Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Mombasa: $719 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$719

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Phuket

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

A single person spends $719 per month in Mombasa vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Mombasa $719
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $1,147 per month in Mombasa vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Mombasa $1,147
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $1,575 per month in Mombasa vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Mombasa $1,575
Phuket $2,867

Mombasa is about 40% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mombasa and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 47% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.66 KES 345

$4.58 ฿153

-41.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.34 KES 3,285

$32.48 ฿1,086

-21.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 KES 1,359

$8.55 ฿286

22.57%

Cappuccino

$2.74 KES 355

$2.72 ฿91.0

0.74%

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

$0.68 KES 88.0

$0.94 ฿31.25

-27.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.7

$0.49 ฿16.39

6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KES 303

$2.59 ฿86.6

-9.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 KES 428

$3.83 ฿128

-13.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 KES 130

$1.74 ฿58.1

-42.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 KES 65.6

$1.43 ฿47.82

-64.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 KES 201

$1.53 ฿51.0

1.31%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 236

$2.17 ฿72.7

-16.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 KES 1,803

$19.15 ฿640

-27.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 KES 648

$3.30 ฿110

51.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 681

$11.14 ฿372

-52.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 KES 272

$2.95 ฿98.5

-28.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 KES 150

$1.68 ฿56.1

-30.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$2.30 ฿76.8

-23.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 KES 90.9

$2.13 ฿71.3

-67.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.8

$1.53 ฿51.1

-52.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 KES 130

$1.36 ฿45.55

-25.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 KES 78.4

$1.12 ฿37.44

-46.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 KES 55.6

$0.55 ฿18.24

-21.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 KES 518

$4.26 ฿142

-6.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 KES 1,239

$18.19 ฿608

-47.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 KES 258

$1.74 ฿58.2

14.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 KES 365

$2.79 ฿93.3

1.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 104

$2.22 ฿74.1

-63.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.84 KES 5,035

$22.06 ฿737

76.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 410

$2.91 ฿97.3

8.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 KES 227

$1.01 ฿33.79

73.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 KES 603

$3.83 ฿128

21.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.49 ฿49.85

4.70%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-54.76%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-55.74%

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

$76.9 KES 9,975

$99.4 ฿3,321

-22.57%

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

$9.14 KES 1,184

$11.28 ฿377

-18.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.48 KES 4,470

$17.36 ฿580

98.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 KES 2,357

$52.3 ฿1,747

-65.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.93 KES 2,454

$10.85 ฿362

74.47%

Cinema Ticket

$15.63 KES 2,027

$7.57 ฿253

106.47%

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

$86.4 KES 11.2K

$558 ฿18.7K

-84.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,415 KES 702.1K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-52.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.05 KES 1,692

$62.9 ฿2,102

-79.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.77 KES 1,785

$28.58 ฿955

-51.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.30 KES 3,021

$96.1 ฿3,213

-75.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.20 KES 5,990

$88.1 ฿2,943

-47.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$227 KES 29.5K

$729 ฿24.4K

-68.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.4K

$460 ฿15.4K

-65.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 KES 70.0K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-74.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 KES 48.3K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-69.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,411 KES 701.6K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

56.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,884 KES 503.6K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

56.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$313 KES 40.5K

$493 ฿16.5K

-36.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

133.39%

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

Last update for Mombasa: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 44.3% $82

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 21.9%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 193% $303

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$121 16.8%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 6.2% $7.5

Eating Out

Mombasa

$109 15.1%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 11.6% $13

Getting Around

Mombasa

$54 7.5%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 27.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$49 6.9%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 36.3% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 186% $81

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $227 in Mombasa versus $729 in Phuket. 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 58% higher in Phuket, 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 $25.00 in Mombasa versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $268 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

14:47 2:47 PM

18:47 6:47 PM

4 h ahead of Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mombasa Phuket 6,650 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Mombasa
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $719 in Mombasa, $1,207 in Phuket – roughly 68% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,078 per month in Mombasa and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mombasa, 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 $25.00 in Mombasa and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $719 in Mombasa and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 68%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mombasa, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Mombasa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $719 in Mombasa to $1,207 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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