Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Mombasa: $726 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$726

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Berlin

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 Berlin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $726 per month in Mombasa vs $2,545 in Berlin, rent included.

Mombasa $726
Berlin $2,545

A couple spends around $1,140 per month in Mombasa vs $3,901 in Berlin, rent included.

Mombasa $1,140
Berlin $3,901

A family of three spends $1,553 per month in Mombasa vs $5,257 in Berlin, rent included.

Mombasa $1,553
Berlin $5,257

Mombasa is about 71% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mombasa sits 46% below the global median, while Berlin is 90% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.65 KES 343

$16.81 €15.00

-84.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.75 KES 3,210

$79.6 €71.0

-68.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 KES 1,343

$13.38 €11.94

-22.57%

Cappuccino

$2.75 KES 357

$4.27 €3.81

-35.60%

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

$0.68 KES 88.1

$3.40 €3.03

-80.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.1

$3.12 €2.79

-83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 KES 296

$5.48 €4.89

-58.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 KES 432

$4.56 €4.07

-26.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 KES 128

$1.27 €1.13

-22.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 KES 69.3

$2.45 €2.19

-78.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 KES 197

$3.30 €2.94

-53.94%

Eggs

$1.75 KES 227

$4.45 €3.97

-60.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.89 KES 1,802

$17.10 €15.26

-18.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.92 KES 639

$12.19 €10.88

-59.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.42 KES 703

$18.30 €16.33

-70.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 KES 282

$3.58 €3.19

-39.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$1.98 €1.77

-41.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 KES 230

$3.27 €2.92

-45.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 91.6

$3.81 €3.40

-81.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 KES 95.8

$2.13 €1.90

-65.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$2.21 €1.97

-52.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 KES 78.0

$1.49 €1.33

-59.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KES 59.4

$1.01 €0.90

-54.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 KES 517

$10.49 €9.37

-61.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 KES 1,259

$6.76 €6.03

43.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 KES 250

$1.34 €1.20

44.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 KES 377

$2.10 €1.87

38.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 103

$4.37 €3.90

-81.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.24 KES 5,089

$71.0 €63.3

-44.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 KES 411

$5.29 €4.72

-40.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 KES 229

$3.05 €2.73

-42.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 KES 583

$36.30 €32.39

-87.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 KES 206

$2.28 €2.03

-30.26%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$33.2K €29.7K

-63.54%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$39.1K €34.9K

-68.87%

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

$76.8 KES 9,958

$379 €339

-79.76%

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

$9.20 KES 1,194

$19.31 €17.23

-52.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.52 KES 4,478

$48.41 €43.20

-28.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.03 KES 2,339

$40.31 €35.97

-55.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.39 KES 2,515

$35.51 €31.69

-45.40%

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 KES 1,974

$15.53 €13.86

-2.00%

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

$85.5 KES 11.1K

$144 €128

-40.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,377 KES 697.4K

$15.8K €14.1K

-65.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.31 KES 1,727

$94.6 €84.5

-85.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.57 KES 1,760

$46.33 €41.34

-70.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.10 KES 2,996

$103 €92.2

-77.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.02 KES 5,969

$141 €126

-67.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 KES 30.0K

$1,488 €1,328

-84.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.3K

$1,098 €980

-85.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 KES 69.8K

$2,665 €2,378

-79.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 KES 48.5K

$2,080 €1,856

-82.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,456 KES 707.6K

$8,578 €7,655

-36.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,836 KES 497.6K

$5,438 €4,853

-29.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$318 KES 41.3K

$3,487 €3,112

-90.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

242.11%

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

Last update for Mombasa: October 4, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$186 26%

Berlin

$351 13.8% 88.1% $164

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 21.8%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3% 600% $941

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$121 16.8%

Berlin

$447 17.6% 271% $327

Eating Out

Mombasa

$108 15.1%

Berlin

$289 11.4% 167% $180

Getting Around

Mombasa

$54 7.6%

Berlin

$109 4.3% 100% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$48 6.8%

Berlin

$71 2.8% 47.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6%

Berlin

$174 6.8% 302% $130

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $231 in Mombasa versus $1,488 in Berlin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 996% higher in Berlin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Mombasa versus $80.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $351 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

07:58 7:58 AM

06:58 6:58 AM

1 h behind Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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 = 6.87 EUR).

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

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mombasa Berlin 6,760 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Mombasa
Berlin

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 Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 251%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,089 per month in Mombasa and $3,818 in Berlin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mombasa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $726 in Mombasa and $2,545 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 251%.

Public transport costs about 81% less in Mombasa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mombasa, where all-in costs run around $726, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Mombasa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mombasa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mombasa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.