Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $689 in Mombasa versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,111 in Mombasa versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,534 in Mombasa versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Mombasa costs roughly 72% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mombasa is 50% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.30 KES 298

$18.39 €15.86

-87.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.05 KES 2,981

$69.2 €59.7

-66.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 KES 1,372

$14.13 €12.19

-24.91%

Cappuccino

$3.60 KES 466

$3.13 €2.70

15.02%

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

$1.00 KES 130

$3.02 €2.60

-66.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 54.7

$1.96 €1.69

-78.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 KES 292

$4.00 €3.45

-43.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 KES 417

$4.76 €4.11

-32.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 KES 121

$1.25 €1.08

-24.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 KES 63.8

$2.16 €1.87

-77.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 KES 204

$1.69 €1.45

-6.51%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 235

$4.93 €4.25

-63.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.94 KES 1,415

$17.88 €15.42

-38.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 KES 704

$9.61 €8.29

-43.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.34 KES 691

$19.34 €16.68

-72.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 KES 271

$3.24 €2.79

-35.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 KES 148

$2.18 €1.88

-47.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 KES 231

$2.67 €2.30

-32.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.1

$2.77 €2.39

-76.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.7

$2.21 €1.91

-67.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 KES 135

$2.19 €1.89

-52.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 KES 73.4

$1.52 €1.31

-62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KES 59.3

$0.92 €0.79

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 KES 583

$7.12 €6.14

-36.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 KES 984

$8.14 €7.02

-6.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 KES 258

$1.50 €1.29

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 KES 372

$2.78 €2.40

3.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 KES 98.0

$3.15 €2.72

-75.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.00 KES 4,914

$26.99 €23.28

40.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 KES 389

$3.25 €2.80

-7.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 KES 221

$1.50 €1.29

14.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 KES 587

$34.89 €30.10

-86.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.75 €1.51

-10.86%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$36.7K €31.6K

-67.05%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$30.9K €26.7K

-61.95%

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

$55.1 KES 7,124

$188 €162

-70.64%

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

$13.42 KES 1,735

$15.44 €13.32

-13.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.92 KES 4,386

$37.80 €32.60

-10.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.20 KES 2,354

$57.2 €49.32

-68.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 KES 2,450

$16.80 €14.49

12.80%

Cinema Ticket

$11.00 KES 1,422

$11.58 €9.99

-5.01%

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

$87.7 KES 11.3K

$1,003 €865

-91.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,514 KES 713.0K

$17.0K €14.7K

-67.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.03 KES 1,685

$89.2 €77.0

-85.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.50 KES 1,745

$40.87 €35.25

-66.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.12 KES 2,989

$110 €94.9

-78.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.53 KES 5,887

$123 €106

-62.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.6K

$1,673 €1,443

-86.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 KES 19.9K

$1,331 €1,148

-88.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 KES 69.5K

$2,596 €2,239

-79.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 KES 50.2K

$1,950 €1,682

-80.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,396 KES 697.7K

$7,573 €6,532

-28.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,931 KES 508.3K

$5,370 €4,632

-26.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$321 KES 41.5K

$2,402 €2,072

-86.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

311.39%

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

Last update for Mombasa: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $229 in Mombasa and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 649% 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 $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $332 per month, with Mombasa cheaper across the board.

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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mombasa and Barcelona differ by about 262% in total monthly costs ($689 vs $2,495 including rent). Mombasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 649% lower in Barcelona. 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: $229 in Mombasa versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $87.7 in Mombasa versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $689 in Mombasa versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mombasa but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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.

Safety-wise, Mombasa and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mombasa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 262% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.