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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $844 per month in Nairobi vs $689 in Mombasa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,376 per month in Nairobi vs $1,111 in Mombasa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,908 per month in Nairobi vs $1,534 in Mombasa, rent included.

Nairobi costs about 23% more than Mombasa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Nairobi and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Nairobi 39% lower, Mombasa 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 KES 485

$2.30 KES 298

63.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 KES 4,533

$23.05 KES 2,982

52.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.31 KES 816

$10.61 KES 1,373

-40.53%

Cappuccino

$2.70 KES 350

$3.60 KES 466

-25.00%

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

$0.60 KES 77.5

$1.00 KES 130

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.2

$0.42 KES 54.8

23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KES 302

$2.26 KES 292

3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 KES 356

$3.22 KES 417

-14.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 KES 116

$0.94 KES 121

-5.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 KES 73.3

$0.49 KES 63.8

16.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 KES 240

$1.58 KES 204

17.09%

Eggs

$1.70 KES 220

$1.82 KES 235

-6.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 KES 1,365

$10.94 KES 1,416

-3.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 KES 815

$5.44 KES 704

15.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.09 KES 788

$5.34 KES 692

14.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 KES 438

$2.10 KES 271

60.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 KES 130

$1.15 KES 148

-13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 KES 253

$1.79 KES 231

8.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$0.65 KES 84.1

63.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 KES 137

$0.72 KES 93.7

47.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$1.05 KES 135

-0.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 KES 89.1

$0.57 KES 73.4

21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 KES 94.3

$0.46 KES 59.4

58.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 KES 439

$4.51 KES 583

-24.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 KES 1,492

$7.61 KES 985

51.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 KES 287

$2.00 KES 259

11.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 KES 352

$2.88 KES 372

-5.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 KES 96.2

$0.76 KES 98.1

-2.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.72 KES 6,045

$38.00 KES 4,917

22.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 KES 194

$3.01 KES 389

-50.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 KES 204

$1.71 KES 222

-7.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 KES 381

$4.54 KES 587

-35.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 KES 196

$1.56 KES 202

-2.56%

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

$20.1K KES 2.6M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

66.44%

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

$19.6K KES 2.5M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

66.53%

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

$62.0 KES 8,021

$55.1 KES 7,128

12.52%

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

$15.43 KES 1,996

$13.42 KES 1,736

14.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.66 KES 4,484

$33.92 KES 4,389

2.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 KES 6,593

$18.20 KES 2,355

180.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.56 KES 1,884

$18.95 KES 2,452

-23.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.92 KES 1,025

$11.00 KES 1,423

-28.00%

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

$234 KES 30.3K

$87.7 KES 11.3K

167.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K KES 1.5M

$5,514 KES 713.4K

109.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.93 KES 3,485

$13.03 KES 1,686

106.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.62 KES 3,315

$13.50 KES 1,746

89.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.2 KES 8,306

$23.12 KES 2,991

177.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.8 KES 7,731

$45.53 KES 5,891

31.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 KES 59.3K

$229 KES 29.6K

100.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 KES 27.2K

$154 KES 19.9K

36.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 KES 149.0K

$537 KES 69.5K

114.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 KES 65.4K

$389 KES 50.3K

30.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,344 KES 173.8K

$5,396 KES 698.1K

-75.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$912 KES 118.0K

$3,931 KES 508.6K

-76.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$473 KES 61.2K

$321 KES 41.5K

47.54%

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $458 in Nairobi versus $229 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 48% 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 $35.00 in Nairobi versus $23.00 in Mombasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $203 vs $175 – 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: $844 in Nairobi, $689 in Mombasa – roughly 23% apart. Nairobi costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,266 per month in Nairobi and $1,033 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 $35.00 in Nairobi and $23.00 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 $844 in Nairobi and $689 in Mombasa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mombasa, where all-in costs run around $689, than in Nairobi at $844. 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 $689 in Mombasa to $844 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.