Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Wote

For one person, living is cheaper in Wote: $601 a month against $715 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Mombasa despite lower rent and utilities.

35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Wote
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Wote Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$715

/mo nomad

Wote

🇰🇪 Kenya

$601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mombasa and in Wote

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

A single person spends $715 per month in Mombasa vs $601 in Wote, rent included.

Mombasa $715
Wote $601

A couple spends around $1,138 per month in Mombasa vs $1,062 in Wote, rent included.

Mombasa $1,138
Wote $1,062

A family of three spends $1,560 per month in Mombasa vs $1,523 in Wote, rent included.

Mombasa $1,560
Wote $1,523

Mombasa costs about 19% more than Wote, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mombasa and Wote are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 47% lower, Wote 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 KES 342

$3.01 KES 391

-12.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.66 KES 3,201

$34.42 KES 4,468

-28.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 KES 1,364

$6.48 KES 841

62.19%

Cappuccino

$2.71 KES 351

$1.50 KES 195

80.67%

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

$0.74 KES 95.5

$0.39 KES 50.7

89.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 62.3

$0.22 KES 28.50

118.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 KES 303

$2.13 KES 277

9.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 KES 423

$2.33 KES 303

39.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 KES 119

$0.75 KES 97.3

22.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$0.58 KES 74.9

-13.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$1.47 KES 191

6.80%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 236

$1.35 KES 175

34.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.98 KES 1,814

$4.74 KES 615

194.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 KES 635

$5.99 KES 777

-18.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 682

$5.63 KES 730

-6.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 KES 280

$3.33 KES 433

-35.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 KES 148

$1.07 KES 139

6.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 KES 239

$2.00 KES 260

-8.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 92.4

$0.61 KES 78.6

16.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 KES 88.9

$0.56 KES 72.6

23.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 KES 132

$1.09 KES 142

-6.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.0

$0.75 KES 97.6

-21.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 KES 55.1

$0.55 KES 72.0

-23.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 KES 515

$3.44 KES 447

15.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.51 KES 1,234

$11.40 KES 1,480

-16.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 257

$2.26 KES 293

-12.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 KES 382

$2.75 KES 357

6.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 KES 105

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.41 KES 4,986

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 410

$1.51 KES 196

109.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 221

$1.51 KES 196

12.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 KES 598

$2.81 KES 364

64.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 KES 199

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$19.1K KES 2.5M

-36.00%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

$21.8K KES 2.8M

-45.65%

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

$76.8 KES 9,962

$54.8 KES 7,116

40.00%

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

$9.07 KES 1,177

$15.02 KES 1,950

-39.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.36 KES 4,460

$35.15 KES 4,563

-2.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.66 KES 2,292

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.32 KES 2,508

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 KES 1,980

$7.58 KES 984

101.32%

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

$86.7 KES 11.3K

$154 KES 20.0K

-43.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,484 KES 711.9K

$12.2K KES 1.6M

-55.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.89 KES 1,673

$11.68 KES 1,516

10.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.50 KES 1,752

$7.59 KES 985

77.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.07 KES 2,995

$19.48 KES 2,529

18.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.74 KES 6,067

$22.94 KES 2,978

103.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.7K

$377 KES 49.0K

-39.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.4K

$191 KES 24.9K

-17.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 KES 69.4K

$772 KES 100.2K

-30.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 KES 47.7K

$584 KES 75.8K

-37.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,457 KES 708.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 KES 503.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$317 KES 41.1K

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 Wote: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Wote

$173 28.8% 6.4% $12

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 22%

Wote

$191 31.9% 21.7% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$120 16.8%

Wote

$105 17.5% 12.6% $15

Eating Out

Mombasa

$108 15.1%

Wote

$79 13.2% 26.6% $29

Getting Around

Mombasa

$53 7.5%

Wote

$9.1 * 1.5% 83% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$48 6.7%

Wote

$15 * 2.5% 68.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6.1%

Wote

$28 4.6% 35.9% $16

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 $377 in Wote. 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 Wote. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Mombasa vs $173 in Wote – so Wote wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇰🇪 Wote

🕒 Local time

22:07 10:07 PM

Same time as Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

19,725

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Mombasa Wote 340 km

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Mombasa
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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 Wote: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $715 in Mombasa, $601 in Wote – Wote comes out roughly 16% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,073 per month in Mombasa and $901 in Wote. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $229 there versus $377 in Wote.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $715 in Mombasa and $601 in Wote. That makes Wote about 16% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $87 per month in Mombasa and $154 in Wote. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $715 in Mombasa and $601 in Wote, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Mombasa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $601 in Wote to $715 in Mombasa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.