Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Garissa

For one person, living is cheaper in Garissa: $381 a month against $719 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$719

/mo nomad

Garissa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Garissa

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

A single person spends $719 per month in Mombasa vs $381 in Garissa, rent included.

Mombasa $719
Garissa $381

A couple spends around $1,147 per month in Mombasa vs $667 in Garissa, rent included.

Mombasa $1,147
Garissa $667

A family of three spends $1,575 per month in Mombasa vs $952 in Garissa, rent included.

Mombasa $1,575
Garissa $952

Mombasa costs about 89% more than Garissa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mombasa and Garissa are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 47% lower, Garissa 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.66 KES 345

$11.79 KES 1,528

-77.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.34 KES 3,285

$23.02 KES 2,984

10.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 KES 1,359

Cappuccino

$2.74 KES 355

$7.73 KES 1,002

-64.55%

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

$0.68 KES 88.0

$1.88 KES 244

-63.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.7

$1.13 KES 147

-53.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KES 303

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 KES 428

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 KES 130

$0.52 KES 66.9

92.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 KES 65.6

$0.59 KES 76.9

-13.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 KES 201

$1.47 KES 191

5.44%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 236

$1.92 KES 249

-5.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 KES 1,803

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 KES 648

$6.10 KES 791

-18.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 681

$5.39 KES 698

-2.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 KES 272

$3.78 KES 490

-44.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 KES 150

$3.11 KES 403

-62.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$4.69 KES 608

-62.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 KES 90.9

$0.79 KES 102

-11.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.8

$1.22 KES 158

-40.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 KES 130

$1.57 KES 204

-35.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 KES 78.4

$2.37 KES 307

-74.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 KES 55.6

$0.56 KES 72.3

-23.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 KES 518

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 KES 1,239

$5.71 KES 741

67.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 KES 258

$1.67 KES 217

19.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 KES 365

$3.82 KES 496

-26.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 104

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.84 KES 5,035

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 410

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 KES 227

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 KES 603

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

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

$76.9 KES 9,975

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

$9.14 KES 1,184

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.48 KES 4,470

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

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

$86.4 KES 11.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,415 KES 702.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.05 KES 1,692

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.77 KES 1,785

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.30 KES 3,021

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.20 KES 5,990

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

$129 KES 16.8K

141.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Mombasa: October 10, 2026

Last update for Garissa: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Garissa

–

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 21.9%

Garissa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$121 16.8%

Garissa

–

Eating Out

Mombasa

$109 15.1%

Garissa

–

Getting Around

Mombasa

$54 7.5%

Garissa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$49 6.9%

Garissa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6%

Garissa

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 142% higher in Mombasa, 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 $23.00 in Garissa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $182 – making Garissa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇰🇪 Garissa

🕒 Local time

14:47 2:47 PM

Same time as Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

119,696

💱 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

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Mombasa Garissa 400 km

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Mombasa
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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 Garissa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $719 in Mombasa, $381 in Garissa – roughly 89% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,078 per month in Mombasa and $572 in Garissa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Mombasa and $23.00 in Garissa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $719 in Mombasa and $381 in Garissa. That's a gap of about 89%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $719 in Mombasa and $381 in Garissa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Garissa – 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 Garissa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mombasa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.