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: $604 in Mombasa versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,064 in Mombasa versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,525 in Mombasa versus $4,411 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 55% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.37 KES 308

$15.91 €13.69

-85.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.29 KES 2,498

$64.8 €55.7

-70.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.53 KES 1,106

$10.51 €9.04

-18.84%

Cappuccino

$3.25 KES 421

$2.87 €2.47

13.24%

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

$0.51 KES 66.3

$2.24 €1.93

-77.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 KES 61.2

$1.50 €1.29

-68.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 KES 246

$3.49 €3.00

-45.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 KES 380

$3.88 €3.34

-24.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 KES 104

$1.14 €0.98

-28.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 KES 69.3

$1.75 €1.51

-69.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 KES 187

$1.76 €1.51

-18.18%

Eggs

$1.73 KES 223

$3.22 €2.77

-46.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 KES 1,291

$13.49 €11.61

-26.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.82 KES 754

$7.91 €6.81

-26.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.24 KES 679

$15.87 €13.65

-66.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 KES 234

$2.31 €1.99

-21.65%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 KES 121

$1.70 €1.46

-45.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 KES 202

$2.01 €1.73

-22.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 KES 98.2

$2.46 €2.12

-69.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 92.4

$1.84 €1.59

-61.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$2.00 €1.72

-47.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 KES 86.9

$1.93 €1.66

-65.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 KES 74.0

$0.79 €0.68

-27.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 KES 430

$6.61 €5.68

-49.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 KES 1,023

$5.72 €4.92

38.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 KES 252

$1.37 €1.17

41.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 KES 354

$2.97 €2.56

-8.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KES 103

$2.37 €2.04

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.09 KES 4,546

$45.56 €39.19

-22.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 KES 391

$4.29 €3.69

-29.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 KES 252

$0.82 €0.70

137.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 KES 597

$18.30 €15.74

-74.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 KES 208

$2.06 €1.78

-22.33%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$34.3K €29.5K

-64.75%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$39.3K €33.8K

-70.00%

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

$44.87 KES 5,813

$148 €127

-69.66%

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

$14.07 KES 1,822

$20.52 €17.65

-31.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.11 KES 5,715

$39.61 €34.08

11.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 KES 2,356

$47.85 €41.16

-62.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 KES 2,455

$18.92 €16.28

0.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 KES 589

$9.18 €7.90

-50.44%

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

$87.3 KES 11.3K

$614 €528

-85.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,325 KES 689.9K

$16.0K €13.8K

-66.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.39 KES 1,734

$105 €90.0

-87.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.83 KES 1,792

$42.06 €36.18

-67.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.61 KES 3,059

$94.0 €80.8

-74.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.29 KES 6,126

$120 €103

-60.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 KES 23.0K

$1,628 €1,400

-89.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 KES 14.9K

$1,255 €1,080

-90.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$605 KES 78.4K

$3,030 €2,607

-80.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 KES 60.2K

$2,020 €1,738

-76.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,402 KES 699.9K

$7,800 €6,709

-30.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,839 KES 497.3K

$4,273 €3,675

-10.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$318 KES 41.2K

$1,603 €1,379

-80.19%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $178 in Mombasa and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 405% 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 $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $269 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 266% in total monthly costs ($604 vs $2,210 including rent). Mombasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 405% less. 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: $178 in Mombasa versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $87.3 in Mombasa versus $614 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 $604 in Mombasa versus $2,210 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 266% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.