Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nakuru and Mombasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakuru: $642 a month against $715 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $880 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Nakuru
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Nakuru Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index

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Nakuru

🇰🇪 Kenya

$642

/mo nomad

Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $642 per month in Nakuru vs $715 in Mombasa, rent included.

Nakuru $642
Mombasa $715

A couple spends around $994 per month in Nakuru vs $1,138 in Mombasa, rent included.

Nakuru $994
Mombasa $1,138

A family of three spends $1,346 per month in Nakuru vs $1,560 in Mombasa, rent included.

Nakuru $1,346
Mombasa $1,560

Nakuru is about 10% cheaper than Mombasa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nakuru and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Nakuru 53% lower, Mombasa 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 KES 499

$2.63 KES 342

46.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.80 KES 4,519

$24.66 KES 3,202

41.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.54 KES 849

$10.51 KES 1,364

-37.77%

Cappuccino

$1.94 KES 252

$2.71 KES 351

-28.41%

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

$0.39 KES 50.7

$0.74 KES 95.5

-47.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 KES 31.36

$0.48 KES 62.3

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 KES 294

$2.33 KES 303

-3.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 KES 340

$3.26 KES 423

-19.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.52 KES 67.4

$0.92 KES 119

-43.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 KES 56.8

$0.50 KES 64.3

-12.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 KES 205

$1.57 KES 204

0.64%

Eggs

$1.53 KES 199

$1.82 KES 237

-15.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 KES 1,404

$13.98 KES 1,815

-22.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 KES 836

$4.89 KES 636

31.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.38 KES 828

$5.25 KES 682

21.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 KES 437

$2.16 KES 280

55.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 KES 134

$1.14 KES 148

-9.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 KES 269

$1.84 KES 239

12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 KES 142

$0.71 KES 92.4

53.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$0.69 KES 89.0

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$1.02 KES 132

7.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 KES 92.2

$0.59 KES 77.0

20.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 KES 103

$0.42 KES 55.2

90.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 KES 442

$3.97 KES 516

-14.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.38 KES 1,478

$9.51 KES 1,234

19.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 KES 289

$1.98 KES 257

12.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 KES 352

$2.94 KES 382

-7.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 KES 105

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.41 KES 4,988

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 KES 196

$3.16 KES 410

-52.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 KES 196

$1.70 KES 221

-11.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 KES 381

$4.61 KES 598

-36.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 KES 210

$1.53 KES 199

5.88%

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

$19.6K KES 2.5M

$12.2K KES 1.6M

60.61%

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

$21.5K KES 2.8M

$11.9K KES 1.5M

80.91%

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

$55.5 KES 7,207

$76.8 KES 9,967

-27.69%

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

$15.37 KES 1,996

$9.07 KES 1,177

69.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.48 KES 4,478

$34.36 KES 4,462

0.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.66 KES 2,294

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.32 KES 2,509

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 KES 1,027

$15.26 KES 1,981

-48.17%

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

$279 KES 36.2K

$86.7 KES 11.3K

221.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$5,484 KES 712.2K

124.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.16 KES 3,657

$12.89 KES 1,674

118.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.49 KES 3,700

$13.50 KES 1,753

111.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 KES 9,085

$23.07 KES 2,996

203.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 KES 7,537

$46.74 KES 6,069

24.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$227 KES 29.5K

$229 KES 29.7K

-0.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 KES 17.7K

$157 KES 20.4K

-13.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 KES 69.5K

$535 KES 69.4K

0.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 KES 24.7K

$368 KES 47.7K

-48.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,457 KES 708.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 KES 504.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$317 KES 41.2K

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 Nakuru: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nakuru

$200 31.1%

Mombasa

$185 25.8% 7.6% $15

Accommodation & Living

Nakuru

$136 21.2%

Mombasa

$157 22% 15.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nakuru

$105 16.4%

Mombasa

$120 16.8% 14.1% $15

Eating Out

Nakuru

$93 14.4%

Mombasa

$108 15.1% 16.6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Nakuru

$83 12.9%

Mombasa

$43 6.1% 47.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Nakuru

$16 * 2.5%

Mombasa

$48 6.7% 205% $32

Getting Around

Nakuru

$9.1 * 1.4%

Mombasa

$53 7.5% 488% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $227 in Nakuru 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Nakuru versus $25 in Mombasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $185 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nakuru

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🕒 Local time

01:27 1:27 AM

Same time as Nakuru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

307,990

1,300,000

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Nakuru Mombasa 580 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nakuru
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

Nakuru vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $642 in Nakuru, $715 in Mombasa – Nakuru comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $963 per month in Nakuru and $1,073 in Mombasa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $227 in Nakuru and $229 in Mombasa. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $642 in Nakuru and $715 in Mombasa. That makes Nakuru about 10% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $279 per month in Nakuru and $87 in Mombasa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $642 in Nakuru and $715 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 $642 in Nakuru to $715 in Mombasa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.