Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Nanyuki

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanyuki: $609 a month against $715 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mombasa outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Nanyuki
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Nanyuki Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$715

/mo nomad

Nanyuki

🇰🇪 Kenya

$609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Nanyuki

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

A single person spends $715 per month in Mombasa vs $609 in Nanyuki, rent included.

Mombasa $715
Nanyuki $609

A couple spends around $1,138 per month in Mombasa vs $1,016 in Nanyuki, rent included.

Mombasa $1,138
Nanyuki $1,016

A family of three spends $1,560 per month in Mombasa vs $1,424 in Nanyuki, rent included.

Mombasa $1,560
Nanyuki $1,424

Mombasa costs about 17% more than Nanyuki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mombasa and Nanyuki are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 47% lower, Nanyuki 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 KES 342

$6.52 KES 847

-59.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.66 KES 3,202

$33.96 KES 4,410

-27.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 KES 1,364

$6.44 KES 836

63.20%

Cappuccino

$2.71 KES 351

$2.60 KES 338

4.23%

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

$0.74 KES 95.5

$0.64 KES 83.2

15.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 62.3

$0.67 KES 86.5

-28.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 KES 303

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 KES 423

$2.67 KES 347

22.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 KES 119

$0.90 KES 116

2.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.54 KES 69.9

-7.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$1.18 KES 153

33.05%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 237

$1.74 KES 226

4.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 KES 1,815

$10.79 KES 1,402

29.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 KES 636

$6.73 KES 874

-27.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 682

$6.39 KES 829

-17.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 KES 280

$3.39 KES 440

-36.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 KES 148

$1.02 KES 133

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 KES 239

$2.08 KES 270

-11.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 92.4

$1.11 KES 144

-36.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 KES 89.0

$1.12 KES 145

-38.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 KES 132

$1.05 KES 136

-2.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.0

$0.75 KES 97.6

-21.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 55.2

$0.76 KES 98.3

-44.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 KES 516

$3.44 KES 447

15.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.51 KES 1,234

$11.38 KES 1,478

-16.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 257

$2.18 KES 284

-9.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 KES 382

$2.70 KES 350

8.89%

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

$1.56 KES 203

102.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 221

$1.51 KES 197

12.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 KES 598

$2.85 KES 370

61.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 KES 199

$1.59 KES 207

-3.77%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$19.5K KES 2.5M

-37.52%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

$22.2K KES 2.9M

-46.42%

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

$76.8 KES 9,967

$57.0 KES 7,399

34.70%

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

$9.07 KES 1,177

$14.98 KES 1,945

-39.45%

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

$7.51 KES 975

103.20%

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

$86.7 KES 11.3K

$276 KES 35.8K

-68.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,484 KES 712.2K

$12.4K KES 1.6M

-55.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.89 KES 1,674

$28.59 KES 3,712

-54.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.50 KES 1,753

$28.52 KES 3,703

-52.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.07 KES 2,996

$70.6 KES 9,172

-67.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.74 KES 6,069

$58.0 KES 7,527

-19.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.7K

$77.9 KES 10.1K

193.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.4K

$64.9 KES 8,429

142.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 KES 69.4K

$235 KES 30.5K

127.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 KES 47.7K

$189 KES 24.5K

94.67%

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

$117 KES 15.2K

170.41%

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 Nanyuki: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Nanyuki

$205 33.6% 10.8% $20

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 22%

Nanyuki

$65 10.7% 58.7% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$120 16.8%

Nanyuki

$106 17.5% 11.4% $14

Eating Out

Mombasa

$108 15.1%

Nanyuki

$125 20.5% 15.6% $17

Getting Around

Mombasa

$53 7.5%

Nanyuki

$9.1 * 1.5% 82.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$48 6.7%

Nanyuki

$15 * 2.5% 68.8% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6.1%

Nanyuki

$84 13.7% 93% $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 $78 in Nanyuki. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mombasa are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Mombasa versus $34 in Nanyuki. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $205 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇰🇪 Nanyuki

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

Same time as Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

32,000

💱 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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Between locations

Mombasa Nanyuki 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mombasa
Nanyuki

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 Nanyuki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $715 in Mombasa, $609 in Nanyuki – Nanyuki comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,073 per month in Mombasa and $913 in Nanyuki. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nanyuki, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $78 there versus $229 in Mombasa.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $715 in Mombasa and $609 in Nanyuki. That makes Nanyuki about 15% cheaper.

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

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $715 in Mombasa and $609 in Nanyuki, 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 $609 in Nanyuki to $715 in Mombasa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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