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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $618 in Mombasa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,060 in Mombasa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,502 in Mombasa.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 136% more expensive than in Mombasa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Mombasa is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$2.35 KES 304

456.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$940

$19.18 KES 2,478

180.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$8.80 KES 1,137

10.00%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.4

$3.18 KES 411

17.61%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$0.48 KES 62.4

237.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.31

$0.48 KES 61.7

141.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.4

$1.96 KES 253

64.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.9

$2.82 KES 364

68.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.80

$0.82 KES 106

101.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.15

$0.49 KES 63.9

461.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.77

$1.40 KES 180

33.57%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.72

$1.79 KES 231

39.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.71 KES 1,255

5.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$5.82 KES 752

41.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$5.22 KES 675

126.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.6

$1.79 KES 231

68.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.67

$0.91 KES 117

98.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.96

$1.52 KES 197

31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.89

$0.79 KES 102

153.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.45

$0.68 KES 87.5

205.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.72

$1.08 KES 139

110.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.47

$0.66 KES 85.4

121.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.82

$0.60 KES 78.0

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.0

$3.30 KES 427

31.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$297

$7.95 KES 1,027

113.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.31

$1.88 KES 242

-7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.5

$2.77 KES 358

29.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.77

$0.75 KES 96.4

-48.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$327

$35.08 KES 4,532

-46.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.18

$3.05 KES 394

-56.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.89

$1.94 KES 251

-85.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.8

$4.58 KES 592

14.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.37

$1.60 KES 206

-16.25%

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

$19.4K MX$339.4K

$12.0K KES 1.5M

61.90%

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

$23.8K MX$416.7K

$11.8K KES 1.5M

102.04%

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

$40.69 MX$712

$44.61 KES 5,764

-8.79%

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

$26.87 MX$470

$14.45 KES 1,867

85.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$534

$43.55 KES 5,626

-29.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$923

$18.09 KES 2,337

191.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$466

$19.19 KES 2,480

38.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$4.71 KES 609

38.22%

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

$428 MX$7,485

$87.7 KES 11.3K

387.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.6K

$5,406 KES 698.5K

94.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,001

$13.03 KES 1,684

339.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$796

$13.80 KES 1,784

229.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,819

$23.61 KES 3,050

340.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,885

$45.93 KES 5,934

134.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$181 KES 23.4K

454.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$118 KES 15.3K

427.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.9K

$590 KES 76.3K

257.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.3K

$462 KES 59.7K

163.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.9K

$5,440 KES 702.8K

-28.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.5K

$3,820 KES 493.6K

-46.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$321 KES 41.5K

222.98%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $181 in Mombasa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 223% 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 $292 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

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

Mexico City and Mombasa differ by about 136% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $618 including rent). Mombasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 223% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $181 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 88% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $87.7 in Mombasa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $618 in Mombasa versus $1,456 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 136% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.