Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanyuki and Mombasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanyuki: $609 a month against $715 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mombasa outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

29

Cost of Living Index in Nanyuki
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Nanyuki Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index

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Nanyuki

🇰🇪 Kenya

$609

/mo nomad

Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $609 per month in Nanyuki vs $715 in Mombasa, rent included.

Nanyuki $609
Mombasa $715

A couple spends around $1,016 per month in Nanyuki vs $1,138 in Mombasa, rent included.

Nanyuki $1,016
Mombasa $1,138

A family of three spends $1,424 per month in Nanyuki vs $1,560 in Mombasa, rent included.

Nanyuki $1,424
Mombasa $1,560

Nanyuki is about 15% cheaper than Mombasa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nanyuki and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Nanyuki 55% lower, Mombasa 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.52 KES 847

$2.63 KES 342

147.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.96 KES 4,410

$24.66 KES 3,202

37.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 KES 836

$10.51 KES 1,364

-38.73%

Cappuccino

$2.60 KES 338

$2.71 KES 351

-4.06%

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

$0.64 KES 83.2

$0.74 KES 95.5

-13.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 KES 86.5

$0.48 KES 62.3

39.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 KES 303

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 KES 347

$3.26 KES 423

-18.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 KES 116

$0.92 KES 119

-2.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 KES 69.9

$0.50 KES 64.3

8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 KES 153

$1.57 KES 204

-24.84%

Eggs

$1.74 KES 226

$1.82 KES 237

-4.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.79 KES 1,402

$13.98 KES 1,815

-22.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 KES 874

$4.89 KES 636

37.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.39 KES 829

$5.25 KES 682

21.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 KES 440

$2.16 KES 280

56.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 KES 133

$1.14 KES 148

-10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 KES 270

$1.84 KES 239

13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 KES 144

$0.71 KES 92.4

56.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 KES 145

$0.69 KES 89.0

62.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$1.02 KES 132

2.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 KES 97.6

$0.59 KES 77.0

27.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 KES 98.3

$0.42 KES 55.2

80.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 KES 447

$3.97 KES 516

-13.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.38 KES 1,478

$9.51 KES 1,234

19.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 KES 284

$1.98 KES 257

10.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 KES 350

$2.94 KES 382

-8.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 KES 105

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.41 KES 4,988

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 KES 203

$3.16 KES 410

-50.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 KES 197

$1.70 KES 221

-11.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 KES 370

$4.61 KES 598

-38.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 KES 207

$1.53 KES 199

3.92%

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

$19.5K KES 2.5M

$12.2K KES 1.6M

60.05%

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

$22.2K KES 2.9M

$11.9K KES 1.5M

86.63%

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

$57.0 KES 7,399

$76.8 KES 9,967

-25.76%

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

$14.98 KES 1,945

$9.07 KES 1,177

65.16%

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

$7.51 KES 975

$15.26 KES 1,981

-50.79%

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

$276 KES 35.8K

$86.7 KES 11.3K

218.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K KES 1.6M

$5,484 KES 712.2K

126.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.59 KES 3,712

$12.89 KES 1,674

121.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.52 KES 3,703

$13.50 KES 1,753

111.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.6 KES 9,172

$23.07 KES 2,996

206.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 KES 7,527

$46.74 KES 6,069

24.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$77.9 KES 10.1K

$229 KES 29.7K

-65.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$64.9 KES 8,429

$157 KES 20.4K

-58.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$235 KES 30.5K

$535 KES 69.4K

-56.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 KES 24.5K

$368 KES 47.7K

-48.63%

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)

$117 KES 15.2K

$317 KES 41.2K

-63.02%

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 Nanyuki: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nanyuki

$205 33.6%

Mombasa

$185 25.8% 9.8% $20

Eating Out

Nanyuki

$125 20.5%

Mombasa

$108 15.1% 13.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nanyuki

$106 17.5%

Mombasa

$120 16.8% 12.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Nanyuki

$84 13.7%

Mombasa

$43 6.1% 48.2% $40

Accommodation & Living

Nanyuki

$65 10.7%

Mombasa

$157 22% 142% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Nanyuki

$15 * 2.5%

Mombasa

$48 6.7% 221% $33

Getting Around

Nanyuki

$9.1 * 1.5%

Mombasa

$53 7.5% 484% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $78 in Nanyuki 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 in Mombasa are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Nanyuki versus $25 in Mombasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $185 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nanyuki

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🕒 Local time

01:10 1:10 AM

Same time as Nanyuki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,000

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

Lowest

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Between locations

Nanyuki Mombasa 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nanyuki
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

Nanyuki vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $609 in Nanyuki, $715 in Mombasa – Nanyuki comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $913 per month in Nanyuki and $1,073 in Mombasa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nanyuki, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $78 there versus $229 in Mombasa.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $609 in Nanyuki and $715 in Mombasa. That makes Nanyuki about 15% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $276 per month in Nanyuki and $87 in Mombasa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $609 in Nanyuki 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 $609 in Nanyuki to $715 in Mombasa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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