Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $689 per month in Mombasa vs $1,253 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,111 per month in Mombasa vs $2,043 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,534 per month in Mombasa vs $2,833 in Phuket, rent included.

Mombasa is about 45% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Mombasa and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 50% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.30 KES 298

$4.56 ฿152

-49.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.05 KES 2,981

$32.62 ฿1,086

-29.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 KES 1,372

$8.90 ฿296

19.21%

Cappuccino

$3.60 KES 466

$2.80 ฿93.4

28.57%

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

$1.00 KES 130

$0.88 ฿29.31

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 54.7

$0.49 ฿16.29

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 KES 292

$2.39 ฿79.5

-5.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 KES 417

$3.71 ฿124

-13.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 KES 121

$1.79 ฿59.5

-47.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 KES 63.8

$1.44 ฿48.00

-65.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 KES 204

$1.58 ฿52.8

Eggs

$1.82 KES 235

$2.13 ฿70.8

-14.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.94 KES 1,415

$19.92 ฿663

-45.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 KES 704

$3.43 ฿114

58.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.34 KES 691

$11.33 ฿377

-52.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 KES 271

$2.95 ฿98.2

-28.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 KES 148

$1.72 ฿57.3

-33.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 KES 231

$2.32 ฿77.4

-22.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.1

$2.08 ฿69.3

-68.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.7

$1.47 ฿48.96

-51.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 KES 135

$1.36 ฿45.22

-22.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 KES 73.4

$1.10 ฿36.59

-48.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KES 59.3

$0.57 ฿19.13

-19.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 KES 583

$4.27 ฿142

5.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 KES 984

$18.42 ฿613

-58.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 KES 258

$1.87 ฿62.3

6.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 KES 372

$2.92 ฿97.3

-1.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 KES 98.0

$2.22 ฿73.9

-65.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.00 KES 4,914

$22.90 ฿762

65.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 KES 389

$3.03 ฿101

-0.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 KES 221

$1.07 ฿35.77

59.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 KES 587

$3.93 ฿131

15.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.49 ฿49.68

4.70%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$27.1K ฿903.4K

-55.47%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$27.5K ฿914.1K

-57.11%

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

$55.1 KES 7,124

$103 ฿3,423

-46.41%

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

$13.42 KES 1,735

$10.99 ฿366

22.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.92 KES 4,386

$17.51 ฿583

93.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.20 KES 2,354

$53.5 ฿1,783

-66.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 KES 2,450

$11.20 ฿373

69.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.00 KES 1,422

$7.48 ฿249

47.06%

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

$87.7 KES 11.3K

$557 ฿18.5K

-84.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,514 KES 713.0K

$11.9K ฿394.7K

-53.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.03 KES 1,685

$64.1 ฿2,134

-79.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.50 KES 1,745

$29.07 ฿968

-53.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.12 KES 2,989

$96.0 ฿3,195

-75.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.53 KES 5,887

$90.3 ฿3,008

-49.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.6K

$730 ฿24.3K

-68.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 KES 19.9K

$500 ฿16.6K

-69.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 KES 69.5K

$2,090 ฿69.6K

-74.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 KES 50.2K

$1,209 ฿40.3K

-67.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,396 KES 697.7K

$3,596 ฿119.7K

50.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,931 KES 508.3K

$2,512 ฿83.7K

56.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$321 KES 41.5K

$503 ฿16.8K

-36.31%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $229 in Mombasa versus $730 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 57% 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 $23.00 in Mombasa versus $33.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $175 vs $273 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $689 in Mombasa, $1,253 in Phuket – roughly 82% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,033 per month in Mombasa and $1,880 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 $23.00 in Mombasa and $33.00 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 $689 in Mombasa and $1,253 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mombasa, where all-in costs run around $689, than in Phuket at $1,253. 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 $689 in Mombasa to $1,253 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.