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: $674 in Mombasa versus $723 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,121 in Mombasa versus $1,116 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,569 in Mombasa versus $1,509 in Aracaju.

Living in Mombasa costs roughly 7% less than in Aracaju, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mombasa 51% lower, Aracaju 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.27 KES 294

$4.73 R$24.31

-52.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.05 KES 2,985

$23.49 R$121

-1.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.29 KES 1,333

$6.01 R$30.89

71.21%

Cappuccino

$3.69 KES 478

$1.76 R$9.06

109.66%

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

$1.01 KES 131

$1.13 R$5.82

-10.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 KES 55.1

$0.59 R$3.04

-27.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 KES 307

$1.96 R$10.10

20.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 KES 423

$2.74 R$14.08

19.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 KES 122

$1.02 R$5.26

-7.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.6

$1.49 R$7.68

-66.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.20 R$6.15

30.00%

Eggs

$1.75 KES 227

$1.68 R$8.65

4.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 KES 1,430

$7.51 R$38.62

47.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 KES 712

$3.65 R$18.79

50.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.31 KES 688

$6.97 R$35.82

-23.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 KES 281

$2.04 R$10.48

6.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 KES 154

$1.24 R$6.36

-4.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 KES 240

$0.65 R$3.34

184.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 KES 82.5

$1.04 R$5.34

-38.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 KES 87.2

$0.98 R$5.05

-31.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$0.93 R$4.81

12.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 KES 72.9

$0.54 R$2.80

3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 KES 55.4

$0.69 R$3.52

-37.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 KES 590

$2.30 R$11.84

97.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.52 KES 974

$5.88 R$30.26

27.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 KES 248

$1.26 R$6.46

52.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 KES 365

$2.05 R$10.53

37.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 103

$0.90 R$4.65

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.16 KES 4,942

$41.89 R$215

-8.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 KES 405

$1.57 R$8.09

98.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 KES 232

$1.18 R$6.08

51.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 KES 613

$6.71 R$34.49

-29.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 200

$1.28 R$6.59

21.09%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$23.6K R$121.2K

-48.86%

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

$11.7K KES 1.5M

$32.8K R$168.9K

-64.26%

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

$56.0 KES 7,252

$93.7 R$482

-40.22%

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

$13.27 KES 1,719

$9.65 R$49.63

37.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 KES 4,356

$16.63 R$85.5

102.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.32 KES 2,373

$21.73 R$112

-15.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.23 KES 2,490

$26.42 R$136

-27.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.61 KES 1,374

$6.37 R$32.76

66.56%

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

$87.8 KES 11.4K

$176 R$907

-50.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,364 KES 694.6K

$5,177 R$26.6K

3.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.27 KES 1,719

$55.6 R$286

-76.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.59 KES 1,760

$33.97 R$175

-59.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.09 KES 2,990

$84.4 R$434

-72.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.00 KES 5,958

$81.3 R$418

-43.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$230 KES 29.8K

$295 R$1,516

-21.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 KES 20.0K

$138 R$712

11.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 KES 71.4K

$614 R$3,158

-10.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 KES 51.8K

$273 R$1,401

46.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,493 KES 711.4K

$1,254 R$6,447

338.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,917 KES 507.3K

$875 R$4,499

347.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$315 KES 40.8K

$450 R$2,312

-29.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

30.00%

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

Last update for Mombasa: September 13, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $230 in Mombasa and $295 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aracaju pays 43% 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: $23.00 in Mombasa vs $23.00 in Aracaju. Groceries flip the comparison at $175 vs $161, 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 7% in total monthly costs ($674 vs $723 including rent). Mombasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 43% 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: $230 in Mombasa versus $295 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $87.8 in Mombasa versus $176 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Aracaju pay roughly 8% 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 7% less than in Aracaju. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.