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: $625 in Mombasa versus $639 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,066 in Mombasa versus $1,000 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,508 in Mombasa versus $1,362 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 303

$4.91 R$24.96

-52.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.23 KES 2,489

$21.46 R$109

-10.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.63 KES 1,117

$5.33 R$27.12

61.91%

Cappuccino

$3.30 KES 427

$1.61 R$8.20

104.97%

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

$0.51 KES 66.6

$1.02 R$5.17

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 62.2

$0.59 R$3.00

-18.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 KES 257

$1.84 R$9.35

7.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 KES 366

$2.63 R$13.39

7.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 KES 110

$0.92 R$4.70

-7.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.5

$1.27 R$6.44

-60.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 KES 187

$1.03 R$5.25

39.81%

Eggs

$1.81 KES 235

$1.50 R$7.62

20.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.01 KES 1,295

$6.81 R$34.65

46.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 KES 756

$3.27 R$16.66

78.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.44 KES 704

$6.61 R$33.65

-17.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 KES 236

$1.65 R$8.38

10.30%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 KES 117

$1.10 R$5.62

-17.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 KES 197

$0.65 R$3.28

133.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 KES 103

$0.91 R$4.63

-12.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 KES 91.1

$0.94 R$4.78

-25.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 KES 140

$0.85 R$4.35

27.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 KES 79.6

$0.46 R$2.35

34.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 KES 77.7

$0.57 R$2.89

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 KES 446

$2.00 R$10.18

72.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 KES 1,006

$6.08 R$30.94

27.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 KES 247

$1.33 R$6.76

43.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 KES 361

$1.91 R$9.74

46.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 104

$0.83 R$4.23

-3.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.90 KES 4,516

$37.83 R$192

-7.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 KES 390

$1.09 R$5.55

177.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 KES 246

$1.08 R$5.52

75.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 KES 596

$6.06 R$30.85

-23.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 KES 214

$1.02 R$5.19

61.76%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$18.1K R$92.2K

-32.91%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$26.7K R$135.8K

-54.79%

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

$44.92 KES 5,813

$68.4 R$348

-34.35%

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

$13.95 KES 1,805

$13.83 R$70.4

0.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.46 KES 5,624

$15.36 R$78.1

182.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.80 KES 2,303

$18.96 R$96.5

-6.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 KES 2,480

$24.45 R$124

-21.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.73 KES 612

$5.72 R$29.10

-17.31%

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

$88.7 KES 11.5K

$167 R$851

-46.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,475 KES 708.5K

$4,799 R$24.4K

14.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.32 KES 1,724

$52.7 R$268

-74.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.48 KES 1,744

$29.16 R$148

-53.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.12 KES 2,992

$67.2 R$342

-65.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.71 KES 5,914

$77.4 R$394

-40.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$182 KES 23.5K

$183 R$931

-0.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 KES 15.3K

$119 R$603

-0.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 KES 76.8K

$607 R$3,088

-2.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 KES 58.1K

$215 R$1,096

108.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,322 KES 688.6K

$1,293 R$6,578

311.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,914 KES 506.4K

$894 R$4,546

337.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$313 KES 40.5K

$458 R$2,333

-31.67%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $182 in Mombasa and $183 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aracaju pays 46% 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 $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 ($625 vs $639 including rent). Mombasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Aracaju earns 46% 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: $182 in Mombasa versus $183 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $88.7 in Mombasa versus $167 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Aracaju pay roughly 17% 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.