Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Machakos

For one person, living is cheaper in Machakos: $520 a month against $715 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
Learn more

Mombasa Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Machakos
Learn more

Machakos Living Index

Jump to prices

Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$715

/mo nomad

Machakos

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Machakos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $715 in Mombasa versus $520 in Machakos.

Mombasa $715
Machakos $520

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,138 in Mombasa versus $802 in Machakos.

Mombasa $1,138
Machakos $802

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,560 in Mombasa versus $1,084 in Machakos.

Mombasa $1,560
Machakos $1,084

Living in Mombasa is roughly 38% more expensive than in Machakos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mombasa 47% lower, Machakos 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 KES 342

$2.99 KES 389

-12.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.66 KES 3,201

$19.26 KES 2,500

28.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 KES 1,364

$6.26 KES 812

67.89%

Cappuccino

$2.71 KES 351

$1.97 KES 255

37.56%

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

$0.74 KES 95.5

$0.66 KES 85.4

12.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 62.3

$0.54 KES 69.6

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 KES 303

$2.16 KES 281

7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 KES 423

$2.67 KES 346

22.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 KES 119

$0.39 KES 50.9

135.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.48 KES 62.7

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$0.80 KES 104

96.25%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 236

$1.36 KES 177

33.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 KES 1,814

$10.89 KES 1,413

28.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 KES 635

$6.36 KES 826

-23.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 682

$4.71 KES 612

11.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 KES 280

$1.50 KES 195

44.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 KES 148

$0.81 KES 105

40.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 KES 239

$0.37 KES 47.49

397.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 92.4

$0.40 KES 51.6

77.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 KES 88.9

$0.79 KES 102

-12.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 KES 132

$0.76 KES 98.6

34.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.0

$0.75 KES 97.6

-21.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 55.1

$0.39 KES 51.1

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 KES 515

$3.51 KES 455

13.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.51 KES 1,234

$11.31 KES 1,468

-15.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 257

$1.91 KES 248

3.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 KES 382

$2.70 KES 351

8.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 KES 105

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.41 KES 4,986

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 410

$0.74 KES 96.4

327.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 221

$0.75 KES 97.8

126.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 KES 598

$2.86 KES 371

61.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 KES 199

$1.50 KES 195

2.00%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$19.1K KES 2.5M

-36.21%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

$21.7K KES 2.8M

-45.37%

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

$76.8 KES 9,962

$57.0 KES 7,396

34.70%

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

$9.07 KES 1,177

$7.83 KES 1,017

15.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.36 KES 4,460

$11.58 KES 1,503

196.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.66 KES 2,292

$38.98 KES 5,060

-54.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.32 KES 2,508

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 KES 1,980

$7.66 KES 994

99.22%

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

$86.7 KES 11.3K

$45.51 KES 5,907

90.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,484 KES 711.9K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-55.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.89 KES 1,673

$11.62 KES 1,509

10.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.50 KES 1,752

$28.49 KES 3,698

-52.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.07 KES 2,995

$68.8 KES 8,923

-66.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.74 KES 6,067

$38.19 KES 4,956

22.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.7K

$94.2 KES 12.2K

143.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.4K

$70.4 KES 9,132

123.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 KES 69.4K

$155 KES 20.1K

245.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 KES 47.7K

$116 KES 15.1K

215.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,457 KES 708.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 KES 503.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$317 KES 41.1K

$385 KES 50.0K

-17.67%

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 Machakos: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Machakos

$161 31% 12.9% $24

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 22%

Machakos

$70 13.5% 55.3% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$120 16.8%

Machakos

$76 14.7% 36.4% $44

Eating Out

Mombasa

$108 15.1%

Machakos

$87 16.8% 19.3% $21

Getting Around

Mombasa

$53 7.5%

Machakos

$4.5 * 0.9% 91.5% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$48 6.7%

Machakos

$54 10.4% 12.7% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6.1%

Machakos

$66 12.7% 52.9% $23

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 $94 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Machakos pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25 in Mombasa vs $19 in Machakos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $161 per month, with Machakos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇰🇪 Machakos

🕒 Local time

18:56 6:56 PM

Same time as Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

114,109

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mombasa Machakos 390 km

From you

Mombasa
Machakos

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 Machakos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machakos wins on cost – living expenses run 27% 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, salaries run 18% lower in Mombasa. 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: $229 in Mombasa versus $94 in Machakos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Mombasa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $715 per month in Mombasa versus $520 in Machakos – Machakos is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.