Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Eldoret

For one person, living is cheaper in Eldoret: $505 a month against $717 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Eldoret
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Eldoret Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$717

/mo nomad

Eldoret

🇰🇪 Kenya

$505

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Eldoret

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $717 in Mombasa versus $505 in Eldoret.

Mombasa $717
Eldoret $505

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,144 in Mombasa versus $873 in Eldoret.

Mombasa $1,144
Eldoret $873

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,571 in Mombasa versus $1,241 in Eldoret.

Mombasa $1,571
Eldoret $1,241

Living in Mombasa is roughly 42% more expensive than in Eldoret, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mombasa 47% lower, Eldoret 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 KES 356

$1.49 KES 194

84.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.98 KES 3,239

$34.81 KES 4,513

-28.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 KES 1,347

$6.41 KES 832

62.09%

Cappuccino

$2.70 KES 350

$2.67 KES 346

1.12%

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

$0.74 KES 96.1

$0.30 KES 38.53

146.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.8

$0.37 KES 48.32

40.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 KES 298

$2.29 KES 297

0.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 KES 432

$2.74 KES 355

21.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 KES 127

$0.70 KES 91.0

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.2

$0.50 KES 64.7

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 KES 195

$1.53 KES 199

-1.96%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 236

$1.59 KES 206

14.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.11 KES 1,830

$3.90 KES 506

261.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 KES 639

$4.23 KES 548

16.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.48 KES 711

$4.33 KES 561

26.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 KES 271

$2.33 KES 303

-10.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 KES 150

$1.10 KES 142

5.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 KES 231

$0.71 KES 92.4

150.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 KES 87.6

$0.94 KES 122

-27.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 KES 89.3

$0.56 KES 72.6

23.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 KES 131

$0.44 KES 57.2

129.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 KES 78.6

$0.69 KES 89.7

-11.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 KES 55.4

$0.61 KES 78.8

-29.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 KES 537

$3.59 KES 465

15.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.70 KES 1,257

$5.92 KES 767

63.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 KES 250

$2.00 KES 259

-3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 KES 379

$1.56 KES 202

87.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 103

$1.42 KES 184

-43.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.38 KES 4,976

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 KES 397

$1.56 KES 202

96.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 KES 228

$1.50 KES 195

17.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 KES 597

$2.94 KES 381

56.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 202

$1.47 KES 190

5.44%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$22.0K KES 2.8M

-44.87%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$20.5K KES 2.7M

-41.06%

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

$77.6 KES 10.1K

$39.32 KES 5,097

97.46%

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

$9.35 KES 1,213

$15.03 KES 1,948

-37.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.13 KES 4,426

$35.57 KES 4,611

-4.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.15 KES 2,354

$37.85 KES 4,908

-52.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.59 KES 2,540

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 KES 1,982

$7.67 KES 995

99.35%

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

$88.2 KES 11.4K

$65.1 KES 8,442

35.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,301 KES 687.3K

$12.2K KES 1.6M

-56.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.08 KES 1,696

$11.57 KES 1,500

13.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.44 KES 1,743

$29.18 KES 3,783

-53.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.46 KES 3,041

$19.40 KES 2,515

20.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.81 KES 5,939

$34.95 KES 4,531

31.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$227 KES 29.5K

$92.7 KES 12.0K

145.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 KES 20.3K

$87.3 KES 11.3K

79.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 KES 68.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 KES 48.0K

$273 KES 35.4K

35.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,417 KES 702.3K

$614 KES 79.6K

782.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,805 KES 493.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$324 KES 42.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

-11.62%

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

Last update for Mombasa: October 17, 2026

Last update for Eldoret: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$186 25.9%

Eldoret

$134 26.5% 28.1% $52

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$156 21.8%

Eldoret

$87 17.3% 44.2% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$121 16.9%

Eldoret

$90 17.8% 25.8% $31

Eating Out

Mombasa

$109 15.2%

Eldoret

$83 16.4% 23.8% $26

Getting Around

Mombasa

$53 7.4%

Eldoret

$15 * 2.9% 72.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$49 6.8%

Eldoret

$53 10.5% 9.2% $4.5

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6%

Eldoret

$43 8.5% 0.7% $0.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $227 in Mombasa and $92.7 in Eldoret. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $25.00 in Mombasa vs $35.00 in Eldoret. Groceries flip the comparison at $186 vs $134, with Eldoret cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇰🇪 Eldoret

🕒 Local time

15:29 3:29 PM

Same time as Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

193,830

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Mombasa Eldoret 700 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mombasa
Eldoret

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 Eldoret: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eldoret wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Mombasa. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Eldoret the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,076 in Mombasa and $757 in Eldoret to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $227 in Mombasa versus $92.7 in Eldoret. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Mombasa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $717 per month in Mombasa versus $505 in Eldoret – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Eldoret gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Eldoret gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Mombasa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.