Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Nakuru Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Nakuru

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $696 per month in Mombasa vs $639 in Nakuru, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,132 per month in Mombasa vs $978 in Nakuru, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,567 per month in Mombasa vs $1,318 in Nakuru, rent included.

Mombasa costs about 9% more than Nakuru, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Mombasa and Nakuru are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 50% lower, Nakuru 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.27 KES 294

$3.92 KES 506

-42.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.41 KES 3,027

$34.07 KES 4,405

-31.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 KES 1,353

$6.25 KES 808

67.36%

Cappuccino

$3.72 KES 481

$1.97 KES 255

88.83%

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

$0.94 KES 122

$0.38 KES 48.59

147.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 KES 51.6

$0.22 KES 28.36

81.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 KES 294

$2.34 KES 302

-2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 KES 414

$2.77 KES 359

15.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 KES 115

$0.52 KES 67.6

71.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 KES 68.1

$0.47 KES 61.0

12.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 KES 204

$1.53 KES 197

3.27%

Eggs

$1.73 KES 224

$1.61 KES 209

7.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.87 KES 1,406

$10.52 KES 1,360

3.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.66 KES 732

$6.37 KES 823

-11.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.33 KES 689

$6.35 KES 821

-16.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 KES 273

$3.38 KES 437

-37.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$0.99 KES 129

16.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 KES 226

$2.03 KES 263

-13.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 KES 82.7

$1.11 KES 144

-42.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 KES 86.3

$1.06 KES 137

-36.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 KES 131

$1.07 KES 139

-5.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 KES 77.6

$0.67 KES 86.7

-10.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 54.6

$0.74 KES 95.4

-43.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 KES 594

$3.56 KES 461

28.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.86 KES 1,016

$11.57 KES 1,496

-32.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 KES 257

$2.24 KES 290

-11.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 KES 384

$2.82 KES 364

5.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 104

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.13 KES 5,059

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 KES 393

$1.50 KES 194

102.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 219

$1.58 KES 205

7.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.63 KES 598

$2.98 KES 385

55.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.50 KES 194

4.00%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$20.5K KES 2.6M

-40.83%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$20.0K KES 2.6M

-39.47%

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

$54.4 KES 7,029

$60.9 KES 7,872

-10.71%

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

$13.01 KES 1,682

$15.19 KES 1,964

-14.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.92 KES 4,386

$35.73 KES 4,620

-5.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.29 KES 2,365

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 KES 2,545

Cinema Ticket

$11.02 KES 1,424

$7.68 KES 994

43.49%

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

$88.4 KES 11.4K

$241 KES 31.1K

-63.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,445 KES 704.0K

$11.8K KES 1.5M

-53.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.32 KES 1,722

$27.54 KES 3,561

-51.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.39 KES 1,732

$26.28 KES 3,398

-49.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.00 KES 2,974

$64.0 KES 8,268

-64.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.52 KES 6,015

$60.0 KES 7,762

-22.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$234 KES 30.3K

$224 KES 29.0K

4.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 KES 19.9K

$137 KES 17.7K

12.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 KES 69.2K

$537 KES 69.4K

-0.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 KES 50.8K

$197 KES 25.4K

99.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,432 KES 702.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,861 KES 499.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$324 KES 41.9K

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: September 5, 2026

Last update for Nakuru: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $234 in Mombasa versus $224 in Nakuru. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Mombasa versus $34.00 in Nakuru. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $175 vs $198 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Nakuru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $696 in Mombasa, $639 in Nakuru – roughly 9% apart. Mombasa costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,044 per month in Mombasa and $958 in Nakuru. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $696 in Mombasa and $639 in Nakuru. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $88.4 per month in Mombasa and $241 in Nakuru. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $696 in Mombasa and $639 in Nakuru, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Nakuru – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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