Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Nairobi

For one person, living is cheaper in Mombasa: $719 a month against $858 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$719

/mo nomad

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$858

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Nairobi

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

A single person spends $719 per month in Mombasa vs $858 in Nairobi, rent included.

Mombasa $719
Nairobi $858

A couple spends around $1,147 per month in Mombasa vs $1,405 in Nairobi, rent included.

Mombasa $1,147
Nairobi $1,405

A family of three spends $1,575 per month in Mombasa vs $1,952 in Nairobi, rent included.

Mombasa $1,575
Nairobi $1,952

Mombasa is about 16% cheaper than Nairobi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Mombasa and Nairobi are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 47% lower, Nairobi 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.66 KES 345

$6.34 KES 822

-58.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.34 KES 3,285

$34.07 KES 4,417

-25.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 KES 1,359

$6.41 KES 831

63.49%

Cappuccino

$2.74 KES 355

$2.65 KES 344

3.40%

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

$0.68 KES 88.0

$0.63 KES 81.3

7.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.7

$0.60 KES 78.3

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KES 303

$2.27 KES 295

3.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 KES 428

$2.78 KES 361

18.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 KES 130

$0.89 KES 116

12.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 KES 65.6

$0.56 KES 73.0

-8.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 KES 201

$1.90 KES 247

-18.42%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 236

$1.72 KES 223

5.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 KES 1,803

$10.83 KES 1,404

28.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 KES 648

$6.52 KES 846

-23.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 681

$6.38 KES 827

-17.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 KES 272

$3.32 KES 431

-36.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 KES 150

$1.10 KES 143

5.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$2.04 KES 265

-13.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 KES 90.9

$1.10 KES 142

-36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.8

$1.06 KES 137

-32.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 KES 130

$1.05 KES 136

-3.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 KES 78.4

$0.74 KES 95.8

-18.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 KES 55.6

$0.79 KES 102

-45.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 KES 518

$3.48 KES 451

14.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 KES 1,239

$11.64 KES 1,510

-17.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 KES 258

$2.21 KES 286

-9.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 KES 365

$2.84 KES 368

-0.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 104

$0.77 KES 100

3.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.84 KES 5,035

$46.01 KES 5,965

-15.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 410

$1.56 KES 202

102.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 KES 227

$1.52 KES 198

15.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 KES 603

$2.96 KES 383

57.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.55 KES 201

0.65%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$21.9K KES 2.8M

-44.91%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$20.3K KES 2.6M

-41.70%

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

$76.9 KES 9,975

$55.1 KES 7,145

39.61%

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

$9.14 KES 1,184

$15.13 KES 1,962

-39.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.48 KES 4,470

$34.54 KES 4,478

-0.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 KES 2,357

$50.1 KES 6,500

-63.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.93 KES 2,454

$15.50 KES 2,010

22.13%

Cinema Ticket

$15.63 KES 2,027

$7.57 KES 982

106.47%

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

$86.4 KES 11.2K

$251 KES 32.5K

-65.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,415 KES 702.1K

$12.4K KES 1.6M

-56.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.05 KES 1,692

$27.61 KES 3,580

-52.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.77 KES 1,785

$29.05 KES 3,766

-52.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.30 KES 3,021

$71.0 KES 9,205

-67.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.20 KES 5,990

$59.2 KES 7,679

-22.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$227 KES 29.5K

$440 KES 57.0K

-48.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.4K

$214 KES 27.8K

-26.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 KES 70.0K

$1,111 KES 144.1K

-51.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 KES 48.3K

$499 KES 64.7K

-25.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,411 KES 701.6K

$1,324 KES 171.7K

308.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,884 KES 503.6K

$912 KES 118.3K

325.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$313 KES 40.5K

$480 KES 62.2K

-34.84%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Nairobi

$208 24.2% 12.1% $22

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 21.9%

Nairobi

$214 25% 36.5% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$121 16.8%

Nairobi

$105 12.2% 13.1% $16

Eating Out

Mombasa

$109 15.1%

Nairobi

$124 14.4% 13.7% $15

Getting Around

Mombasa

$54 7.5%

Nairobi

$58 6.8% 8% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$49 6.9%

Nairobi

$65 7.6% 32% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6%

Nairobi

$84 9.8% 94% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $227 in Mombasa versus $440 in Nairobi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 53% higher in Nairobi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Mombasa versus $34.00 in Nairobi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $208 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🕒 Local time

13:49 1:49 PM

Same time as Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

3,138,295 Capital

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $719 in Mombasa, $858 in Nairobi – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,078 per month in Mombasa and $1,287 in Nairobi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mombasa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Mombasa and $34.00 in Nairobi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $719 in Mombasa and $858 in Nairobi. That's a gap of about 19%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mombasa, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Nairobi at $858. In Mombasa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nairobi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nairobi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $719 in Mombasa to $858 in Nairobi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Mombasa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nairobi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.