Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Thika

For one person, living is cheaper in Thika: $518 a month against $715 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Thika
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Thika Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$715

/mo nomad

Thika

🇰🇪 Kenya

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Thika

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

A single person spends $715 per month in Mombasa vs $518 in Thika, rent included.

Mombasa $715
Thika $518

A couple spends around $1,138 per month in Mombasa vs $883 in Thika, rent included.

Mombasa $1,138
Thika $883

A family of three spends $1,560 per month in Mombasa vs $1,248 in Thika, rent included.

Mombasa $1,560
Thika $1,248

Mombasa costs about 38% more than Thika, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mombasa and Thika are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 47% lower, Thika 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 KES 342

$3.52 KES 457

-25.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.66 KES 3,202

$34.12 KES 4,431

-27.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 KES 1,364

$6.31 KES 819

66.56%

Cappuccino

$2.71 KES 351

$1.97 KES 256

37.56%

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

$0.74 KES 95.5

$0.32 KES 41.83

131.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 62.3

$0.67 KES 87.2

-28.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 KES 303

$1.89 KES 246

23.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 KES 423

$2.10 KES 273

55.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 KES 119

$0.74 KES 96.4

24.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.45 KES 58.2

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$1.15 KES 149

36.52%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 237

$1.37 KES 177

32.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 KES 1,815

$10.98 KES 1,426

27.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 KES 636

$6.75 KES 877

-27.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 682

$4.01 KES 521

30.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 KES 280

$1.51 KES 196

43.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 KES 148

$0.60 KES 77.5

90.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 KES 239

$0.78 KES 102

135.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 92.4

$1.14 KES 148

-37.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 KES 89.0

$0.36 KES 47.22

91.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 KES 132

$0.48 KES 62.7

112.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.0

$0.73 KES 95.0

-19.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 55.2

$0.37 KES 47.60

13.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 KES 516

$2.80 KES 364

41.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.51 KES 1,234

$5.72 KES 743

66.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 257

$1.77 KES 230

11.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 KES 382

$1.95 KES 253

50.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 KES 105

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.41 KES 4,988

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 410

$1.52 KES 197

107.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 221

$0.91 KES 118

86.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 KES 598

$2.95 KES 383

56.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 KES 199

$1.36 KES 177

12.50%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$19.0K KES 2.5M

-35.81%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

$21.4K KES 2.8M

-44.64%

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

$76.8 KES 9,967

$34.61 KES 4,494

121.76%

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

$9.07 KES 1,177

$15.36 KES 1,994

-40.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.36 KES 4,462

$34.47 KES 4,477

-0.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.66 KES 2,294

$46.97 KES 6,100

-62.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.32 KES 2,509

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 KES 1,981

$7.68 KES 997

98.70%

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

$86.7 KES 11.3K

$53.3 KES 6,921

62.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,484 KES 712.2K

$3,489 KES 453.1K

57.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.89 KES 1,674

$28.59 KES 3,713

-54.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.50 KES 1,753

$29.22 KES 3,795

-53.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.07 KES 2,996

$68.7 KES 8,921

-66.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.74 KES 6,069

$19.35 KES 2,513

141.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.7K

$101 KES 13.2K

125.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.4K

$56.9 KES 7,384

176.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 KES 69.4K

$268 KES 34.8K

99.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 KES 47.7K

$175 KES 22.7K

110.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,457 KES 708.7K

$623 KES 80.9K

775.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 KES 504.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$317 KES 41.2K

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 Thika: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Thika

$154 29.8% 16.5% $31

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 22%

Thika

$57 11% 63.9% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$120 16.8%

Thika

$84 16.3% 29.7% $36

Eating Out

Mombasa

$108 15.1%

Thika

$88 17.1% 18.2% $20

Getting Around

Mombasa

$53 7.5%

Thika

$6.1 * 1.2% 88.6% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$48 6.7%

Thika

$62 12% 29.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6.1%

Thika

$66 12.7% 51.6% $22

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 $101 in Thika. 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 $34 in Thika. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Mombasa vs $154 in Thika – so Thika wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇰🇪 Thika

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

Same time as Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

83,000

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mombasa Thika 440 km

From you

Mombasa
Thika

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 Thika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $715 in Mombasa, $518 in Thika – Thika comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,073 per month in Mombasa and $777 in Thika. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Thika, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $101 there versus $229 in Mombasa.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $715 in Mombasa and $518 in Thika. That makes Thika about 28% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $87 per month in Mombasa and $53 in Thika. 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 $518 in Thika, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Thika – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.