Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Nyeri Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Nyeri

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $696 per month in Mombasa vs $486 in Nyeri, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,132 per month in Mombasa vs $846 in Nyeri, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,567 per month in Mombasa vs $1,206 in Nyeri, rent included.

Mombasa costs about 43% more than Nyeri, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Mombasa and Nyeri are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 50% lower, Nyeri 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.27 KES 294

$3.83 KES 495

-40.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.41 KES 3,027

$34.24 KES 4,427

-31.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 KES 1,353

$6.27 KES 810

66.83%

Cappuccino

$3.72 KES 481

$1.90 KES 245

95.79%

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

$0.94 KES 122

$0.33 KES 42.07

184.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 KES 51.6

$0.52 KES 66.9

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 KES 294

$2.34 KES 302

-2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 KES 414

$2.67 KES 346

19.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 KES 115

$0.51 KES 66.4

74.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 KES 68.1

$0.48 KES 62.2

10.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 KES 204

$0.92 KES 120

71.74%

Eggs

$1.73 KES 224

$1.66 KES 214

4.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.87 KES 1,406

$10.42 KES 1,347

4.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.66 KES 732

$6.32 KES 817

-10.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.33 KES 689

$4.74 KES 612

12.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 KES 273

$0.74 KES 96.2

185.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$0.53 KES 68.3

116.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 KES 226

$0.68 KES 88.1

157.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 KES 82.7

$0.32 KES 41.79

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 KES 86.3

$0.24 KES 31.08

179.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 KES 131

$0.44 KES 57.5

129.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 KES 77.6

$0.68 KES 88.3

-11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 54.6

$0.56 KES 72.8

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 KES 594

$1.56 KES 202

194.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.86 KES 1,016

$11.40 KES 1,474

-31.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 KES 257

$2.22 KES 287

-10.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 KES 384

$2.84 KES 367

4.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 104

$0.74 KES 95.4

8.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.13 KES 5,059

$15.59 KES 2,016

150.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 KES 393

$1.56 KES 202

94.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 219

$1.19 KES 154

42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.63 KES 598

$1.14 KES 147

306.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.41 KES 182

10.64%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$20.3K KES 2.6M

-40.27%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$19.8K KES 2.6M

-38.92%

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

$54.4 KES 7,029

$15.59 KES 2,016

248.69%

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

$13.01 KES 1,682

$11.61 KES 1,501

12.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.92 KES 4,386

$35.50 KES 4,590

-4.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.29 KES 2,365

$34.81 KES 4,501

-47.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 KES 2,545

$45.63 KES 5,900

-56.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.02 KES 1,424

$7.68 KES 993

43.49%

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

$88.4 KES 11.4K

$243 KES 31.4K

-63.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,445 KES 704.0K

$11.4K KES 1.5M

-52.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.32 KES 1,722

$11.40 KES 1,475

16.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.39 KES 1,732

$13.75 KES 1,778

-2.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.00 KES 2,974

$34.54 KES 4,466

-33.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.52 KES 6,015

$19.14 KES 2,475

143.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$234 KES 30.3K

$92.8 KES 12.0K

152.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 KES 19.9K

$70.0 KES 9,055

119.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 KES 69.2K

$192 KES 24.8K

178.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 KES 50.8K

$157 KES 20.4K

149.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,432 KES 702.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,861 KES 499.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$324 KES 41.9K

$230 KES 29.8K

40.66%

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: September 5, 2026

Last update for Nyeri: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $234 in Mombasa versus $92.8 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 41% 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 $23.00 in Mombasa versus $34.00 in Nyeri. Groceries tell a different story – $175 in Mombasa vs $159 in Nyeri – so Nyeri 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 Nyeri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $696 in Mombasa, $486 in Nyeri – roughly 43% apart. Mombasa costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,044 per month in Mombasa and $729 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Mombasa and $34.00 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 $696 in Mombasa and $486 in Nyeri. 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 $696 in Mombasa and $486 in Nyeri, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Nyeri – 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 Nyeri. 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.