Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Nyeri

For one person, living is cheaper in Nyeri: $504 a month against $715 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Nyeri
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Nyeri Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$715

/mo nomad

Nyeri

🇰🇪 Kenya

$504

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Nyeri

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

A single person spends $715 per month in Mombasa vs $504 in Nyeri, rent included.

Mombasa $715
Nyeri $504

A couple spends around $1,138 per month in Mombasa vs $864 in Nyeri, rent included.

Mombasa $1,138
Nyeri $864

A family of three spends $1,560 per month in Mombasa vs $1,225 in Nyeri, rent included.

Mombasa $1,560
Nyeri $1,225

Mombasa costs about 42% more than Nyeri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mombasa and Nyeri are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 47% lower, Nyeri 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 KES 342

$4.73 KES 614

-44.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.66 KES 3,201

$34.14 KES 4,431

-27.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 KES 1,364

$6.48 KES 842

62.19%

Cappuccino

$2.71 KES 351

$1.95 KES 253

38.97%

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

$0.74 KES 95.5

$0.30 KES 38.59

146.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 62.3

$0.56 KES 73.1

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 KES 303

$2.30 KES 298

1.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 KES 423

$2.73 KES 354

19.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 KES 119

$0.48 KES 62.7

91.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.52 KES 67.6

-3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$0.91 KES 119

72.53%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 236

$1.74 KES 226

4.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 KES 1,814

$10.86 KES 1,410

28.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 KES 635

$6.24 KES 810

-21.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 682

$4.69 KES 609

11.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 KES 280

$0.75 KES 97.3

188.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 KES 148

$0.56 KES 73.0

103.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 KES 239

$0.72 KES 93.7

155.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 92.4

$0.30 KES 38.51

136.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 KES 88.9

$0.22 KES 28.37

213.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 KES 132

$0.47 KES 61.1

117.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.0

$0.69 KES 89.2

-14.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 55.1

$0.52 KES 67.8

-19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 KES 515

$1.57 KES 204

152.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.51 KES 1,234

$11.76 KES 1,527

-19.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 257

$2.23 KES 289

-11.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 KES 382

$2.81 KES 365

4.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 KES 105

$0.75 KES 97.0

8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.41 KES 4,986

$15.54 KES 2,017

147.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 410

$1.55 KES 202

103.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 221

$1.12 KES 145

51.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 KES 598

$1.12 KES 145

311.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 KES 199

$1.42 KES 184

7.75%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$19.3K KES 2.5M

-36.76%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

$21.6K KES 2.8M

-45.00%

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

$76.8 KES 9,962

$15.58 KES 2,022

392.62%

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

$9.07 KES 1,177

$11.77 KES 1,527

-22.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.36 KES 4,460

$34.65 KES 4,498

-0.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.66 KES 2,292

$34.01 KES 4,414

-48.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.32 KES 2,508

$45.88 KES 5,955

-57.89%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 KES 1,980

$7.74 KES 1,004

97.16%

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

$86.7 KES 11.3K

$274 KES 35.5K

-68.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,484 KES 711.9K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-55.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.89 KES 1,673

$11.45 KES 1,486

12.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.50 KES 1,752

$13.92 KES 1,807

-3.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.07 KES 2,995

$34.51 KES 4,480

-33.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.74 KES 6,067

$18.99 KES 2,465

146.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.7K

$94.1 KES 12.2K

143.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.4K

$68.9 KES 8,939

128.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 KES 69.4K

$194 KES 25.2K

175.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 KES 47.7K

$155 KES 20.2K

136.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,457 KES 708.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 KES 503.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$317 KES 41.1K

$231 KES 30.0K

37.07%

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 Nyeri: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Nyeri

$161 32% 12.9% $24

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 22%

Nyeri

$69 13.7% 56.2% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$120 16.8%

Nyeri

$62 12.3% 48.4% $58

Eating Out

Mombasa

$108 15.1%

Nyeri

$101 20.1% 6.5% $7

Getting Around

Mombasa

$53 7.5%

Nyeri

$26 5.1% 51.8% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$48 6.7%

Nyeri

$49 9.8% 2.7% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6.1%

Nyeri

$35 7.1% 18% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $229 in Mombasa versus $94 in Nyeri. 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 37% higher in Mombasa, 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 in Mombasa versus $34 in Nyeri. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Mombasa vs $161 in Nyeri – so Nyeri wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇰🇪 Nyeri

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

Same time as Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

98,908

💱 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 Nyeri 500 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mombasa
Nyeri

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 Nyeri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $715 in Mombasa, $504 in Nyeri – Nyeri comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,073 per month in Mombasa and $755 in Nyeri. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nyeri, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $94 there versus $229 in Mombasa.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Mombasa and $34 in Nyeri. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $715 in Mombasa and $504 in Nyeri. That makes Nyeri about 30% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $715 in Mombasa and $504 in Nyeri, 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 $504 in Nyeri to $715 in Mombasa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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