38.46%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$1.75 KES 227

65.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$11.04 KES 1,429

16.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$5.50 KES 712

82.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$5.31 KES 688

198.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.17 KES 281

51.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.19 KES 154

68.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.85 KES 240

18.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$0.64 KES 82.5

268.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$0.67 KES 87.1

205.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.05 KES 136

80.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$0.56 KES 72.9

187.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$0.43 KES 55.4

225.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$4.55 KES 589

20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$7.52 KES 973

134.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.92 KES 248

7.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$2.81 KES 364

66.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.80 KES 103

-57.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$38.16 KES 4,940

-45.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$3.12 KES 404

-32.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$1.79 KES 232

-68.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$4.73 KES 613

22.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.55 KES 200

3.87%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$12.1K KES 1.6M

89.52%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$11.7K KES 1.5M

127.87%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$56.0 KES 7,248

16.41%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$13.27 KES 1,718

126.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$33.64 KES 4,354

10.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$18.32 KES 2,372

226.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$19.23 KES 2,489

38.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$10.61 KES 1,374

-33.65%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$87.8 KES 11.4K

429.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$5,364 KES 694.3K

147.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$13.27 KES 1,718

471.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$13.59 KES 1,759

311.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$23.09 KES 2,989

384.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$46.00 KES 5,955

161.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$230 KES 29.8K

378.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$154 KES 20.0K

366.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$551 KES 71.3K

359.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$400 KES 51.8K

223.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$5,493 KES 711.1K

-27.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$3,917 KES 507.1K

-46.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$315 KES 40.8K

229.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-13.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $230 in Mombasa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 229% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $23.00 in Mombasa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $175 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 146% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $674 including rent). Mombasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 229% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $230 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 $465 in Mexico City versus $87.8 in Mombasa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $674 in Mombasa versus $1,660 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 146% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.