Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Kisumu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kisumu: $644 a month against $717 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $880 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Kisumu
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Kisumu Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$717

/mo nomad

Kisumu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Kisumu

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

A single person spends $717 per month in Mombasa vs $644 in Kisumu, rent included.

Mombasa $717
Kisumu $644

A couple spends around $1,144 per month in Mombasa vs $977 in Kisumu, rent included.

Mombasa $1,144
Kisumu $977

A family of three spends $1,571 per month in Mombasa vs $1,311 in Kisumu, rent included.

Mombasa $1,571
Kisumu $1,311

Mombasa costs about 11% more than Kisumu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mombasa and Kisumu are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 47% lower, Kisumu 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 KES 356

$4.65 KES 603

-40.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.98 KES 3,239

$25.40 KES 3,293

-1.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 KES 1,347

$6.55 KES 849

58.63%

Cappuccino

$2.70 KES 350

$2.57 KES 334

5.06%

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

$0.74 KES 96.1

$0.61 KES 79.3

21.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.8

$0.60 KES 78.2

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 KES 298

$1.98 KES 257

16.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 KES 432

$2.78 KES 360

19.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 KES 127

$0.52 KES 67.5

88.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.2

$0.52 KES 67.4

-3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 KES 195

$1.96 KES 254

-23.47%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 236

$1.69 KES 219

7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.11 KES 1,830

$10.51 KES 1,363

34.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 KES 639

$6.43 KES 834

-23.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.48 KES 711

$5.07 KES 658

8.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 KES 271

$3.43 KES 444

-39.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 KES 150

$0.94 KES 122

23.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 KES 231

$2.07 KES 268

-14.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 KES 87.6

$1.13 KES 147

-39.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 KES 89.3

$1.07 KES 138

-35.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 KES 131

$0.96 KES 124

5.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 KES 78.6

$0.74 KES 95.9

-17.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 KES 55.4

$0.73 KES 94.8

-41.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 KES 537

$3.14 KES 407

32.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.70 KES 1,257

$7.68 KES 996

26.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 KES 250

$2.27 KES 295

-14.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 KES 379

$2.35 KES 305

24.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 103

$0.80 KES 104

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.38 KES 4,976

$23.09 KES 2,994

66.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 KES 397

$1.52 KES 197

101.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 KES 228

$1.50 KES 195

17.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 KES 597

$2.88 KES 373

59.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 202

$1.61 KES 208

-3.73%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$19.7K KES 2.6M

-38.54%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$21.9K KES 2.8M

-44.85%

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

$77.6 KES 10.1K

$55.8 KES 7,240

39.04%

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

$9.35 KES 1,213

$15.35 KES 1,990

-39.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.13 KES 4,426

$34.77 KES 4,508

-1.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.15 KES 2,354

$23.41 KES 3,036

-22.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.59 KES 2,540

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 KES 1,982

$7.91 KES 1,025

93.30%

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

$88.2 KES 11.4K

$115 KES 14.9K

-23.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,301 KES 687.3K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-57.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.08 KES 1,696

$11.77 KES 1,527

11.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.44 KES 1,743

$19.06 KES 2,471

-29.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.46 KES 3,041

$15.63 KES 2,026

50.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.81 KES 5,939

$15.63 KES 2,026

193.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$227 KES 29.5K

$153 KES 19.8K

48.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 KES 20.3K

$138 KES 17.9K

13.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 KES 68.9K

$563 KES 73.0K

-5.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 KES 48.0K

$212 KES 27.5K

74.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,417 KES 702.3K

$756 KES 98.1K

616.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,805 KES 493.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$324 KES 42.0K

$758 KES 98.3K

-57.26%

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 Kisumu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$186 25.9%

Kisumu

$189 29.4% 1.6% $3

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$156 21.8%

Kisumu

$138 21.5% 11.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$121 16.9%

Kisumu

$106 16.5% 12.5% $15

Eating Out

Mombasa

$109 15.2%

Kisumu

$108 16.8% 0.7% $0.7

Getting Around

Mombasa

$53 7.4%

Kisumu

$35 5.5% 33.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$49 6.8%

Kisumu

$39 6.1% 19.5% $9.5

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6%

Kisumu

$28 4.3% 35.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $227 in Mombasa versus $153 in Kisumu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 134% higher in Kisumu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Mombasa versus $25.00 in Kisumu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $189 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kisumu

🕒 Local time

23:30 11:30 PM

Same time as Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

1,155,574

💱 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 Kisumu 700 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mombasa
Kisumu

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 Kisumu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mombasa costs about 11% more than Kisumu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,076 per month in Mombasa and $965 in Kisumu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kisumu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Mombasa – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

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

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $717 in Mombasa and $644 in Kisumu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kisumu costs $644 versus $717 in Mombasa. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kisumu. 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.