Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $689 per month in Mombasa vs $714 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,111 per month in Mombasa vs $1,167 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,534 per month in Mombasa vs $1,620 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, rent included.

Mombasa is about 4% cheaper than Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Mombasa and Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 50% lower, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.30 KES 298

$3.75 ¥25.19

-38.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.05 KES 2,981

$25.45 ¥171

-9.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 KES 1,372

$5.05 ¥33.92

110.10%

Cappuccino

$3.60 KES 466

$3.03 ¥20.33

18.81%

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

$1.00 KES 130

$0.48 ¥3.23

108.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 54.7

$0.33 ¥2.23

27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 KES 292

$0.87 ¥5.84

159.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 KES 417

$1.51 ¥10.14

113.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 KES 121

$1.90 ¥12.72

-50.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 KES 63.8

$1.21 ¥8.11

-59.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 KES 204

$0.87 ¥5.82

81.61%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 235

$2.16 ¥14.53

-15.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.94 KES 1,415

$19.34 ¥130

-43.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 KES 704

$3.62 ¥24.32

50.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.34 KES 691

$6.01 ¥40.35

-11.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 KES 271

$2.23 ¥14.97

-5.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 KES 148

$1.28 ¥8.60

-10.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 KES 231

$1.59 ¥10.65

12.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.1

$1.30 ¥8.73

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.7

$0.86 ¥5.80

-16.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 KES 135

$0.93 ¥6.26

12.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 KES 73.4

$0.63 ¥4.20

-9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KES 59.3

$0.53 ¥3.59

-13.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 KES 583

$3.63 ¥24.36

24.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 KES 984

$13.25 ¥88.9

-42.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 KES 258

$0.75 ¥5.06

166.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 KES 372

$1.52 ¥10.21

89.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 KES 98.0

$0.29 ¥1.94

162.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.00 KES 4,914

$18.09 ¥121

110.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 KES 389

$1.91 ¥12.79

57.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 KES 221

$0.38 ¥2.56

350.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 KES 587

$6.88 ¥46.19

-34.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.21 ¥8.11

28.93%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$18.1K ¥121.8K

-33.43%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$17.6K ¥118.1K

-33.12%

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

$55.1 KES 7,124

$18.81 ¥126

192.88%

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

$13.42 KES 1,735

$10.62 ¥71.2

26.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.92 KES 4,386

$11.00 ¥73.8

208.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.20 KES 2,354

$58.5 ¥392

-68.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 KES 2,450

$16.55 ¥111

14.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.00 KES 1,422

$7.45 ¥50.0

47.65%

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

$87.7 KES 11.3K

$293 ¥1,967

-70.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,514 KES 713.0K

$17.9K ¥119.8K

-69.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.03 KES 1,685

$45.33 ¥304

-71.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.50 KES 1,745

$42.36 ¥284

-68.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.12 KES 2,989

$60.2 ¥404

-61.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.53 KES 5,887

$59.0 ¥396

-22.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.6K

$265 ¥1,778

-13.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 KES 19.9K

$187 ¥1,252

-17.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$537 KES 69.5K

$590 ¥3,962

-9.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 KES 50.2K

$372 ¥2,495

4.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,396 KES 697.7K

$2,996 ¥20.1K

80.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,931 KES 508.3K

$1,907 ¥12.8K

106.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$321 KES 41.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

271.43%

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

Last update for Mombasa: August 30, 2026

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $229 in Mombasa versus $265 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. 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 $23.00 in Mombasa versus $25.00 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $175 vs $216 – 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 Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $689 in Mombasa, $714 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu – roughly 4% apart. Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,033 per month in Mombasa and $1,071 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. 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 $25.00 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. 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 $714 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. 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 $689 in Mombasa and $714 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Mombasa – 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 Mombasa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.