Cost of Living Comparison Between Nakuru and Mombasa Cost of Living Comparison Between Nakuru and Mombasa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $606 per month in Nakuru vs $618 in Mombasa, rent included.

A couple spends around $996 per month in Nakuru vs $1,060 in Mombasa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,386 per month in Nakuru vs $1,502 in Mombasa, rent included.

Nakuru is about 2% cheaper than Mombasa, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Nakuru and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Nakuru 55% lower, Mombasa 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.51 KES 454

$2.35 KES 304

49.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.94 KES 5,032

$19.18 KES 2,478

103.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 KES 891

$8.80 KES 1,137

-21.59%

Cappuccino

$1.72 KES 223

$3.18 KES 411

-45.91%

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

$0.37 KES 48.23

$0.48 KES 62.5

-22.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 KES 41.63

$0.48 KES 61.7

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 KES 184

$1.96 KES 253

-27.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 KES 196

$2.82 KES 364

-46.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.51 KES 66.0

$0.82 KES 106

-37.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 KES 65.7

$0.49 KES 63.9

4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 KES 148

$1.40 KES 180

-17.86%

Eggs

$1.36 KES 176

$1.79 KES 231

-24.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.62 KES 985

$9.71 KES 1,255

-21.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.40 KES 827

$5.82 KES 752

9.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.30 KES 556

$5.22 KES 675

-17.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 KES 220

$1.79 KES 231

-5.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.45 KES 57.7

$0.91 KES 117

-50.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 KES 221

$1.52 KES 197

12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 KES 77.8

$0.79 KES 102

-24.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.40 KES 51.9

$0.68 KES 87.5

-41.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 KES 72.4

$1.08 KES 139

-48.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 KES 83.9

$0.66 KES 85.4

-1.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 KES 78.1

$0.60 KES 78.0

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.04 KES 264

$3.30 KES 427

-38.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.75 KES 1,518

$7.95 KES 1,027

47.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 KES 208

$1.88 KES 243

-14.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 KES 233

$2.77 KES 358

-35.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 KES 97.7

$0.75 KES 96.4

1.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.48 KES 3,422

$35.08 KES 4,533

-24.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 KES 204

$3.05 KES 394

-48.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 KES 95.4

$1.94 KES 251

-61.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 KES 381

$4.58 KES 592

-35.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 KES 164

$1.60 KES 206

-20.63%

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

$12.5K KES 1.6M

$12.0K KES 1.5M

4.40%

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

$14.7K KES 1.9M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

24.39%

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

$30.33 KES 3,920

$44.61 KES 5,765

-32.01%

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

$17.05 KES 2,204

$14.45 KES 1,867

17.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.44 KES 5,096

$43.55 KES 5,627

-9.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.30 KES 6,112

$18.09 KES 2,337

161.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 KES 2,480

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 KES 703

$4.71 KES 609

15.50%

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

$204 KES 26.4K

$87.7 KES 11.3K

132.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,922 KES 506.9K

$5,406 KES 698.6K

-27.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.52 KES 2,394

$13.03 KES 1,684

42.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.31 KES 3,141

$13.80 KES 1,784

76.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.95 KES 4,904

$23.61 KES 3,050

60.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 KES 7,099

$45.93 KES 5,935

19.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.6K

$181 KES 23.4K

26.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 KES 14.9K

$118 KES 15.3K

-2.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 KES 50.8K

$590 KES 76.3K

-33.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 KES 35.0K

$462 KES 59.7K

-41.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,440 KES 702.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,820 KES 493.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$321 KES 41.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

-3.85%

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

Last update for Nakuru: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $229 in Nakuru versus $181 in Mombasa. 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 $39.00 in Nakuru versus $19.00 in Mombasa. Groceries tell a different story – $156 in Nakuru vs $169 in Mombasa – so Nakuru wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Nakuru vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $606 in Nakuru, $618 in Mombasa – roughly 2% apart. Mombasa costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $908 per month in Nakuru and $928 in Mombasa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nakuru, 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 $39.00 in Nakuru 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 $606 in Nakuru and $618 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 $606 in Nakuru and $618 in Mombasa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Nakuru – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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