Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Thika Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Thika

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $696 per month in Mombasa vs $506 in Thika, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,132 per month in Mombasa vs $862 in Thika, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,567 per month in Mombasa vs $1,218 in Thika, rent included.

Mombasa costs about 37% more than Thika, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Mombasa and Thika are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 50% lower, Thika 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.27 KES 294

$3.45 KES 446

-34.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.41 KES 3,027

$34.50 KES 4,461

-32.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 KES 1,353

$6.27 KES 811

66.83%

Cappuccino

$3.72 KES 481

$1.90 KES 246

95.79%

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

$0.94 KES 122

$0.30 KES 38.72

213.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 KES 51.6

$0.56 KES 72.8

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 KES 294

$1.98 KES 257

15.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 KES 414

$2.10 KES 272

52.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 KES 115

$0.69 KES 89.5

28.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 KES 68.1

$0.44 KES 57.2

20.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 KES 204

$1.15 KES 149

37.39%

Eggs

$1.73 KES 224

$1.41 KES 182

22.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.87 KES 1,406

$10.27 KES 1,328

5.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.66 KES 732

$6.36 KES 822

-11.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.33 KES 689

$3.97 KES 513

34.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 KES 273

$1.56 KES 201

35.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$0.64 KES 83.2

79.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 KES 226

$0.81 KES 104

116.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 KES 82.7

$1.08 KES 140

-40.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 KES 86.3

$0.38 KES 48.79

76.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 KES 131

$0.44 KES 57.5

129.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 KES 77.6

$0.73 KES 94.0

-17.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 54.6

$0.38 KES 48.63

10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 KES 594

$2.77 KES 359

65.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.86 KES 1,016

$5.69 KES 735

38.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 KES 257

$1.84 KES 238

8.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 KES 384

$1.98 KES 256

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 104

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.13 KES 5,059

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 KES 393

$1.52 KES 197

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 219

$0.92 KES 119

84.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.63 KES 598

$2.96 KES 383

56.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.38 KES 179

13.04%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$20.4K KES 2.6M

-40.54%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$20.1K KES 2.6M

-39.88%

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

$54.4 KES 7,029

$35.10 KES 4,539

54.87%

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

$13.01 KES 1,682

$15.12 KES 1,955

-13.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.92 KES 4,386

$35.30 KES 4,564

-3.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.29 KES 2,365

$45.51 KES 5,885

-59.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 KES 2,545

Cinema Ticket

$11.02 KES 1,424

$7.65 KES 989

44.05%

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

$88.4 KES 11.4K

$53.9 KES 6,967

64.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,445 KES 704.0K

$3,541 KES 457.8K

53.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.32 KES 1,722

$27.29 KES 3,529

-51.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.39 KES 1,732

$26.43 KES 3,417

-49.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.00 KES 2,974

$63.5 KES 8,206

-63.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.52 KES 6,015

$19.58 KES 2,532

137.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$234 KES 30.3K

$98.4 KES 12.7K

138.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 KES 19.9K

$58.7 KES 7,584

161.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 KES 69.2K

$270 KES 34.9K

98.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 KES 50.8K

$177 KES 22.9K

121.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,432 KES 702.4K

$616 KES 79.6K

782.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,861 KES 499.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$324 KES 41.9K

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: September 5, 2026

Last update for Thika: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $234 in Mombasa versus $98.4 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 $23.00 in Mombasa versus $34.00 in Thika. Groceries tell a different story – $175 in Mombasa vs $150 in Thika – so Thika wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: $696 in Mombasa, $506 in Thika – roughly 37% apart. Mombasa costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,044 per month in Mombasa and $760 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $696 in Mombasa and $506 in Thika. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $88.4 per month in Mombasa and $53.9 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 $696 in Mombasa and $506 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.

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