Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Mombasa: $726 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$726

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mombasa and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $726 in Mombasa versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Mombasa $726
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,140 in Mombasa versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Mombasa $1,140
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,553 in Mombasa versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Mombasa $1,553
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Mombasa costs roughly 73% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mombasa is 46% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.65 KES 343

$20.22 $20.22

-86.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.75 KES 3,210

$85.0 $85.0

-70.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 KES 1,343

$12.35 $12.35

-16.11%

Cappuccino

$2.75 KES 357

$5.47 $5.47

-49.73%

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

$0.68 KES 88.1

$3.82 $3.82

-82.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.1

$2.50 $2.50

-79.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 KES 296

$8.06 $8.06

-71.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 KES 432

$8.99 $8.99

-62.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 KES 128

$1.13 $1.13

-12.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 KES 69.3

$3.78 $3.78

-85.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 KES 197

$3.25 $3.25

-53.23%

Eggs

$1.75 KES 227

$4.14 $4.14

-57.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.89 KES 1,802

$13.08 $13.08

6.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.92 KES 639

$14.31 $14.31

-65.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.42 KES 703

$15.96 $15.96

-66.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 KES 282

$4.38 $4.38

-50.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$1.45 $1.45

-20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 KES 230

$4.54 $4.54

-61.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 91.6

$4.19 $4.19

-83.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 KES 95.8

$2.63 $2.63

-71.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$2.36 $2.36

-55.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 KES 78.0

$1.76 $1.76

-65.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KES 59.4

$2.16 $2.16

-78.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 KES 517

$9.81 $9.81

-59.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 KES 1,259

$14.72 $14.72

-34.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 KES 250

$2.78 $2.78

-30.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 KES 377

$3.48 $3.48

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 103

$1.49 $1.49

-46.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.24 KES 5,089

$40.51 $40.51

-3.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 KES 411

$2.67 $2.67

18.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 KES 229

$1.58 $1.58

11.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 KES 583

$35.29 $35.29

-87.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 KES 206

$0.99 $0.99

60.61%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$35.8K $35.8K

-66.15%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$27.2K $27.2K

-55.26%

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

$76.8 KES 9,958

$219 $219

-64.98%

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

$9.20 KES 1,194

$58.0 $58.0

-84.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.52 KES 4,478

$68.4 $68.4

-49.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.03 KES 2,339

$57.9 $57.9

-68.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.39 KES 2,515

$14.82 $14.82

30.84%

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 KES 1,974

$14.13 $14.13

7.71%

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

$85.5 KES 11.1K

$1,509 $1,509

-94.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,377 KES 697.4K

$21.5K $21.5K

-74.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.31 KES 1,727

$51.7 $51.7

-74.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.57 KES 1,760

$44.05 $44.05

-69.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.10 KES 2,996

$85.1 $85.1

-72.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.02 KES 5,969

$105 $105

-56.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 KES 30.0K

$1,932 $1,932

-88.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.3K

$1,272 $1,272

-87.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 KES 69.8K

$3,670 $3,670

-85.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 KES 48.5K

$2,525 $2,525

-85.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,456 KES 707.6K

$7,617 $7,617

-28.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,836 KES 497.6K

$3,199 $3,199

19.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$318 KES 41.3K

$5,105 $5,105

-93.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

91.46%

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

Last update for Mombasa: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$186 26%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 116% $217

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 21.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 711% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$121 16.8%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 187% $225

Eating Out

Mombasa

$108 15.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 222% $240

Getting Around

Mombasa

$54 7.6%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 4.8% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$48 6.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 77.7% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 198% $86

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $231 in Mombasa and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1504% 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: $25.00 in Mombasa vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $403 per month, with Mombasa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

14:23 2:23 PM

06:23 6:23 AM

8 h behind Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

974,447

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.88 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.88 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mombasa Austin, TX 14,680 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Mombasa
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mombasa wins on cost – living expenses run 272% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mombasa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1504% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $231 in Mombasa versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $726 per month in Mombasa versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 272% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mombasa runs roughly 3% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $726 in Mombasa versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mombasa but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. 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 272% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.