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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $604 per month in Mombasa vs $587 in Nakuru, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,064 per month in Mombasa vs $995 in Nakuru, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,525 per month in Mombasa vs $1,403 in Nakuru, rent included.

Mombasa costs about 3% more than Nakuru, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Mombasa and Nakuru are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 55% lower, Nakuru 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.37 KES 307

$3.42 KES 442

-30.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.29 KES 2,496

$37.95 KES 4,912

-49.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.53 KES 1,105

$6.92 KES 895

23.27%

Cappuccino

$3.25 KES 421

$1.70 KES 220

91.18%

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

$0.51 KES 66.2

$0.38 KES 48.72

34.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 KES 61.2

$0.32 KES 41.52

46.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 KES 246

$1.37 KES 177

38.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 KES 379

$1.54 KES 199

90.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 KES 104

$0.52 KES 67.2

55.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 KES 69.3

$0.48 KES 61.9

10.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 KES 187

$1.16 KES 150

24.14%

Eggs

$1.73 KES 223

$1.32 KES 170

31.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 KES 1,290

$7.94 KES 1,027

25.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.82 KES 754

$6.44 KES 834

-9.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.24 KES 678

$4.19 KES 543

25.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 KES 234

$1.71 KES 221

5.85%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 KES 121

$0.44 KES 57.4

111.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.78 KES 230

-12.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 KES 98.1

$0.55 KES 71.7

38.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 92.3

$0.40 KES 52.3

77.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$0.57 KES 73.2

84.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 KES 86.8

$0.64 KES 82.7

4.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 KES 73.9

$0.61 KES 78.5

-6.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 KES 430

$1.98 KES 256

67.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 KES 1,022

$11.49 KES 1,487

-31.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 KES 251

$1.58 KES 205

22.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 KES 354

$1.79 KES 232

52.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KES 103

$0.79 KES 102

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.09 KES 4,542

$26.55 KES 3,437

32.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 KES 390

$1.53 KES 198

97.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 KES 252

$0.75 KES 96.9

160.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 KES 596

$2.81 KES 364

64.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 KES 207

$1.26 KES 163

26.98%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$12.5K KES 1.6M

-3.54%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$14.9K KES 1.9M

-20.78%

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

$44.87 KES 5,809

$31.44 KES 4,069

42.72%

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

$14.07 KES 1,821

$16.75 KES 2,169

-16.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.11 KES 5,711

$39.81 KES 5,153

10.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 KES 2,354

$45.56 KES 5,898

-60.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 KES 2,454

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 KES 589

$5.39 KES 698

-15.58%

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

$87.3 KES 11.3K

$200 KES 25.9K

-56.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,325 KES 689.4K

$3,810 KES 493.2K

39.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.39 KES 1,733

$18.28 KES 2,366

-26.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.83 KES 1,791

$23.64 KES 3,060

-41.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.61 KES 3,057

$37.95 KES 4,913

-37.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.29 KES 6,121

$54.6 KES 7,071

-13.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 KES 23.0K

$229 KES 29.6K

-22.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 KES 14.9K

0.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$605 KES 78.3K

$384 KES 49.7K

57.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 KES 60.2K

$271 KES 35.0K

71.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,402 KES 699.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,839 KES 496.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$318 KES 41.1K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Nakuru: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $178 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 $38.00 in Nakuru. Groceries tell a different story – $170 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: $604 in Mombasa, $587 in Nakuru – roughly 3% apart. Mombasa costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $907 per month in Mombasa and $881 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 $38.00 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 $604 in Mombasa and $587 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 $604 in Mombasa and $587 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.