Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Aracaju Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Aracaju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $619 in Mombasa versus $634 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,079 in Mombasa versus $987 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,539 in Mombasa versus $1,340 in Aracaju.

Living in Mombasa costs roughly 2% less than in Aracaju, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mombasa 53% lower, Aracaju 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.34 KES 302

$4.99 R$25.30

-53.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.58 KES 2,531

$21.20 R$108

-7.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 KES 1,146

$5.43 R$27.57

63.35%

Cappuccino

$3.30 KES 426

$1.55 R$7.87

112.90%

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

$0.52 KES 66.8

$0.96 R$4.88

-45.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 61.5

$0.57 R$2.88

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 KES 242

$1.81 R$9.19

3.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 KES 373

$2.56 R$13.01

12.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 KES 105

$0.93 R$4.71

-11.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 KES 70.3

$1.26 R$6.40

-57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 KES 186

$0.98 R$4.99

46.94%

Eggs

$1.75 KES 226

$1.50 R$7.59

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 KES 1,299

$6.58 R$33.40

52.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 KES 777

$3.40 R$17.27

76.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.21 KES 673

$6.36 R$32.25

-18.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 KES 234

$1.63 R$8.25

11.04%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 KES 111

$1.15 R$5.85

-25.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 KES 198

$0.64 R$3.26

139.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.8

$0.93 R$4.70

-21.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 92.9

$0.93 R$4.74

-22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 KES 138

$0.88 R$4.47

21.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 KES 80.5

$0.46 R$2.34

34.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 KES 75.0

$0.62 R$3.13

-6.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 KES 445

$1.99 R$10.12

72.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 KES 1,026

$5.81 R$29.48

36.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 KES 254

$1.30 R$6.62

50.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 KES 367

$1.82 R$9.26

56.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 KES 96.3

$0.85 R$4.29

-12.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.00 KES 4,524

$37.78 R$192

-7.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 KES 402

$1.04 R$5.26

199.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 KES 242

$1.08 R$5.49

73.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 KES 596

$6.23 R$31.61

-26.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 KES 206

$1.04 R$5.26

53.85%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$18.1K R$91.7K

-32.49%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$26.9K R$136.7K

-54.67%

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

$44.01 KES 5,688

$68.0 R$345

-35.29%

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

$14.12 KES 1,825

$14.24 R$72.3

-0.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.43 KES 5,743

$15.69 R$79.6

183.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.28 KES 2,363

$18.98 R$96.3

-3.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.64 KES 2,538

$24.76 R$126

-20.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 KES 593

$5.72 R$29.01

-19.76%

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

$86.0 KES 11.1K

$170 R$862

-49.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,470 KES 707.0K

$4,821 R$24.5K

13.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.40 KES 1,732

$52.9 R$269

-74.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.87 KES 1,792

$29.89 R$152

-53.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.46 KES 3,032

$68.6 R$348

-65.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.74 KES 6,041

$77.3 R$392

-39.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 KES 23.3K

$181 R$918

-0.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 KES 15.2K

$118 R$597

0.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 KES 76.9K

$609 R$3,091

-2.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 KES 57.8K

$210 R$1,065

113.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,454 KES 704.9K

$1,289 R$6,540

323.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,880 KES 501.5K

$900 R$4,567

331.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$314 KES 40.5K

$441 R$2,238

-28.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.35

25.60%

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

Last update for Mombasa: July 26, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Aracaju pays 41% 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: $20.00 in Mombasa vs $21.00 in Aracaju. Groceries flip the comparison at $171 vs $146, with Aracaju cheaper for home cooking.

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

Mombasa vs Aracaju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mombasa and Aracaju differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($619 vs $634 including rent). Mombasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Aracaju. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

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

Childcare runs $86.0 in Mombasa versus $170 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Aracaju pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Mombasa 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.

Expats usually find Mombasa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Aracaju. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.