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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $618 per month in Mombasa vs $606 in Nakuru, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,060 per month in Mombasa vs $996 in Nakuru, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,502 per month in Mombasa vs $1,386 in Nakuru, rent included.

Mombasa costs about 2% more than Nakuru, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Mombasa and Nakuru are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 54% lower, Nakuru 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.35 KES 304

$3.51 KES 454

-33.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 KES 2,478

$38.94 KES 5,032

-50.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 KES 1,137

$6.90 KES 891

27.54%

Cappuccino

$3.18 KES 411

$1.72 KES 223

84.88%

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

$0.48 KES 62.5

$0.37 KES 48.23

29.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 61.7

$0.32 KES 41.63

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 KES 253

$1.42 KES 184

38.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 KES 364

$1.51 KES 196

86.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 KES 106

$0.51 KES 66.0

60.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 KES 63.9

$0.51 KES 65.7

-3.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 KES 180

$1.15 KES 148

21.74%

Eggs

$1.79 KES 231

$1.36 KES 176

31.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 KES 1,255

$7.62 KES 985

27.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.82 KES 752

$6.40 KES 827

-9.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.22 KES 675

$4.30 KES 556

21.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 KES 231

$1.70 KES 220

5.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 KES 117

$0.45 KES 57.7

102.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 KES 197

$1.71 KES 221

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$0.60 KES 77.8

31.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 KES 87.5

$0.40 KES 51.9

70.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 KES 139

$0.56 KES 72.4

92.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 KES 85.4

$0.65 KES 83.9

1.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 KES 78.0

$0.60 KES 78.1

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 KES 427

$2.04 KES 264

61.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 KES 1,027

$11.75 KES 1,518

-32.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 KES 243

$1.61 KES 208

16.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 KES 358

$1.80 KES 233

53.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 KES 96.4

$0.76 KES 97.7

-1.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.08 KES 4,533

$26.48 KES 3,422

32.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 KES 394

$1.58 KES 204

93.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 KES 251

$0.74 KES 95.4

162.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 KES 592

$2.95 KES 381

55.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 KES 206

$1.27 KES 164

25.98%

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

$12.0K KES 1.5M

$12.5K KES 1.6M

-4.21%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$14.7K KES 1.9M

-19.61%

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

$44.61 KES 5,765

$30.33 KES 3,920

47.08%

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

$14.45 KES 1,867

$17.05 KES 2,204

-15.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.55 KES 5,627

$39.44 KES 5,096

10.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.09 KES 2,337

$47.30 KES 6,112

-61.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 KES 2,480

Cinema Ticket

$4.71 KES 609

$5.44 KES 703

-13.42%

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

$87.7 KES 11.3K

$204 KES 26.4K

-57.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,406 KES 698.6K

$3,922 KES 506.9K

37.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.03 KES 1,684

$18.52 KES 2,394

-29.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.80 KES 1,784

$24.31 KES 3,141

-43.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.61 KES 3,050

$37.95 KES 4,904

-37.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.93 KES 5,935

$54.9 KES 7,099

-16.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 KES 23.4K

$229 KES 29.6K

-20.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 KES 15.3K

$115 KES 14.9K

2.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 KES 76.3K

$393 KES 50.8K

50.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 KES 59.7K

$271 KES 35.0K

70.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,440 KES 702.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,820 KES 493.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$321 KES 41.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

4.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mombasa: July 14, 2026

Last update for Nakuru: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $181 in Mombasa versus $229 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 $19.00 in Mombasa versus $39.00 in Nakuru. Groceries tell a different story – $169 in Mombasa vs $156 in Nakuru – so Nakuru wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: $618 in Mombasa, $606 in Nakuru – roughly 2% apart. Mombasa costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $928 per month in Mombasa and $908 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Mombasa and $39.00 in Nakuru. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $618 in Mombasa and $606 in Nakuru. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $618 in Mombasa and $606 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.