Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $618 in Mombasa versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,060 in Mombasa versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,502 in Mombasa versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Mombasa costs roughly 58% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mombasa is 54% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.35 KES 304

$13.07 MX$229

-82.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 KES 2,478

$53.8 MX$940

-64.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 KES 1,137

$9.68 MX$169

-9.09%

Cappuccino

$3.18 KES 411

$3.74 MX$65.4

-14.97%

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

$0.48 KES 62.4

$1.62 MX$28.25

-70.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 61.7

$1.16 MX$20.31

-58.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 KES 253

$3.23 MX$56.4

-39.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 KES 364

$4.74 MX$82.9

-40.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 KES 106

$1.65 MX$28.80

-50.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 KES 63.9

$2.75 MX$48.15

-82.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 KES 180

$1.87 MX$32.77

-25.13%

Eggs

$1.79 KES 231

$2.50 MX$43.72

-28.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 KES 1,255

$10.20 MX$178

-4.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.82 KES 752

$8.25 MX$144

-29.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.22 KES 675

$11.82 MX$207

-55.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 KES 231

$3.01 MX$52.6

-40.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 KES 117

$1.81 MX$31.67

-49.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 KES 197

$2.00 MX$34.96

-24.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$2.00 MX$34.89

-60.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 KES 87.5

$2.08 MX$36.45

-67.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 KES 139

$2.27 MX$39.72

-52.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 KES 85.4

$1.46 MX$25.47

-54.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 KES 78.0

$1.08 MX$18.82

-44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 KES 427

$4.35 MX$76.0

-24.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 KES 1,027

$16.99 MX$297

-53.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 KES 242

$1.73 MX$30.31

8.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 KES 358

$3.58 MX$62.5

-22.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 KES 96.4

$0.39 MX$6.77

92.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.08 KES 4,532

$18.69 MX$327

87.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 KES 394

$1.33 MX$23.18

129.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 KES 251

$0.28 MX$4.89

592.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 KES 592

$5.25 MX$91.8

-12.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 KES 206

$1.34 MX$23.37

19.40%

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

$12.0K KES 1.5M

$19.4K MX$339.4K

-38.23%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$23.8K MX$416.7K

-50.50%

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

$44.61 KES 5,764

$40.69 MX$712

9.63%

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

$14.45 KES 1,867

$26.87 MX$470

-46.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.55 KES 5,626

$30.51 MX$534

42.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.09 KES 2,337

$52.8 MX$923

-65.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 KES 2,480

$26.65 MX$466

-27.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.71 KES 609

$6.51 MX$114

-27.65%

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

$87.7 KES 11.3K

$428 MX$7,485

-79.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,406 KES 698.5K

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-48.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.03 KES 1,684

$57.3 MX$1,001

-77.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.80 KES 1,784

$45.50 MX$796

-69.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.61 KES 3,050

$104 MX$1,819

-77.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.93 KES 5,934

$108 MX$1,885

-57.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 KES 23.4K

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-81.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 KES 15.3K

$623 MX$10.9K

-81.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 KES 76.3K

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-72.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 KES 59.7K

$1,218 MX$21.3K

-62.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,440 KES 702.8K

$3,885 MX$67.9K

40.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,820 KES 493.6K

$2,033 MX$35.5K

87.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$321 KES 41.5K

$1,038 MX$18.1K

-69.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

14.64%

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

Last update for Mombasa: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $181 in Mombasa and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 223% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $169 vs $292 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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mombasa and Mexico City differ by about 136% in total monthly costs ($618 vs $1,456 including rent). Mombasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 223% lower in Mexico City. 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 $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mombasa runs roughly 88% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $87.7 in Mombasa versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $618 in Mombasa versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mombasa but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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.

Expats usually find Mombasa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.