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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $618 per month in Mombasa vs $506 in Nyeri, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,060 per month in Mombasa vs $894 in Nyeri, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,502 per month in Mombasa vs $1,282 in Nyeri, rent included.

Mombasa costs about 22% more than Nyeri, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Mombasa and Nyeri are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 54% lower, Nyeri 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.35 KES 304

$4.61 KES 596

-49.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 KES 2,478

$38.37 KES 4,959

-50.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 KES 1,137

$6.62 KES 855

32.93%

Cappuccino

$3.18 KES 411

$2.40 KES 311

32.50%

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

$0.48 KES 62.5

$0.76 KES 98.5

-36.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 61.7

$0.38 KES 48.73

26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 KES 253

$2.27 KES 293

-13.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 KES 364

$2.85 KES 368

-1.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 KES 106

$0.48 KES 62.3

70.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 KES 63.9

$0.48 KES 61.5

2.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 KES 180

$0.93 KES 120

50.54%

Eggs

$1.79 KES 231

$1.61 KES 208

11.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 KES 1,255

$11.72 KES 1,515

-17.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.82 KES 752

$6.28 KES 811

-7.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.22 KES 675

$4.75 KES 614

9.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 KES 231

$0.76 KES 98.2

135.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 KES 117

$0.56 KES 72.5

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 KES 197

$0.67 KES 85.9

126.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$0.30 KES 38.36

163.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 KES 87.5

$0.22 KES 28.24

209.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 KES 139

$0.44 KES 57.0

145.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 KES 85.4

$0.69 KES 89.0

-4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 KES 78.0

$0.55 KES 71.5

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 KES 427

$1.53 KES 198

115.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 KES 1,027

$11.45 KES 1,480

-30.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 KES 243

$2.19 KES 283

-14.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 KES 358

$2.82 KES 364

-1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 KES 96.4

$0.80 KES 103

-6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.08 KES 4,533

$15.30 KES 1,977

129.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 KES 394

$1.52 KES 196

100.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 KES 251

$1.19 KES 154

63.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 KES 592

$1.18 KES 152

288.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 KES 206

$1.43 KES 185

11.89%

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

$12.0K KES 1.5M

$21.5K KES 2.8M

-44.24%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$20.1K KES 2.6M

-41.22%

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

$44.61 KES 5,765

$15.72 KES 2,032

183.78%

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

$14.45 KES 1,867

$11.54 KES 1,491

25.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.55 KES 5,627

$38.59 KES 4,987

12.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.09 KES 2,337

$34.55 KES 4,464

-47.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 KES 2,480

$47.00 KES 6,073

-59.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.71 KES 609

$6.22 KES 803

-24.28%

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

$87.7 KES 11.3K

$201 KES 26.0K

-56.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,406 KES 698.6K

$7,926 KES 1.0M

-31.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.03 KES 1,684

$11.46 KES 1,480

13.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.80 KES 1,784

$13.82 KES 1,785

-0.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.61 KES 3,050

$34.14 KES 4,411

-30.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.93 KES 5,935

$19.50 KES 2,519

135.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 KES 23.4K

$91.9 KES 11.9K

96.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 KES 15.3K

$69.5 KES 8,977

69.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 KES 76.3K

$190 KES 24.5K

211.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 KES 59.7K

$155 KES 20.0K

197.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,440 KES 702.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,820 KES 493.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$321 KES 41.5K

$235 KES 30.4K

36.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.84

-12.40%

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

Last update for Mombasa: July 14, 2026

Last update for Nyeri: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $181 in Mombasa versus $91.9 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 $19.00 in Mombasa versus $38.00 in Nyeri. Groceries tell a different story – $169 in Mombasa vs $162 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: $618 in Mombasa, $506 in Nyeri – roughly 22% apart. Mombasa costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $928 per month in Mombasa and $759 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 $19.00 in Mombasa and $38.00 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 $618 in Mombasa and $506 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 $618 in Mombasa and $506 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.