Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Mombasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Mombasa: $719 a month against $858 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index

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Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$858

/mo nomad

Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nairobi and in Mombasa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nairobi and in Mombasa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $858 per month in Nairobi vs $719 in Mombasa, rent included.

Nairobi $858
Mombasa $719

A couple spends around $1,405 per month in Nairobi vs $1,147 in Mombasa, rent included.

Nairobi $1,405
Mombasa $1,147

A family of three spends $1,952 per month in Nairobi vs $1,575 in Mombasa, rent included.

Nairobi $1,952
Mombasa $1,575

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

Both Nairobi and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Nairobi 36% lower, Mombasa 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.34 KES 822

$2.66 KES 345

138.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.07 KES 4,417

$25.34 KES 3,285

34.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.41 KES 831

$10.48 KES 1,359

-38.84%

Cappuccino

$2.65 KES 344

$2.74 KES 355

-3.28%

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

$0.63 KES 81.3

$0.68 KES 88.0

-7.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 KES 78.3

$0.52 KES 67.7

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 KES 295

$2.34 KES 303

-2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 KES 361

$3.30 KES 428

-15.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 KES 116

$1.00 KES 130

-11.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 KES 73.0

$0.51 KES 65.6

9.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 KES 247

$1.55 KES 201

22.58%

Eggs

$1.72 KES 223

$1.82 KES 236

-5.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 KES 1,404

$13.91 KES 1,803

-22.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 KES 846

$5.00 KES 648

30.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.38 KES 827

$5.25 KES 681

21.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 KES 431

$2.10 KES 272

58.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$1.16 KES 150

-5.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 KES 265

$1.76 KES 228

15.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 KES 142

$0.70 KES 90.9

57.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 KES 137

$0.72 KES 93.8

47.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$1.01 KES 130

3.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KES 95.8

$0.60 KES 78.4

23.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 KES 102

$0.43 KES 55.6

83.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 KES 451

$4.00 KES 518

-13.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.64 KES 1,510

$9.56 KES 1,239

21.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 KES 286

$1.99 KES 258

11.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 KES 368

$2.82 KES 365

0.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 KES 100

$0.80 KES 104

-3.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.01 KES 5,965

$38.84 KES 5,035

18.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 KES 202

$3.16 KES 410

-50.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 198

$1.75 KES 227

-13.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 KES 383

$4.65 KES 603

-36.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 201

$1.56 KES 202

-0.64%

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

$21.9K KES 2.8M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

81.51%

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

$20.3K KES 2.6M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

71.53%

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

$55.1 KES 7,145

$76.9 KES 9,975

-28.37%

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

$15.13 KES 1,962

$9.14 KES 1,184

65.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.54 KES 4,478

$34.48 KES 4,470

0.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 KES 6,500

$18.18 KES 2,357

175.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 KES 2,010

$18.93 KES 2,454

-18.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 KES 982

$15.63 KES 2,027

-51.57%

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

$251 KES 32.5K

$86.4 KES 11.2K

190.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K KES 1.6M

$5,415 KES 702.1K

128.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.61 KES 3,580

$13.05 KES 1,692

111.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.05 KES 3,766

$13.77 KES 1,785

110.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 KES 9,205

$23.30 KES 3,021

204.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 KES 7,679

$46.20 KES 5,990

28.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 KES 57.0K

$227 KES 29.5K

93.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 KES 27.8K

$157 KES 20.4K

36.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 KES 144.1K

$540 KES 70.0K

105.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 KES 64.7K

$372 KES 48.3K

34.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,324 KES 171.7K

$5,411 KES 701.6K

-75.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$912 KES 118.3K

$3,884 KES 503.6K

-76.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$480 KES 62.2K

$313 KES 40.5K

53.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

13.15%

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

Last update for Nairobi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nairobi

$214 25%

Mombasa

$157 21.9% 26.7% $57

Groceries & Markets

Nairobi

$208 24.2%

Mombasa

$185 25.8% 10.8% $22

Eating Out

Nairobi

$124 14.4%

Mombasa

$109 15.1% 12.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nairobi

$105 12.2%

Mombasa

$121 16.8% 15.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Nairobi

$84 9.8%

Mombasa

$43 6% 48.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nairobi

$65 7.6%

Mombasa

$49 6.9% 24.2% $16

Getting Around

Nairobi

$58 6.8%

Mombasa

$54 7.5% 7.4% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $440 in Nairobi versus $227 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 53% 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 $34.00 in Nairobi versus $25.00 in Mombasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $185 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🕒 Local time

16:18 4:18 PM

Same time as Nairobi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,138,295 Capital

1,300,000

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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: $858 in Nairobi, $719 in Mombasa – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,287 per month in Nairobi and $1,078 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 $34.00 in Nairobi and $25.00 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 $858 in Nairobi and $719 in Mombasa. That's a gap of about 19%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mombasa, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Nairobi at $858. In Mombasa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nairobi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nairobi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $719 in Mombasa to $858 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.