Comparación del coste de vida entre Mombasa y Machakos Comparación del coste de vida entre Mombasa y Machakos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $614 in Mombasa versus $453 in Machakos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,068 in Mombasa versus $752 in Machakos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,523 in Mombasa versus $1,051 in Machakos.

Living in Mombasa is roughly 35% more expensive than Machakos, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mombasa 54% lower, Machakos 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.33 KES 301

$2.34 KES 303

-0.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.28 KES 2,491

$38.88 KES 5,024

-50.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 KES 1,155

$6.85 KES 885

30.51%

Cappuccino

$3.25 KES 419

$1.99 KES 257

63.32%

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

$0.48 KES 61.8

$0.74 KES 95.8

-35.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 KES 57.9

$0.50 KES 65.0

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 KES 255

$1.91 KES 247

3.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 KES 376

$2.70 KES 349

7.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 KES 107

$0.38 KES 48.77

118.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 KES 69.8

$0.45 KES 57.9

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 KES 182

$0.81 KES 104

74.07%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 235

$1.35 KES 175

34.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 KES 1,280

$11.65 KES 1,506

-14.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.87 KES 758

$6.69 KES 865

-12.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.24 KES 677

$4.57 KES 591

14.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 KES 235

$1.53 KES 198

18.95%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 KES 112

$0.73 KES 94.7

19.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 KES 197

$0.41 KES 52.5

270.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 KES 98.1

$0.37 KES 48.44

105.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 KES 85.8

$0.78 KES 101

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 KES 138

$0.75 KES 97.5

42.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 KES 81.0

$0.65 KES 84.1

-3.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 KES 79.9

$0.41 KES 52.9

51.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 KES 429

$3.01 KES 389

10.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 KES 1,006

$11.72 KES 1,514

-33.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 KES 252

$1.98 KES 255

-1.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 KES 358

$2.73 KES 353

1.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 KES 94.5

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.27 KES 4,428

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 408

$0.75 KES 97.2

321.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 KES 246

$0.80 KES 104

137.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.55 KES 588

$2.97 KES 384

53.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 KES 211

$1.45 KES 187

12.41%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

$21.9K KES 2.8M

-45.86%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$20.2K KES 2.6M

-41.52%

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

$44.31 KES 5,727

$33.86 KES 4,375

30.86%

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

$14.23 KES 1,839

$7.93 KES 1,024

79.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.18 KES 5,709

$11.71 KES 1,513

277.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.34 KES 2,370

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.55 KES 2,526

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 KES 593

$6.05 KES 782

-24.13%

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

$85.7 KES 11.1K

$45.51 KES 5,881

88.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,452 KES 704.5K

$8,077 KES 1.0M

-32.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.12 KES 1,695

$11.55 KES 1,493

13.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.86 KES 1,791

$24.37 KES 3,149

-43.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.60 KES 3,049

$66.4 KES 8,581

-64.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.61 KES 6,023

$38.37 KES 4,958

21.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$179 KES 23.2K

$92.4 KES 11.9K

94.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$114 KES 14.7K

$69.9 KES 9,032

62.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 KES 77.1K

$154 KES 19.9K

288.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 KES 58.8K

$115 KES 14.8K

296.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,498 KES 710.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,826 KES 494.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$319 KES 41.3K

$389 KES 50.3K

-17.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.84

-12.40%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Mombasa: April 27, 2026

Última actualización para Machakos: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $179 in Mombasa and $92.4 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Machakos pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Mombasa vs $39.00 in Machakos. Groceries flip the comparison at $170 vs $165, with Machakos cheaper for home cooking.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.

Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales

Mombasa vs Machakos: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes

Machakos wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Mombasa. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Machakos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Machakos earns 22% 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: $179 in Mombasa versus $92.4 in Machakos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Mombasa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $614 per month in Mombasa versus $453 in Machakos – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Machakos 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.

Safety-wise, Mombasa and Machakos 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 Machakos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Mombasa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.