Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Galle

For one person, living is cheaper in Galle: $464 a month against $719 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Galle
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Galle Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$719

/mo nomad

Galle

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$464

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Galle

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $719 in Mombasa versus $464 in Galle.

Mombasa $719
Galle $464

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,147 in Mombasa versus $756 in Galle.

Mombasa $1,147
Galle $756

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,575 in Mombasa versus $1,047 in Galle.

Mombasa $1,575
Galle $1,047

Living in Mombasa is roughly 55% more expensive than in Galle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mombasa 47% lower, Galle 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.66 KES 345

$1.55 LKR 513

71.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.34 KES 3,285

$23.95 LKR 7,934

5.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 KES 1,359

$7.37 LKR 2,441

42.20%

Cappuccino

$2.74 KES 355

$1.85 LKR 613

48.11%

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

$0.68 KES 88.0

$0.67 LKR 223

1.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.7

$0.25 LKR 82.6

108.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KES 303

$1.23 LKR 406

90.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 KES 428

$1.48 LKR 489

122.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 KES 130

$1.64 LKR 545

-39.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 KES 65.6

$0.57 LKR 189

-10.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 KES 201

$0.82 LKR 270

89.02%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 236

$1.67 LKR 552

8.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 KES 1,803

$13.59 LKR 4,501

2.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 KES 648

$4.85 LKR 1,606

3.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 681

$7.27 LKR 2,408

-27.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 KES 272

$6.46 LKR 2,139

-67.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 KES 150

$0.78 LKR 258

48.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$4.47 LKR 1,481

-60.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 KES 90.9

$1.34 LKR 442

-47.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.8

$1.04 LKR 344

-30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 KES 130

$0.83 LKR 274

21.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 KES 78.4

$0.95 LKR 314

-36.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 KES 55.6

$0.42 LKR 139

2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 KES 518

$10.10 LKR 3,346

-60.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 KES 1,239

$9.07 LKR 3,005

5.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 KES 258

$1.95 LKR 645

2.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 KES 365

$3.01 LKR 997

-6.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 104

$0.15 LKR 48.05

433.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.84 KES 5,035

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 410

$0.29 LKR 95.1

989.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 KES 227

$0.29 LKR 94.8

503.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 KES 603

$0.88 LKR 292

428.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.32 LKR 438

18.18%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$36.6K LKR 12.1M

-66.98%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$39.9K LKR 13.2M

-70.35%

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

$76.9 KES 9,975

$59.5 LKR 19.7K

29.38%

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

$9.14 KES 1,184

$4.33 LKR 1,436

111.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.48 KES 4,470

$21.07 LKR 6,978

63.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 KES 2,357

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.93 KES 2,454

Cinema Ticket

$15.63 KES 2,027

$4.60 LKR 1,523

239.78%

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

$86.4 KES 11.2K

$38.04 LKR 12.6K

127.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,415 KES 702.1K

$1,206 LKR 399.3K

349.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.05 KES 1,692

$18.27 LKR 6,052

-28.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.77 KES 1,785

$16.40 LKR 5,433

-16.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.30 KES 3,021

$80.5 LKR 26.7K

-71.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.20 KES 5,990

$41.26 LKR 13.7K

11.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$227 KES 29.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 KES 70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 KES 48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,411 KES 701.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,884 KES 503.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$313 KES 40.5K

$305 LKR 101.1K

2.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

2.44%

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

Last update for Mombasa: October 10, 2026

Last update for Galle: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Galle

$228 49.1% 22.9% $42

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 21.9%

Galle

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$121 16.8%

Galle

$85 18.3% 29.6% $36

Eating Out

Mombasa

$109 15.1%

Galle

$69 15% 36.1% $39

Getting Around

Mombasa

$54 7.5%

Galle

$2.3 * 0.5% 95.7% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$49 6.9%

Galle

$9.2 * 2% 81.4% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6%

Galle

$70 15.2% 62.4% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

Mombasa pays 2% 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: $25.00 in Mombasa vs $24.00 in Galle. Groceries flip the comparison at $185 vs $228, with Mombasa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇱🇰 Galle

🕒 Local time

13:35 1:35 PM

16:05 4:05 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

100,000

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mombasa Galle 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Mombasa
Galle

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 Galle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Galle is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Mombasa, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $86.4 in Mombasa versus $38.04 in Galle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Galle – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $25.00 in Mombasa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Galle gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Galle is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mombasa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Galle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Mombasa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.