Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Kiambu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kiambu: $503 a month against $715 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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 Kiambu
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Kiambu Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$715

/mo nomad

Kiambu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$503

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Kiambu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $715 in Mombasa versus $503 in Kiambu.

Mombasa $715
Kiambu $503

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,138 in Mombasa versus $823 in Kiambu.

Mombasa $1,138
Kiambu $823

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,560 in Mombasa versus $1,143 in Kiambu.

Mombasa $1,560
Kiambu $1,143

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 KES 342

$6.41 KES 833

-58.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.66 KES 3,202

$34.12 KES 4,431

-27.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 KES 1,364

$6.52 KES 847

61.20%

Cappuccino

$2.71 KES 351

$2.60 KES 337

4.23%

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

$0.74 KES 95.5

$0.64 KES 83.4

15.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 62.3

$0.62 KES 81.1

-22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 KES 303

$2.26 KES 293

3.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 KES 423

$2.62 KES 340

24.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 KES 119

$0.54 KES 70.8

70.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.55 KES 71.5

-9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$1.83 KES 237

-14.21%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 237

$1.37 KES 179

32.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 KES 1,815

$10.71 KES 1,391

30.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 KES 636

$6.67 KES 866

-26.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 682

$4.01 KES 520

30.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 KES 280

$3.50 KES 455

-38.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 KES 148

$1.04 KES 135

9.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 KES 239

$0.75 KES 97.0

145.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 92.4

$0.59 KES 77.1

20.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 KES 89.0

$0.72 KES 93.7

-4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 KES 132

$0.71 KES 92.5

43.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.0

$0.30 KES 38.52

96.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 55.2

$0.37 KES 47.84

13.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 KES 516

$3.39 KES 440

17.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.51 KES 1,234

$11.49 KES 1,493

-17.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 257

$2.27 KES 295

-12.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 KES 382

$2.70 KES 350

8.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 KES 105

$0.63 KES 81.3

28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.41 KES 4,988

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 410

$1.51 KES 196

109.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 221

$0.36 KES 47.33

372.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 KES 598

$2.81 KES 365

64.06%

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

-36.53%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

$21.6K KES 2.8M

-45.06%

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

$76.8 KES 9,967

$56.4 KES 7,320

36.15%

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

$9.07 KES 1,177

$7.86 KES 1,020

15.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.36 KES 4,462

$35.13 KES 4,562

-2.19%

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

$5.82 KES 755

162.20%

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

$86.7 KES 11.3K

$280 KES 36.4K

-69.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,484 KES 712.2K

$12.5K KES 1.6M

-56.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.89 KES 1,674

$27.56 KES 3,579

-53.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.50 KES 1,753

$29.19 KES 3,791

-53.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.07 KES 2,996

$70.1 KES 9,109

-67.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.74 KES 6,069

$57.5 KES 7,466

-18.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.7K

$116 KES 15.0K

97.87%

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

$1,175 KES 152.6K

364.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 KES 504.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$317 KES 41.2K

$125 KES 16.3K

152.87%

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 Kiambu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Kiambu

$180 35.8% 2.6% $4.8

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 22%

Kiambu

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$120 16.8%

Kiambu

$99 19.7% 17.3% $21

Eating Out

Mombasa

$108 15.1%

Kiambu

$124 24.6% 14.3% $16

Getting Around

Mombasa

$53 7.5%

Kiambu

$5.8 * 1.2% 89% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$48 6.7%

Kiambu

$12 * 2.3% 75.9% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6.1%

Kiambu

$83 16.5% 91.7% $40

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 $229 in Mombasa and $116 in Kiambu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mombasa pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $25 in Mombasa vs $34 in Kiambu. Groceries flip the comparison at $185 vs $180, with Kiambu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kiambu

🕒 Local time

09:17 9:17 AM

Same time as Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

147,870

💱 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

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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 Kiambu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiambu is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Mombasa is about 2.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $229 in Mombasa versus $116 in Kiambu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $87 in Mombasa versus $280 in Kiambu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mombasa – a meal for two runs $25 versus $34 in Kiambu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Kiambu 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.

It comes down to priorities – Kiambu wins on affordability, Mombasa on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.