Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Ongata Rongai

For one person, living is cheaper in Ongata Rongai: $572 a month against $715 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Ongata Rongai
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Ongata Rongai Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$715

/mo nomad

Ongata Rongai

🇰🇪 Kenya

$572

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Ongata Rongai

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

A single person spends $715 per month in Mombasa vs $572 in Ongata Rongai, rent included.

Mombasa $715
Ongata Rongai $572

A couple spends around $1,138 per month in Mombasa vs $881 in Ongata Rongai, rent included.

Mombasa $1,138
Ongata Rongai $881

A family of three spends $1,560 per month in Mombasa vs $1,190 in Ongata Rongai, rent included.

Mombasa $1,560
Ongata Rongai $1,190

Mombasa costs about 25% more than Ongata Rongai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mombasa and Ongata Rongai are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 47% lower, Ongata Rongai 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 KES 342

$6.56 KES 851

-59.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.66 KES 3,201

$19.07 KES 2,475

29.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 KES 1,364

$6.20 KES 805

69.52%

Cappuccino

$2.71 KES 351

$1.95 KES 253

38.97%

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

$0.74 KES 95.5

$0.29 KES 38.27

155.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 62.3

$0.39 KES 50.9

23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 KES 303

$2.29 KES 297

1.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 KES 423

$2.71 KES 352

20.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 KES 119

$0.44 KES 57.7

109.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.48 KES 61.9

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$1.58 KES 205

-0.63%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 236

$1.37 KES 178

32.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 KES 1,814

$4.35 KES 565

221.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 KES 635

$3.51 KES 456

39.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 682

$3.37 KES 438

55.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 KES 280

$1.25 KES 162

72.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 KES 148

$1.08 KES 140

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 KES 239

$1.18 KES 153

55.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 92.4

$0.65 KES 84.2

9.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 KES 88.9

$0.73 KES 95.2

-5.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 KES 132

$0.48 KES 62.4

112.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.0

$0.71 KES 91.9

-16.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 55.1

$0.48 KES 62.7

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 KES 515

$2.29 KES 297

73.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.51 KES 1,234

$9.03 KES 1,173

5.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 257

$2.20 KES 285

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 KES 382

$2.80 KES 363

5.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 KES 105

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.41 KES 4,986

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 410

$1.58 KES 205

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 221

$1.51 KES 196

12.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 KES 598

$2.93 KES 381

57.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 KES 199

$1.55 KES 201

-1.29%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$19.4K KES 2.5M

-37.04%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

$22.1K KES 2.9M

-46.29%

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

$76.8 KES 9,962

$54.8 KES 7,115

40.03%

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

$9.07 KES 1,177

$14.99 KES 1,946

-39.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.36 KES 4,460

$35.02 KES 4,546

-1.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.66 KES 2,292

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.32 KES 2,508

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 KES 1,980

$7.69 KES 998

98.44%

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

$86.7 KES 11.3K

$273 KES 35.4K

-68.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,484 KES 711.9K

$12.4K KES 1.6M

-55.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.89 KES 1,673

$27.87 KES 3,617

-53.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.50 KES 1,752

$29.51 KES 3,830

-54.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.07 KES 2,995

$69.7 KES 9,052

-66.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.74 KES 6,067

$59.5 KES 7,725

-21.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.7K

$156 KES 20.3K

46.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.4K

$116 KES 15.0K

36.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 KES 69.4K

$233 KES 30.2K

129.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 KES 47.7K

$233 KES 30.3K

57.70%

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

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 Ongata Rongai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Ongata Rongai

$129 22.5% 30.3% $56

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 22%

Ongata Rongai

$116 20.2% 26.5% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$120 16.8%

Ongata Rongai

$105 18.3% 12.8% $15

Eating Out

Mombasa

$108 15.1%

Ongata Rongai

$114 20% 5.5% $6

Getting Around

Mombasa

$53 7.5%

Ongata Rongai

$9.1 * 1.6% 82.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$48 6.7%

Ongata Rongai

$15 * 2.7% 68.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6.1%

Ongata Rongai

$84 14.7% 94% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $229 in Mombasa versus $156 in Ongata Rongai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Mombasa versus $19 in Ongata Rongai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $129 – making Ongata Rongai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇰🇪 Ongata Rongai

🕒 Local time

18:59 6:59 PM

Same time as Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

172,569

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Ongata Rongai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $715 in Mombasa, $572 in Ongata Rongai – Ongata Rongai comes out roughly 20% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,073 per month in Mombasa and $858 in Ongata Rongai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ongata Rongai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $156 there versus $229 in Mombasa.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $715 in Mombasa and $572 in Ongata Rongai. That makes Ongata Rongai about 20% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $87 per month in Mombasa and $273 in Ongata Rongai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $715 in Mombasa and $572 in Ongata Rongai, 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 $572 in Ongata Rongai to $715 in Mombasa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.