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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $689 per month in Mombasa vs $763 in Chengdu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,111 per month in Mombasa vs $1,225 in Chengdu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,534 per month in Mombasa vs $1,688 in Chengdu, rent included.

Mombasa is about 10% cheaper than Chengdu, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Mombasa and Chengdu are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 50% lower, Chengdu 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.30 KES 298

$2.90 ¥19.46

-20.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.05 KES 2,981

$20.18 ¥135

14.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 KES 1,372

$5.18 ¥34.79

104.83%

Cappuccino

$3.60 KES 466

$2.94 ¥19.70

22.45%

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

$1.00 KES 130

$0.48 ¥3.19

108.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 54.7

$0.28 ¥1.89

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 KES 292

$1.46 ¥9.78

54.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 KES 417

$2.50 ¥16.75

28.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 KES 121

$1.76 ¥11.82

-46.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 KES 63.8

$1.64 ¥11.00

-70.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 KES 204

$0.94 ¥6.32

68.09%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 235

$1.54 ¥10.30

18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.94 KES 1,415

$14.19 ¥95.2

-22.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 KES 704

$3.51 ¥23.54

54.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.34 KES 691

$11.04 ¥74.1

-51.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 KES 271

$1.82 ¥12.21

15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 KES 148

$1.26 ¥8.47

-8.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 KES 231

$1.06 ¥7.11

68.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.1

$1.25 ¥8.39

-48.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.7

$0.69 ¥4.64

4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 KES 135

$0.72 ¥4.84

45.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 KES 73.4

$0.73 ¥4.91

-21.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KES 59.3

$0.59 ¥3.93

-22.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 KES 583

$3.63 ¥24.33

24.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 KES 984

$5.47 ¥36.68

39.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 KES 258

$0.79 ¥5.29

153.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 KES 372

$1.53 ¥10.27

88.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 KES 98.0

$0.43 ¥2.91

76.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.00 KES 4,914

$24.95 ¥167

52.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 KES 389

$1.32 ¥8.82

128.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 KES 221

$0.29 ¥1.94

489.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 KES 587

$4.38 ¥29.37

3.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.23 ¥8.22

26.83%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$19.4K ¥130.0K

-37.63%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$17.4K ¥116.9K

-32.42%

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

$55.1 KES 7,124

$41.04 ¥275

34.23%

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

$13.42 KES 1,735

$9.46 ¥63.5

41.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.92 KES 4,386

$12.83 ¥86.1

164.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.20 KES 2,354

$27.45 ¥184

-33.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 KES 2,450

$11.02 ¥74.0

71.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.00 KES 1,422

$6.02 ¥40.41

82.72%

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

$87.7 KES 11.3K

$410 ¥2,751

-78.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,514 KES 713.0K

$14.8K ¥99.1K

-62.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.03 KES 1,685

$28.78 ¥193

-54.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.50 KES 1,745

$29.21 ¥196

-53.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.12 KES 2,989

$60.8 ¥408

-61.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.53 KES 5,887

$52.7 ¥353

-13.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.6K

$486 ¥3,265

-52.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 KES 19.9K

$256 ¥1,716

-39.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 KES 69.5K

$849 ¥5,700

-36.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 KES 50.2K

$545 ¥3,660

-28.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,396 KES 697.7K

$3,813 ¥25.6K

41.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,931 KES 508.3K

$1,909 ¥12.8K

105.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$321 KES 41.5K

$1,284 ¥8,614

-75.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

284.62%

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

Last update for Mombasa: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chengdu: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $229 in Mombasa versus $486 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 300% 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 $23.00 in Mombasa versus $20.00 in Chengdu. Groceries tell a different story – $175 in Mombasa vs $196 in Chengdu – so Mombasa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: $689 in Mombasa, $763 in Chengdu – roughly 11% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,033 per month in Mombasa and $1,145 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 $23.00 in Mombasa and $20.00 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 $689 in Mombasa and $763 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 $689 in Mombasa and $763 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.