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: $614 in Mombasa versus $640 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,068 in Mombasa versus $1,001 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,523 in Mombasa versus $1,362 in Aracaju.

Living in Mombasa costs roughly 4% less than in Aracaju, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mombasa 54% lower, Aracaju 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.33 KES 301

$4.92 R$24.57

-52.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.28 KES 2,488

$21.87 R$109

-11.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 KES 1,154

$5.55 R$27.68

61.08%

Cappuccino

$3.25 KES 419

$1.61 R$8.02

101.86%

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

$0.48 KES 61.7

$1.02 R$5.07

-52.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 KES 57.8

$0.60 R$3.00

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 KES 255

$1.82 R$9.08

8.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 KES 376

$2.62 R$13.08

11.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 KES 106

$0.93 R$4.65

-10.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 KES 69.8

$1.25 R$6.25

-56.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 KES 182

$1.04 R$5.17

35.58%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 235

$1.57 R$7.85

15.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 KES 1,279

$6.83 R$34.09

45.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.87 KES 757

$3.39 R$16.89

73.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.24 KES 676

$6.42 R$32.02

-18.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 KES 235

$1.63 R$8.14

11.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 KES 112

$1.14 R$5.67

-23.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 KES 196

$0.61 R$3.02

149.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 KES 98.0

$0.92 R$4.60

-17.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 KES 85.7

$0.88 R$4.38

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 KES 138

$0.82 R$4.08

30.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 KES 80.9

$0.49 R$2.47

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 KES 79.8

$0.62 R$3.09

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 KES 429

$2.04 R$10.16

62.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 KES 1,005

$6.03 R$30.09

29.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 KES 252

$1.28 R$6.36

52.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 KES 358

$1.84 R$9.18

50.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 KES 94.4

$0.80 R$3.99

-8.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.27 KES 4,423

$38.84 R$194

-11.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 408

$1.03 R$5.15

206.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 KES 245

$1.14 R$5.69

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.55 KES 587

$6.18 R$30.84

-26.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 KES 211

$1.08 R$5.39

50.93%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

$18.0K R$89.8K

-33.98%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$26.3K R$131.2K

-55.11%

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

$44.31 KES 5,720

$66.5 R$332

-33.36%

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

$14.23 KES 1,837

$13.88 R$69.2

2.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.18 KES 5,702

$15.34 R$76.6

188.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.34 KES 2,367

$18.76 R$93.6

-2.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.55 KES 2,523

$23.92 R$119

-18.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 KES 592

$5.90 R$29.43

-22.20%

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

$85.7 KES 11.1K

$166 R$827

-48.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,452 KES 703.7K

$4,806 R$24.0K

13.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.12 KES 1,693

$51.6 R$257

-74.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.86 KES 1,789

$30.07 R$150

-53.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.60 KES 3,046

$68.4 R$341

-65.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.61 KES 6,016

$78.5 R$392

-40.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$179 KES 23.1K

$181 R$901

-0.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$114 KES 14.7K

$118 R$589

-3.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 KES 77.0K

$610 R$3,045

-2.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 KES 58.8K

$215 R$1,072

111.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,498 KES 709.6K

$1,298 R$6,475

323.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,826 KES 493.8K

$903 R$4,506

323.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$319 KES 41.2K

$460 R$2,297

-30.61%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $179 in Mombasa and $181 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aracaju pays 44% 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: $19.00 in Mombasa vs $22.00 in Aracaju. Groceries flip the comparison at $170 vs $147, 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 4% in total monthly costs ($614 vs $640 including rent). Mombasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Aracaju earns 44% less. 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: $179 in Mombasa versus $181 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $85.7 in Mombasa versus $166 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Aracaju pay roughly 16% 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 4% less than in Aracaju. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.