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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $604 per month in Mombasa vs $517 in Nyeri, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,064 per month in Mombasa vs $884 in Nyeri, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,525 per month in Mombasa vs $1,252 in Nyeri, rent included.

Mombasa costs about 17% more than Nyeri, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Mombasa and Nyeri are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 55% lower, Nyeri 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.37 KES 307

$4.70 KES 609

-49.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.29 KES 2,496

$38.92 KES 5,038

-50.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.53 KES 1,105

$6.89 KES 891

23.80%

Cappuccino

$3.25 KES 421

$2.39 KES 309

35.98%

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

$0.51 KES 66.2

$0.69 KES 89.8

-26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 KES 61.2

$0.40 KES 51.9

17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 KES 246

$2.27 KES 293

-16.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 KES 379

$2.95 KES 382

-0.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 KES 104

$0.48 KES 62.1

68.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 KES 69.3

$0.52 KES 67.5

1.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 KES 187

$0.87 KES 113

65.52%

Eggs

$1.73 KES 223

$1.67 KES 216

3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 KES 1,290

$11.53 KES 1,492

-13.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.82 KES 754

$6.05 KES 784

-3.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.24 KES 678

$4.78 KES 619

9.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 KES 234

$0.80 KES 104

126.25%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 KES 121

$0.51 KES 66.5

82.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 KES 202

$0.67 KES 86.1

132.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 KES 98.1

$0.32 KES 41.70

137.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 92.3

$0.24 KES 31.22

195.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$0.44 KES 57.0

138.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 KES 86.8

$0.69 KES 89.5

-2.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 KES 73.9

$0.53 KES 68.6

7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 KES 430

$1.56 KES 203

112.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 KES 1,022

$11.42 KES 1,478

-30.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 KES 251

$2.22 KES 287

-12.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 KES 354

$2.80 KES 363

-2.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KES 103

$0.74 KES 95.7

6.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.09 KES 4,542

$15.73 KES 2,036

123.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 KES 390

$1.57 KES 203

92.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 KES 252

$1.14 KES 148

71.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 KES 596

$1.13 KES 146

307.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 KES 207

$1.42 KES 184

12.68%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$22.1K KES 2.9M

-45.30%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$20.2K KES 2.6M

-41.71%

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

$44.87 KES 5,809

$15.68 KES 2,029

186.16%

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

$14.07 KES 1,821

$11.56 KES 1,497

21.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.11 KES 5,711

$39.92 KES 5,168

10.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 KES 2,354

$34.13 KES 4,418

-46.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 KES 2,454

$46.25 KES 5,987

-59.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 KES 589

$6.10 KES 790

-25.41%

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

$87.3 KES 11.3K

$202 KES 26.2K

-56.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,325 KES 689.4K

$8,004 KES 1.0M

-33.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.39 KES 1,733

$11.80 KES 1,528

13.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.83 KES 1,791

$14.12 KES 1,828

-2.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.61 KES 3,057

$34.48 KES 4,464

-31.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.29 KES 6,121

$19.72 KES 2,553

139.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 KES 23.0K

$93.1 KES 12.0K

91.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 KES 14.9K

$70.7 KES 9,153

62.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$605 KES 78.3K

$196 KES 25.3K

209.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 KES 60.2K

$154 KES 19.9K

201.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,402 KES 699.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,839 KES 496.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$318 KES 41.1K

$235 KES 30.4K

35.39%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Nyeri: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $178 in Mombasa versus $93.1 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 35% 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 $39.00 in Nyeri. Groceries tell a different story – $170 in Mombasa vs $161 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: $604 in Mombasa, $517 in Nyeri – roughly 17% apart. Mombasa costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $907 per month in Mombasa and $775 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 $39.00 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 $604 in Mombasa and $517 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 $604 in Mombasa and $517 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.