Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Molo

For one person, living is cheaper in Molo: $546 a month against $715 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mombasa outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Molo
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Molo Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$715

/mo nomad

Molo

🇰🇪 Kenya

$546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Molo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $715 in Mombasa versus $546 in Molo.

Mombasa $715
Molo $546

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,138 in Mombasa versus $893 in Molo.

Mombasa $1,138
Molo $893

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,560 in Mombasa versus $1,240 in Molo.

Mombasa $1,560
Molo $1,240

Living in Mombasa is roughly 31% more expensive than in Molo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mombasa 47% lower, Molo 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 KES 342

$6.39 KES 829

-58.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.66 KES 3,201

$34.32 KES 4,455

-28.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 KES 1,364

$6.37 KES 826

64.99%

Cappuccino

$2.71 KES 351

$2.63 KES 341

3.04%

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

$0.74 KES 95.5

$0.70 KES 91.3

5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 62.3

$0.61 KES 79.5

-21.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 KES 303

$2.35 KES 305

-0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 KES 423

$2.67 KES 347

22.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 KES 119

$0.89 KES 115

3.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.59 KES 76.2

-15.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$2.01 KES 261

-21.89%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 236

$1.70 KES 221

7.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 KES 1,814

$10.99 KES 1,427

27.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 KES 635

$6.42 KES 834

-23.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 682

$6.44 KES 836

-18.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 KES 280

$3.47 KES 451

-37.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 KES 148

$1.08 KES 140

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 KES 239

$2.01 KES 260

-8.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 92.4

$1.15 KES 149

-38.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 KES 88.9

$1.11 KES 144

-37.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 KES 132

$1.06 KES 138

-3.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.0

$0.75 KES 97.4

-21.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 55.1

$0.75 KES 97.7

-44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 KES 515

$3.49 KES 453

13.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.51 KES 1,234

$11.33 KES 1,471

-16.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 257

$2.29 KES 298

-13.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 KES 382

$2.77 KES 360

6.14%

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

$1.55 KES 202

103.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 221

$1.51 KES 196

12.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 KES 598

$2.93 KES 380

57.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 KES 199

$1.56 KES 202

-1.92%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$19.2K KES 2.5M

-36.45%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

$21.5K KES 2.8M

-44.89%

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

$76.8 KES 9,962

$55.3 KES 7,179

38.76%

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

$9.07 KES 1,177

$15.06 KES 1,955

-39.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.36 KES 4,460

$35.56 KES 4,616

-3.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.66 KES 2,292

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.32 KES 2,508

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 KES 1,980

$7.67 KES 996

98.96%

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

$86.7 KES 11.3K

$279 KES 36.2K

-68.93%

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

$27.85 KES 3,615

-53.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.50 KES 1,752

$28.87 KES 3,748

-53.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.07 KES 2,995

$69.2 KES 8,985

-66.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.74 KES 6,067

$58.4 KES 7,576

-19.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 KES 69.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 KES 47.7K

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

$378 KES 49.0K

-16.08%

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 Molo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Molo

$209 38.2% 13% $24

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 22%

Molo

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$120 16.8%

Molo

$106 19.4% 11.8% $14

Eating Out

Mombasa

$108 15.1%

Molo

$124 22.7% 14.8% $16

Getting Around

Mombasa

$53 7.5%

Molo

$9.1 * 1.7% 82.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$48 6.7%

Molo

$15 * 2.8% 68.2% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6.1%

Molo

$83 15.2% 91.6% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Molo pays 19% 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 $34 in Molo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $209 per month, with Mombasa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇰🇪 Molo

🕒 Local time

18:55 6:55 PM

Same time as Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

48,356

💱 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 Molo 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mombasa
Molo

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 Molo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Molo is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 16% 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.

Shoppers in Mombasa pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $715 per month in Mombasa versus $546 in Molo – Molo is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Molo 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.