Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $618 in Mombasa versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,060 in Mombasa versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,502 in Mombasa versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Mombasa costs roughly 73% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mombasa is 54% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.35 KES 304

$16.19 €14.15

-85.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 KES 2,478

$63.3 €55.3

-69.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 KES 1,137

$10.32 €9.02

-14.73%

Cappuccino

$3.18 KES 411

$2.83 €2.47

12.37%

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

$0.48 KES 62.4

$2.29 €2.00

-79.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 61.7

$1.58 €1.38

-69.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 KES 253

$3.40 €2.97

-42.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 KES 364

$4.03 €3.52

-30.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 KES 106

$1.09 €0.95

-24.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 KES 63.9

$1.75 €1.53

-72.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 KES 180

$1.76 €1.54

-20.45%

Eggs

$1.79 KES 231

$3.17 €2.77

-43.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 KES 1,255

$13.19 €11.53

-26.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.82 KES 752

$7.97 €6.96

-26.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.22 KES 675

$15.53 €13.57

-66.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 KES 231

$2.37 €2.07

-24.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 KES 117

$1.71 €1.49

-46.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 KES 197

$2.01 €1.75

-24.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$2.43 €2.12

-67.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 KES 87.5

$1.76 €1.54

-61.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 KES 139

$2.03 €1.78

-46.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 KES 85.4

$1.92 €1.68

-65.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 KES 78.0

$0.85 €0.74

-29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 KES 427

$6.58 €5.75

-49.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 KES 1,027

$5.58 €4.87

42.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 KES 242

$1.33 €1.16

41.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 KES 358

$2.97 €2.60

-6.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 KES 96.4

$2.28 €1.99

-67.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.08 KES 4,532

$45.79 €40.01

-23.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 KES 394

$4.23 €3.69

-27.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 KES 251

$0.81 €0.71

139.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 KES 592

$18.44 €16.11

-75.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 KES 206

$2.08 €1.82

-23.08%

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

$12.0K KES 1.5M

$34.7K €30.3K

-65.42%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$39.2K €34.2K

-69.88%

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

$44.61 KES 5,764

$148 €129

-69.87%

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

$14.45 KES 1,867

$20.46 €17.88

-29.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.55 KES 5,626

$39.56 €34.56

10.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.09 KES 2,337

$47.99 €41.93

-62.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 KES 2,480

$18.60 €16.25

3.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.71 KES 609

$9.22 €8.06

-48.92%

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

$87.7 KES 11.3K

$616 €538

-85.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,406 KES 698.5K

$16.4K €14.4K

-67.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.03 KES 1,684

$103 €89.7

-87.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.80 KES 1,784

$41.74 €36.47

-66.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.61 KES 3,050

$94.8 €82.8

-75.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.93 KES 5,934

$122 €107

-62.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 KES 23.4K

$1,633 €1,426

-88.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 KES 15.3K

$1,232 €1,077

-90.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 KES 76.3K

$3,098 €2,707

-80.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 KES 59.7K

$2,031 €1,775

-77.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,440 KES 702.8K

$7,831 €6,842

-30.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,820 KES 493.6K

$4,389 €3,835

-12.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$321 KES 41.5K

$1,607 €1,404

-80.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

241.21%

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

Last update for Mombasa: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $181 in Mombasa and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 400% 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: $19.00 in Mombasa vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $169 vs $267 per month, with Mombasa cheaper across the board.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mombasa and Lisbon differ by about 270% in total monthly costs ($618 vs $2,291 including rent). Mombasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 400% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $181 in Mombasa versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $87.7 in Mombasa versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $618 in Mombasa versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mombasa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mombasa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Mombasa and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mombasa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 270% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.