Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Nairobi

For one person, living is cheaper in Mombasa: $726 a month against $874 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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

$726

/mo nomad

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$874

/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 $726 per month in Mombasa vs $874 in Nairobi, rent included.

Mombasa $726
Nairobi $874

A couple spends around $1,140 per month in Mombasa vs $1,403 in Nairobi, rent included.

Mombasa $1,140
Nairobi $1,403

A family of three spends $1,553 per month in Mombasa vs $1,932 in Nairobi, rent included.

Mombasa $1,553
Nairobi $1,932

Mombasa is about 17% 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 46% lower, Nairobi 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.65 KES 343

$6.12 KES 793

-56.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.75 KES 3,207

$35.26 KES 4,569

-29.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 KES 1,342

$6.59 KES 854

57.21%

Cappuccino

$2.75 KES 357

$2.71 KES 351

1.48%

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

$0.68 KES 88.0

$0.66 KES 85.3

3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.0

$0.57 KES 73.9

-8.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 KES 296

$2.33 KES 302

-2.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 KES 432

$2.75 KES 356

21.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 KES 128

$0.89 KES 116

11.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 KES 69.2

$0.54 KES 69.9

-1.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 KES 197

$1.94 KES 251

-21.65%

Eggs

$1.75 KES 227

$1.71 KES 222

2.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.89 KES 1,800

$10.63 KES 1,377

30.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.92 KES 638

$6.35 KES 823

-22.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.42 KES 703

$6.22 KES 806

-12.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 KES 281

$3.30 KES 427

-34.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$1.06 KES 137

8.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 KES 230

$2.05 KES 265

-13.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 91.5

$1.10 KES 142

-35.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 KES 95.7

$1.12 KES 145

-33.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$1.10 KES 143

-4.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 KES 78.0

$0.73 KES 95.2

-17.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KES 59.4

$0.77 KES 100

-40.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 KES 517

$3.62 KES 469

10.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 KES 1,258

$11.46 KES 1,485

-15.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 KES 250

$2.28 KES 295

-15.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 KES 376

$2.69 KES 348

7.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 103

$0.79 KES 102

1.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.24 KES 5,084

$45.51 KES 5,897

-13.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 KES 411

$1.52 KES 197

108.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 KES 228

$1.58 KES 205

11.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 KES 582

$2.81 KES 364

59.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 KES 206

$1.56 KES 202

1.92%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$21.8K KES 2.8M

-44.35%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$19.9K KES 2.6M

-39.05%

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

$76.8 KES 9,949

$56.9 KES 7,368

35.03%

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

$9.20 KES 1,193

$15.35 KES 1,990

-40.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.52 KES 4,473

$35.18 KES 4,559

-1.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.03 KES 2,337

$49.39 KES 6,400

-63.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.39 KES 2,512

$15.39 KES 1,994

25.99%

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 KES 1,972

$7.83 KES 1,015

94.38%

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

$85.5 KES 11.1K

$250 KES 32.4K

-65.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,377 KES 696.7K

$12.5K KES 1.6M

-57.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.31 KES 1,725

$27.71 KES 3,591

-51.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.57 KES 1,759

$28.64 KES 3,711

-52.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.10 KES 2,993

$68.7 KES 8,902

-66.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.02 KES 5,963

$58.9 KES 7,631

-21.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 KES 29.9K

$453 KES 58.7K

-49.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.3K

$217 KES 28.2K

-27.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 KES 69.7K

$1,106 KES 143.3K

-51.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 KES 48.5K

$507 KES 65.7K

-26.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,456 KES 707.0K

$1,292 KES 167.4K

322.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,836 KES 497.1K

$897 KES 116.2K

327.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$318 KES 41.2K

$481 KES 62.3K

-33.82%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$186 26%

Nairobi

$205 23.9% 10.1% $19

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 21.8%

Nairobi

$217 25.3% 38.6% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$121 16.8%

Nairobi

$107 12.5% 10.9% $13

Eating Out

Mombasa

$108 15.1%

Nairobi

$123 14.4% 14% $15

Getting Around

Mombasa

$54 7.6%

Nairobi

$58 6.8% 6.8% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$48 6.8%

Nairobi

$65 7.6% 34.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6%

Nairobi

$83 9.6% 91.6% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $231 in Mombasa versus $453 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 51% 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 $35.00 in Nairobi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $205 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🕒 Local time

09:44 9:44 AM

Same time as Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

3,138,295 Capital

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.72 USD

1,000 KES = 6.89 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.72 USD

1,000 KES = 6.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mombasa vs Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $726 in Mombasa, $874 in Nairobi – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,089 per month in Mombasa and $1,311 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 $35.00 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 $726 in Mombasa and $874 in Nairobi. That's a gap of about 20%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mombasa, where all-in costs run around $726, than in Nairobi at $874. 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 $726 in Mombasa to $874 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.