Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Naivasha

For one person, living is cheaper in Naivasha: $546 a month against $721 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mombasa outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

34

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Naivasha
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Naivasha Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$721

/mo nomad

Naivasha

🇰🇪 Kenya

$546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Naivasha

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

A single person spends $721 per month in Mombasa vs $546 in Naivasha, rent included.

Mombasa $721
Naivasha $546

A couple spends around $1,150 per month in Mombasa vs $893 in Naivasha, rent included.

Mombasa $1,150
Naivasha $893

A family of three spends $1,578 per month in Mombasa vs $1,240 in Naivasha, rent included.

Mombasa $1,578
Naivasha $1,240

Mombasa costs about 32% more than Naivasha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mombasa and Naivasha are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 47% lower, Naivasha 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 KES 357

$6.39 KES 830

-56.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.43 KES 3,303

$34.37 KES 4,463

-26.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 KES 1,335

$6.19 KES 804

66.07%

Cappuccino

$2.68 KES 348

$2.65 KES 344

1.13%

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

$0.69 KES 89.5

$0.66 KES 85.3

4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.4

$0.62 KES 80.8

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KES 304

$2.26 KES 294

3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 KES 430

$2.76 KES 358

19.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 KES 127

$0.87 KES 113

12.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.8

$0.58 KES 74.8

-13.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 KES 199

$1.96 KES 254

-21.94%

Eggs

$1.76 KES 228

$1.70 KES 220

3.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.92 KES 1,808

$10.94 KES 1,420

27.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.95 KES 642

$6.41 KES 833

-22.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.41 KES 703

$6.26 KES 813

-13.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 KES 271

$3.38 KES 438

-38.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 KES 154

$1.06 KES 138

12.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 KES 237

$2.10 KES 273

-12.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.2

$1.14 KES 148

-36.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.8

$1.12 KES 145

-35.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$1.07 KES 139

-0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 KES 78.1

$0.74 KES 95.4

-18.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 54.6

$0.80 KES 104

-47.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 KES 532

$3.50 KES 454

17.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 KES 1,241

$11.68 KES 1,517

-18.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 KES 250

$2.19 KES 285

-12.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 KES 371

$2.79 KES 362

2.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 104

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.88 KES 5,049

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 KES 411

$1.58 KES 205

100.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 KES 227

$1.56 KES 203

12.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 KES 611

$2.87 KES 372

63.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 KES 208

$1.55 KES 201

3.23%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$19.6K KES 2.5M

-39.83%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$22.1K KES 2.9M

-44.91%

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

$79.4 KES 10.3K

$55.4 KES 7,189

43.48%

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

$9.00 KES 1,168

$15.36 KES 1,994

-41.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.29 KES 4,583

$34.83 KES 4,523

1.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.93 KES 2,329

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.22 KES 2,496

Cinema Ticket

$15.25 KES 1,980

$7.74 KES 1,005

97.03%

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

$87.3 KES 11.3K

$276 KES 35.8K

-68.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,448 KES 707.5K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-55.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.90 KES 1,675

$27.73 KES 3,601

-53.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.67 KES 1,775

$29.30 KES 3,805

-53.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.36 KES 3,033

$70.1 KES 9,096

-66.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.73 KES 6,068

$59.2 KES 7,690

-21.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 KES 20.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 KES 69.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 KES 48.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,392 KES 700.1K

$780 KES 101.2K

591.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 KES 497.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$313 KES 40.7K

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 31, 2026

Last update for Naivasha: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.7%

Naivasha

$208 38.1% 12.2% $23

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$158 21.9%

Naivasha

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$124 17.2%

Naivasha

$106 19.3% 14.7% $18

Eating Out

Mombasa

$108 15%

Naivasha

$123 22.6% 14.1% $15

Getting Around

Mombasa

$54 7.5%

Naivasha

$9.4 * 1.7% 82.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$48 6.7%

Naivasha

$15 * 2.8% 68% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6%

Naivasha

$84 15.4% 92.8% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Mombasa versus $34 in Naivasha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $208 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇰🇪 Naivasha

🕒 Local time

16:55 4:55 PM

Same time as Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

14,563

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mombasa Naivasha 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mombasa
Naivasha

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 Naivasha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $721 in Mombasa, $546 in Naivasha – Naivasha comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,082 per month in Mombasa and $819 in Naivasha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $721 in Mombasa and $546 in Naivasha. That makes Naivasha about 24% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $87 per month in Mombasa and $276 in Naivasha. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $721 in Mombasa and $546 in Naivasha, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Mombasa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $546 in Naivasha to $721 in Mombasa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.