Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Chengdu Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Chengdu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $618 per month in Mombasa vs $677 in Chengdu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,060 per month in Mombasa vs $1,074 in Chengdu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,502 per month in Mombasa vs $1,472 in Chengdu, rent included.

Mombasa is about 9% cheaper than Chengdu, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Mombasa and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 54% lower, Chengdu 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.35 KES 304

$2.82 ¥19.09

-16.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 KES 2,478

$24.08 ¥163

-20.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 KES 1,137

$4.97 ¥33.66

77.06%

Cappuccino

$3.18 KES 411

$2.76 ¥18.71

15.22%

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

$0.48 KES 62.4

$0.43 ¥2.92

11.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 61.7

$0.28 ¥1.88

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 KES 253

$1.14 ¥7.70

71.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 KES 364

$2.06 ¥13.97

36.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 KES 106

$1.81 ¥12.28

-54.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 KES 63.9

$1.39 ¥9.39

-64.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 KES 180

$0.93 ¥6.31

50.54%

Eggs

$1.79 KES 231

$1.94 ¥13.10

-7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 KES 1,255

$13.76 ¥93.2

-29.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.82 KES 752

$3.61 ¥24.41

61.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.22 KES 675

$11.32 ¥76.6

-53.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 KES 231

$1.91 ¥12.94

-6.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 KES 117

$1.22 ¥8.28

-25.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 KES 197

$1.50 ¥10.18

1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$1.02 ¥6.90

-22.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 KES 87.5

$0.71 ¥4.81

-4.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 KES 139

$0.70 ¥4.76

54.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 KES 85.4

$0.60 ¥4.09

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 KES 78.0

$0.61 ¥4.16

-1.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 KES 427

$3.40 ¥23.02

-2.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 KES 1,027

$5.50 ¥37.19

44.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 KES 242

$0.95 ¥6.42

97.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 KES 358

$1.85 ¥12.53

49.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 KES 96.4

$0.43 ¥2.94

74.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.08 KES 4,532

$27.94 ¥189

25.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 KES 394

$1.24 ¥8.38

145.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 KES 251

$0.28 ¥1.91

592.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 KES 592

$4.16 ¥28.15

10.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 KES 206

$1.17 ¥7.95

36.75%

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

$12.0K KES 1.5M

$18.5K ¥125.0K

-35.07%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$16.7K ¥112.7K

-29.17%

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

$44.61 KES 5,764

$44.66 ¥302

-0.11%

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

$14.45 KES 1,867

$11.53 ¥78.1

25.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.55 KES 5,626

$11.33 ¥76.7

284.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.09 KES 2,337

$24.18 ¥164

-25.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 KES 2,480

$11.55 ¥78.2

66.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.71 KES 609

$5.69 ¥38.53

-17.22%

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

$87.7 KES 11.3K

$330 ¥2,232

-73.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,406 KES 698.5K

$12.3K ¥83.5K

-56.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.03 KES 1,684

$37.54 ¥254

-65.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.80 KES 1,784

$38.48 ¥260

-64.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.61 KES 3,050

$66.8 ¥452

-64.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.93 KES 5,934

$50.0 ¥339

-8.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 KES 23.4K

$320 ¥2,165

-43.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 KES 15.3K

$183 ¥1,237

-35.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 KES 76.3K

$611 ¥4,138

-3.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 KES 59.7K

$329 ¥2,224

40.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,440 KES 702.8K

$3,785 ¥25.6K

43.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,820 KES 493.6K

$1,925 ¥13.0K

98.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$321 KES 41.5K

$1,278 ¥8,647

-74.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

208.79%

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

Last update for Mombasa: July 14, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $181 in Mombasa versus $320 in Chengdu. 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 298% higher in Chengdu, 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 $19.00 in Mombasa versus $24.00 in Chengdu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $169 vs $198 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Chengdu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $618 in Mombasa, $677 in Chengdu – roughly 9% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $928 per month in Mombasa and $1,015 in Chengdu. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Mombasa and $24.00 in Chengdu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $618 in Mombasa and $677 in Chengdu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $618 in Mombasa and $677 in Chengdu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

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