Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Kericho

For one person, living is cheaper in Kericho: $489 a month against $715 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Kericho
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Kericho Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$715

/mo nomad

Kericho

🇰🇪 Kenya

$489

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Kericho

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $715 in Mombasa versus $489 in Kericho.

Mombasa $715
Kericho $489

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,138 in Mombasa versus $767 in Kericho.

Mombasa $1,138
Kericho $767

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,560 in Mombasa versus $1,044 in Kericho.

Mombasa $1,560
Kericho $1,044

Living in Mombasa is roughly 46% more expensive than in Kericho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mombasa 47% lower, Kericho 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 KES 342

$2.27 KES 295

15.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.66 KES 3,202

$20.70 KES 2,688

19.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 KES 1,364

$6.37 KES 827

64.99%

Cappuccino

$2.71 KES 351

$2.56 KES 333

5.86%

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

$0.74 KES 95.5

$0.36 KES 47.33

105.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 62.3

$0.62 KES 80.3

-22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 KES 303

$2.26 KES 294

3.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 KES 423

$1.26 KES 163

158.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 KES 119

$0.59 KES 76.7

55.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.48 KES 62.0

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$1.25 KES 163

25.60%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 237

$1.64 KES 213

10.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 KES 1,815

$10.76 KES 1,397

29.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 KES 636

$6.71 KES 871

-27.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 682

$4.19 KES 544

25.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 KES 280

$3.38 KES 439

-36.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 KES 148

$1.02 KES 132

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 KES 239

$2.09 KES 272

-11.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 92.4

$1.10 KES 143

-35.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 KES 89.0

$0.68 KES 87.8

1.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 KES 132

$0.72 KES 93.2

41.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.0

$0.30 KES 38.83

96.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 55.2

$0.61 KES 78.6

-31.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 KES 516

$3.55 KES 460

11.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.51 KES 1,234

$11.41 KES 1,482

-16.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 257

$2.29 KES 298

-13.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 KES 382

$2.79 KES 362

5.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 KES 105

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.41 KES 4,988

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 410

$1.53 KES 199

106.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 221

$1.55 KES 201

9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 KES 598

$2.92 KES 379

57.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 KES 199

$1.60 KES 208

-4.38%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$19.2K KES 2.5M

-36.46%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

$22.0K KES 2.9M

-46.10%

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

$76.8 KES 9,967

$56.0 KES 7,268

37.13%

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

$9.07 KES 1,177

$14.96 KES 1,942

-39.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.36 KES 4,462

$35.16 KES 4,566

-2.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.66 KES 2,294

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.32 KES 2,509

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 KES 1,981

$7.62 KES 989

100.26%

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

$86.7 KES 11.3K

$274 KES 35.6K

-68.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,484 KES 712.2K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-55.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.89 KES 1,674

$27.67 KES 3,593

-53.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.50 KES 1,753

$29.30 KES 3,805

-53.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.07 KES 2,996

$69.5 KES 9,019

-66.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.74 KES 6,069

$59.3 KES 7,695

-21.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 KES 69.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 KES 47.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,457 KES 708.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 KES 504.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$317 KES 41.2K

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 26, 2026

Last update for Kericho: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Kericho

$189 38.7% 2.5% $4.5

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 22%

Kericho

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$120 16.8%

Kericho

$106 21.7% 11.7% $14

Eating Out

Mombasa

$108 15.1%

Kericho

$86 17.5% 20.6% $22

Getting Around

Mombasa

$53 7.5%

Kericho

$9.3 * 1.9% 82.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$48 6.7%

Kericho

$15 * 3.1% 68.4% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6.1%

Kericho

$84 17.1% 93% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25 in Mombasa vs $21 in Kericho. Groceries flip the comparison at $185 vs $189, with Mombasa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kericho

🕒 Local time

16:01 4:01 PM

Same time as Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

150,000

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mombasa Kericho 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mombasa
Kericho

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 Kericho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mombasa and Kericho differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($715 vs $489 including rent). Kericho is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,073 in Mombasa and $734 in Kericho 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.

Childcare runs $87 in Mombasa versus $274 in Kericho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $715 per month in Mombasa versus $489 in Kericho – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Kericho 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.