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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $587 per month in Nakuru vs $604 in Mombasa, rent included.

A couple spends around $995 per month in Nakuru vs $1,064 in Mombasa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,403 per month in Nakuru vs $1,525 in Mombasa, rent included.

Nakuru is about 3% cheaper than Mombasa, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Nakuru and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Nakuru 56% lower, Mombasa 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 KES 443

$2.37 KES 308

44.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.95 KES 4,916

$19.29 KES 2,498

96.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.92 KES 896

$8.53 KES 1,106

-18.87%

Cappuccino

$1.70 KES 220

$3.25 KES 421

-47.69%

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

$0.38 KES 48.75

$0.51 KES 66.3

-25.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 KES 41.55

$0.47 KES 61.2

-31.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 KES 178

$1.90 KES 246

-27.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 KES 199

$2.93 KES 380

-47.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.52 KES 67.3

$0.81 KES 104

-35.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 KES 62.0

$0.53 KES 69.3

-9.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 KES 150

$1.44 KES 187

-19.44%

Eggs

$1.32 KES 170

$1.73 KES 223

-23.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.94 KES 1,028

$9.96 KES 1,291

-20.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 KES 834

$5.82 KES 754

10.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.19 KES 543

$5.24 KES 679

-20.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 KES 221

$1.81 KES 234

-5.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.44 KES 57.4

$0.93 KES 121

-52.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 KES 230

$1.56 KES 202

14.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 KES 71.7

$0.76 KES 98.2

-27.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.40 KES 52.4

$0.71 KES 92.4

-43.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 KES 73.3

$1.05 KES 136

-45.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 KES 82.8

$0.67 KES 86.9

-4.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 KES 78.6

$0.57 KES 74.0

7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 KES 256

$3.32 KES 430

-40.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.49 KES 1,488

$7.90 KES 1,023

45.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 KES 205

$1.94 KES 252

-18.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 KES 232

$2.73 KES 354

-34.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KES 102

$0.79 KES 103

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.55 KES 3,440

$35.09 KES 4,546

-24.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 KES 198

$3.02 KES 391

-49.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 KES 97.0

$1.95 KES 252

-61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 KES 364

$4.61 KES 597

-39.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 KES 163

$1.60 KES 208

-21.25%

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

$12.5K KES 1.6M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

3.67%

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

$14.9K KES 1.9M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

26.24%

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

$31.44 KES 4,072

$44.87 KES 5,813

-29.93%

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

$16.75 KES 2,170

$14.07 KES 1,822

19.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.81 KES 5,157

$44.11 KES 5,715

-9.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.56 KES 5,903

$18.18 KES 2,356

150.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 KES 2,455

Cinema Ticket

$5.39 KES 698

$4.55 KES 589

18.46%

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

$200 KES 25.9K

$87.3 KES 11.3K

129.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,810 KES 493.6K

$5,325 KES 689.9K

-28.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.28 KES 2,368

$13.39 KES 1,734

36.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.64 KES 3,062

$13.83 KES 1,792

70.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.95 KES 4,917

$23.61 KES 3,059

60.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.6 KES 7,077

$47.29 KES 6,126

15.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$229 KES 29.7K

$178 KES 23.0K

28.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 KES 14.9K

-0.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 KES 49.7K

$605 KES 78.4K

-36.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 KES 35.0K

$465 KES 60.2K

-41.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,402 KES 699.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,839 KES 497.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$318 KES 41.2K

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $229 in Nakuru versus $178 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 $38.00 in Nakuru versus $19.00 in Mombasa. Groceries tell a different story – $156 in Nakuru vs $170 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: $587 in Nakuru, $604 in Mombasa – roughly 3% apart. Mombasa costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $881 per month in Nakuru and $907 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 $38.00 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 $587 in Nakuru and $604 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 $587 in Nakuru and $604 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.