Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Mombasa: $726 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 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
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$726

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Nosara

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

A single person spends $726 per month in Mombasa vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

Mombasa $726
Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $1,140 per month in Mombasa vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

Mombasa $1,140
Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $1,553 per month in Mombasa vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

Mombasa $1,553
Nosara $3,712

Mombasa is about 60% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mombasa sits 46% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.65 KES 343

$12.22 ₡5,509

-78.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.75 KES 3,210

$60.2 ₡27.1K

-58.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 KES 1,343

$7.54 ₡3,399

37.40%

Cappuccino

$2.75 KES 357

$4.31 ₡1,941

-36.19%

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

$0.68 KES 88.1

$1.72 ₡773

-60.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.1

$1.35 ₡608

-61.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 KES 296

$3.24 ₡1,459

-29.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 KES 432

$4.48 ₡2,018

-25.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 KES 128

$1.57 ₡707

-36.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 KES 69.3

$3.17 ₡1,429

-83.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 KES 197

$2.42 ₡1,091

-37.19%

Eggs

$1.75 KES 227

$3.57 ₡1,609

-50.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.89 KES 1,802

$7.43 ₡3,349

86.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.92 KES 639

$10.42 ₡4,697

-52.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.42 KES 703

$13.66 ₡6,156

-60.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 KES 282

$2.32 ₡1,044

-6.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$1.61 ₡728

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 KES 230

$4.74 ₡2,138

-62.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 91.6

$1.66 ₡747

-57.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 KES 95.8

$3.72 ₡1,679

-80.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$3.57 ₡1,611

-70.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 KES 78.0

$1.10 ₡497

-45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KES 59.4

$2.55 ₡1,149

-81.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 KES 517

$4.95 ₡2,232

-19.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 KES 1,259

$20.01 ₡9,020

-51.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 KES 250

$2.79 ₡1,256

-30.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 KES 377

$3.53 ₡1,589

-17.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 103

$1.19 ₡537

-32.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.24 KES 5,089

$72.1 ₡32.5K

-45.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 KES 411

$2.24 ₡1,011

41.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 KES 229

$1.55 ₡701

13.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 KES 583

$8.86 ₡3,993

-49.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 KES 206

$1.57 ₡708

1.27%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-44.42%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$34.6K ₡15.6M

-64.90%

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

$76.8 KES 9,958

$93.5 ₡42.1K

-17.84%

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

$9.20 KES 1,194

$35.11 ₡15.8K

-73.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.52 KES 4,478

$51.5 ₡23.2K

-32.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.03 KES 2,339

$71.4 ₡32.2K

-74.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.39 KES 2,515

$35.44 ₡16.0K

-45.29%

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 KES 1,974

$7.84 ₡3,535

94.13%

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

$85.5 KES 11.1K

$490 ₡220.7K

-82.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,377 KES 697.4K

$11.9K ₡5.4M

-54.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.31 KES 1,727

$53.5 ₡24.1K

-75.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.57 KES 1,760

$55.8 ₡25.1K

-75.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.10 KES 2,996

$79.3 ₡35.7K

-70.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.02 KES 5,969

$78.9 ₡35.6K

-41.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 KES 30.0K

$786 ₡354.3K

-70.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.3K

$780 ₡351.6K

-79.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 KES 69.8K

$3,860 ₡1.7M

-86.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 KES 48.5K

$1,407 ₡634.4K

-73.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,456 KES 707.6K

$6,972 ₡3.1M

-21.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,836 KES 497.6K

$1,201 ₡541.3K

219.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$318 KES 41.3K

$876 ₡395.0K

-63.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

50.81%

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

Last update for Mombasa: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$186 26%

Nosara

$350 19.3% 87.6% $163

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 21.8%

Nosara

$780 43% 397% $623

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$121 16.8%

Nosara

$180 9.9% 49.4% $60

Eating Out

Mombasa

$108 15.1%

Nosara

$209 11.6% 93.7% $101

Getting Around

Mombasa

$54 7.6%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 59.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$48 6.8%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 79.6% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6%

Nosara

$120 6.6% 179% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $231 in Mombasa versus $786 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 175% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Mombasa versus $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $186 vs $350 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

21:22 9:22 PM

9 h behind Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

4,912

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mombasa Nosara 13,950 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mombasa
Nosara

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 Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $726 in Mombasa, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 153% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,089 per month in Mombasa and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mombasa, 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 $25.00 in Mombasa and $60.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $726 in Mombasa and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 153%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mombasa, where all-in costs run around $726, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Mombasa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $726 in Mombasa to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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