Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Nakuru

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakuru: $642 a month against $715 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $880 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Nakuru
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Nakuru Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$715

/mo nomad

Nakuru

🇰🇪 Kenya

$642

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Nakuru

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

A single person spends $715 per month in Mombasa vs $642 in Nakuru, rent included.

Mombasa $715
Nakuru $642

A couple spends around $1,138 per month in Mombasa vs $994 in Nakuru, rent included.

Mombasa $1,138
Nakuru $994

A family of three spends $1,560 per month in Mombasa vs $1,346 in Nakuru, rent included.

Mombasa $1,560
Nakuru $1,346

Mombasa costs about 11% more than Nakuru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mombasa and Nakuru are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 47% lower, Nakuru 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 KES 342

$3.84 KES 499

-31.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.66 KES 3,202

$34.80 KES 4,519

-29.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 KES 1,364

$6.54 KES 849

60.70%

Cappuccino

$2.71 KES 351

$1.94 KES 252

39.69%

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

$0.74 KES 95.5

$0.39 KES 50.7

89.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 62.3

$0.24 KES 31.36

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 KES 303

$2.26 KES 294

3.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 KES 423

$2.62 KES 340

24.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 KES 119

$0.52 KES 67.4

76.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.44 KES 56.8

13.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$1.58 KES 205

-0.63%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 237

$1.53 KES 199

18.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 KES 1,815

$10.81 KES 1,404

29.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 KES 636

$6.44 KES 836

-24.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 682

$6.38 KES 828

-17.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 KES 280

$3.36 KES 437

-35.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 KES 148

$1.03 KES 134

10.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 KES 239

$2.07 KES 269

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 92.4

$1.09 KES 142

-34.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 KES 89.0

$1.15 KES 149

-40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 KES 132

$1.10 KES 143

-7.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.0

$0.71 KES 92.2

-16.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 55.2

$0.80 KES 103

-47.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 KES 516

$3.40 KES 442

16.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.51 KES 1,234

$11.38 KES 1,478

-16.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 257

$2.22 KES 289

-10.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 KES 382

$2.71 KES 352

8.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 KES 105

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.41 KES 4,988

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 410

$1.51 KES 196

109.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 221

$1.51 KES 196

12.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 KES 598

$2.94 KES 381

56.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 KES 199

$1.62 KES 210

-5.56%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$19.6K KES 2.5M

-37.74%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

$21.5K KES 2.8M

-44.72%

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

$76.8 KES 9,967

$55.5 KES 7,207

38.29%

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

$9.07 KES 1,177

$15.37 KES 1,996

-40.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.36 KES 4,462

$34.48 KES 4,478

-0.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.66 KES 2,294

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.32 KES 2,509

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 KES 1,981

$7.91 KES 1,027

92.92%

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

$86.7 KES 11.3K

$279 KES 36.2K

-68.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,484 KES 712.2K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-55.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.89 KES 1,674

$28.16 KES 3,657

-54.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.50 KES 1,753

$28.49 KES 3,700

-52.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.07 KES 2,996

$70.0 KES 9,085

-67.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.74 KES 6,069

$58.0 KES 7,537

-19.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.7K

$227 KES 29.5K

0.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.4K

$136 KES 17.7K

15.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 KES 69.4K

$536 KES 69.5K

-0.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 KES 47.7K

$190 KES 24.7K

93.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,457 KES 708.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 KES 504.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$317 KES 41.2K

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 26, 2026

Last update for Nakuru: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Nakuru

$200 31.1% 8.2% $15

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 22%

Nakuru

$136 21.2% 13.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$120 16.8%

Nakuru

$105 16.4% 12.3% $15

Eating Out

Mombasa

$108 15.1%

Nakuru

$93 14.4% 14.2% $15

Getting Around

Mombasa

$53 7.5%

Nakuru

$9.1 * 1.4% 83% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$48 6.7%

Nakuru

$16 * 2.5% 67.2% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6.1%

Nakuru

$83 12.9% 92% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $229 in Mombasa versus $227 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 $25 in Mombasa versus $35 in Nakuru. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $200 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇰🇪 Nakuru

🕒 Local time

02:12 2:12 AM

Same time as Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

307,990

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mombasa Nakuru 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mombasa
Nakuru

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 Nakuru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $715 in Mombasa, $642 in Nakuru – Nakuru comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,073 per month in Mombasa and $963 in Nakuru. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $229 in Mombasa and $227 in Nakuru. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $715 in Mombasa and $642 in Nakuru. That makes Nakuru about 10% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $87 per month in Mombasa and $279 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 $715 in Mombasa and $642 in Nakuru, 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 $642 in Nakuru to $715 in Mombasa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.