Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Naivasha and Mombasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Naivasha: $546 a month against $721 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mombasa outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

26

Cost of Living Index in Naivasha
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Naivasha Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index

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Naivasha

🇰🇪 Kenya

$546

/mo nomad

Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Naivasha 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 Naivasha and in Mombasa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $546 per month in Naivasha vs $721 in Mombasa, rent included.

Naivasha $546
Mombasa $721

A couple spends around $893 per month in Naivasha vs $1,150 in Mombasa, rent included.

Naivasha $893
Mombasa $1,150

A family of three spends $1,240 per month in Naivasha vs $1,578 in Mombasa, rent included.

Naivasha $1,240
Mombasa $1,578

Naivasha is about 24% cheaper than Mombasa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Naivasha and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Naivasha 60% lower, Mombasa 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.39 KES 830

$2.75 KES 357

132.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.37 KES 4,465

$25.43 KES 3,304

35.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 KES 805

$10.28 KES 1,336

-39.79%

Cappuccino

$2.65 KES 344

$2.68 KES 348

-1.12%

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

$0.66 KES 85.3

$0.69 KES 89.6

-4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 KES 80.8

$0.52 KES 67.5

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 KES 294

$2.34 KES 304

-3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 KES 358

$3.31 KES 430

-16.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 KES 113

$0.98 KES 128

-11.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 KES 74.8

$0.50 KES 64.8

16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 KES 254

$1.53 KES 199

28.10%

Eggs

$1.70 KES 220

$1.76 KES 228

-3.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.94 KES 1,421

$13.92 KES 1,809

-21.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 KES 833

$4.95 KES 643

29.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.26 KES 813

$5.41 KES 703

15.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 KES 439

$2.09 KES 271

61.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$1.19 KES 155

-10.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 KES 273

$1.83 KES 237

14.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 KES 148

$0.72 KES 93.2

58.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 KES 145

$0.72 KES 93.9

55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 KES 139

$1.06 KES 138

0.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KES 95.5

$0.60 KES 78.2

23.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 KES 104

$0.42 KES 54.6

90.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 KES 454

$4.10 KES 533

-14.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 KES 1,517

$9.56 KES 1,242

22.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 KES 285

$1.92 KES 250

14.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 KES 363

$2.85 KES 371

-2.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 104

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.88 KES 5,051

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 KES 205

$3.17 KES 412

-50.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 KES 203

$1.75 KES 227

-10.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 KES 372

$4.70 KES 611

-38.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 201

$1.60 KES 208

-3.13%

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

$19.6K KES 2.5M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

66.19%

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

$22.1K KES 2.9M

$12.2K KES 1.6M

81.53%

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

$55.4 KES 7,192

$79.4 KES 10.3K

-30.30%

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

$15.36 KES 1,995

$9.00 KES 1,169

70.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.83 KES 4,525

$35.29 KES 4,584

-1.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.93 KES 2,330

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.22 KES 2,497

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 KES 1,006

$15.25 KES 1,981

-49.25%

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

$276 KES 35.9K

$87.3 KES 11.3K

216.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$5,448 KES 707.7K

125.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.73 KES 3,602

$12.90 KES 1,675

114.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.30 KES 3,806

$13.67 KES 1,776

114.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 KES 9,100

$23.36 KES 3,034

199.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 KES 7,693

$46.73 KES 6,070

26.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 KES 20.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 KES 69.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 KES 48.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$780 KES 101.3K

$5,392 KES 700.4K

-85.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 KES 498.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$313 KES 40.7K

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 Naivasha: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Naivasha

$208 38.1%

Mombasa

$185 25.7% 10.9% $23

Eating Out

Naivasha

$123 22.6%

Mombasa

$108 15% 12.4% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Naivasha

$106 19.3%

Mombasa

$124 17.2% 17.2% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Naivasha

$84 15.4%

Mombasa

$43 6% 48.1% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Naivasha

$15 * 2.8%

Mombasa

$48 6.7% 213% $33

Getting Around

Naivasha

$9.4 * 1.7%

Mombasa

$54 7.5% 476% $45

Accommodation & Living

Naivasha

- * 0%

Mombasa

$158 21.9%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Naivasha versus $25 in Mombasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $185 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Naivasha

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

Same time as Naivasha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,563

1,300,000

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.88 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Naivasha Mombasa 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Naivasha
Mombasa

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

Naivasha vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $546 in Naivasha, $721 in Mombasa – Naivasha comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $819 per month in Naivasha and $1,082 in Mombasa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $546 in Naivasha and $721 in Mombasa. That makes Naivasha about 24% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $276 per month in Naivasha and $87 in Mombasa. 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 $546 in Naivasha and $721 in Mombasa, 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 $546 in Naivasha to $721 in Mombasa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.