Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Mombasa Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Mombasa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $782 per month in Nairobi vs $604 in Mombasa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,305 per month in Nairobi vs $1,064 in Mombasa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,828 per month in Nairobi vs $1,525 in Mombasa, rent included.

Nairobi costs about 29% more than Mombasa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Nairobi and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Nairobi 42% lower, Mombasa 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 KES 692

$2.37 KES 307

125.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 KES 4,917

$19.29 KES 2,494

97.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 KES 894

$8.53 KES 1,104

-18.99%

Cappuccino

$2.39 KES 309

$3.25 KES 420

-26.46%

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

$0.71 KES 91.8

$0.51 KES 66.2

39.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 KES 65.5

$0.47 KES 61.1

8.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 KES 298

$1.90 KES 245

21.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 KES 385

$2.93 KES 379

1.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 KES 121

$0.81 KES 104

16.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 KES 68.1

$0.53 KES 69.2

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 KES 212

$1.44 KES 187

13.89%

Eggs

$1.69 KES 218

$1.73 KES 223

-2.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 KES 1,518

$9.96 KES 1,289

17.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 KES 884

$5.82 KES 753

17.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.44 KES 704

$5.24 KES 677

3.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 KES 392

$1.81 KES 234

67.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 KES 140

$0.93 KES 121

16.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 KES 269

$1.56 KES 202

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$0.76 KES 98.0

36.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$0.71 KES 92.2

49.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$1.05 KES 135

9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 KES 90.8

$0.67 KES 86.8

4.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 KES 102

$0.57 KES 73.9

38.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 KES 393

$3.32 KES 429

-8.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 KES 1,509

$7.90 KES 1,021

47.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 KES 287

$1.94 KES 251

14.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 KES 364

$2.73 KES 353

3.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 KES 96.6

$0.79 KES 102

-5.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.59 KES 3,956

$35.09 KES 4,538

-12.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 KES 205

$3.02 KES 390

-47.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 KES 194

$1.95 KES 252

-23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 KES 372

$4.61 KES 596

-37.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.60 KES 207

-2.50%

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

$22.0K KES 2.8M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

82.12%

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

$20.4K KES 2.6M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

73.22%

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

$34.70 KES 4,487

$44.87 KES 5,803

-22.67%

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

$16.60 KES 2,147

$14.07 KES 1,819

17.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 KES 5,113

$44.11 KES 5,705

-10.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.29 KES 5,598

$18.18 KES 2,352

138.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.63 KES 2,667

$18.95 KES 2,451

8.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 KES 785

$4.55 KES 588

33.41%

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

$202 KES 26.1K

$87.3 KES 11.3K

130.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,140 KES 1.1M

$5,325 KES 688.7K

52.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.28 KES 2,364

$13.39 KES 1,731

36.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.56 KES 3,047

$13.83 KES 1,789

70.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 KES 8,590

$23.61 KES 3,053

181.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.7 KES 7,326

$47.29 KES 6,115

19.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 KES 58.2K

$178 KES 23.0K

153.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 KES 23.9K

$115 KES 14.9K

60.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 KES 146.6K

$605 KES 78.2K

87.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 KES 54.0K

$465 KES 60.1K

-10.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,558 KES 201.5K

$5,402 KES 698.6K

-71.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$886 KES 114.5K

$3,839 KES 496.4K

-76.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$416 KES 53.9K

$318 KES 41.1K

31.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.84

14.15%

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

Last update for Nairobi: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $450 in Nairobi versus $178 in Mombasa. 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 31% higher in Nairobi, 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 $38.00 in Nairobi versus $19.00 in Mombasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $170 – 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

Nairobi vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $782 in Nairobi, $604 in Mombasa – roughly 29% apart. Nairobi costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,174 per month in Nairobi and $907 in Mombasa. 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 $38.00 in Nairobi and $19.00 in Mombasa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $782 in Nairobi and $604 in Mombasa. 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 $782 in Nairobi and $604 in Mombasa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Nairobi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $604 in Mombasa to $782 in Nairobi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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