Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ongata Rongai and Mombasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Ongata Rongai: $572 a month against $715 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Ongata Rongai
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Ongata Rongai Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index

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Ongata Rongai

🇰🇪 Kenya

$572

/mo nomad

Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $572 per month in Ongata Rongai vs $715 in Mombasa, rent included.

Ongata Rongai $572
Mombasa $715

A couple spends around $881 per month in Ongata Rongai vs $1,138 in Mombasa, rent included.

Ongata Rongai $881
Mombasa $1,138

A family of three spends $1,190 per month in Ongata Rongai vs $1,560 in Mombasa, rent included.

Ongata Rongai $1,190
Mombasa $1,560

Ongata Rongai is about 20% cheaper than Mombasa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ongata Rongai and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Ongata Rongai 58% lower, Mombasa 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.56 KES 851

$2.63 KES 342

149.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.07 KES 2,475

$24.66 KES 3,201

-22.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 KES 805

$10.51 KES 1,364

-41.01%

Cappuccino

$1.95 KES 253

$2.71 KES 351

-28.04%

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

$0.29 KES 38.27

$0.74 KES 95.5

-60.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 KES 50.9

$0.48 KES 62.3

-18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 297

$2.33 KES 303

-1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 KES 352

$3.26 KES 423

-16.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.44 KES 57.7

$0.92 KES 119

-52.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 KES 61.9

$0.50 KES 64.3

-4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 KES 205

$1.57 KES 204

0.64%

Eggs

$1.37 KES 178

$1.82 KES 236

-24.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 KES 565

$13.98 KES 1,814

-68.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.51 KES 456

$4.89 KES 635

-28.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.37 KES 438

$5.25 KES 682

-35.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.25 KES 162

$2.16 KES 280

-42.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 KES 140

$1.14 KES 148

-5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 KES 153

$1.84 KES 239

-35.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.2

$0.71 KES 92.4

-8.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 KES 95.2

$0.69 KES 88.9

5.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 KES 62.4

$1.02 KES 132

-52.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 KES 91.9

$0.59 KES 77.0

20.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 62.7

$0.42 KES 55.1

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 KES 297

$3.97 KES 515

-42.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.03 KES 1,173

$9.51 KES 1,234

-5.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 KES 285

$1.98 KES 257

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 KES 363

$2.94 KES 382

-4.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 KES 105

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.41 KES 4,986

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 KES 205

$3.16 KES 410

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 KES 196

$1.70 KES 221

-11.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 KES 381

$4.61 KES 598

-36.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 201

$1.53 KES 199

1.31%

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

$19.4K KES 2.5M

$12.2K KES 1.6M

58.82%

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

$22.1K KES 2.9M

$11.9K KES 1.5M

86.19%

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

$54.8 KES 7,115

$76.8 KES 9,962

-28.59%

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

$14.99 KES 1,946

$9.07 KES 1,177

65.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.02 KES 4,546

$34.36 KES 4,460

1.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.66 KES 2,292

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.32 KES 2,508

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 KES 998

$15.26 KES 1,980

-49.61%

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

$273 KES 35.4K

$86.7 KES 11.3K

214.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K KES 1.6M

$5,484 KES 711.9K

126.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.87 KES 3,617

$12.89 KES 1,673

116.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.51 KES 3,830

$13.50 KES 1,752

118.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 KES 9,052

$23.07 KES 2,995

202.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.5 KES 7,725

$46.74 KES 6,067

27.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 KES 20.3K

$229 KES 29.7K

-31.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 KES 15.0K

$157 KES 20.4K

-26.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 KES 30.2K

$535 KES 69.4K

-56.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 KES 30.3K

$368 KES 47.7K

-36.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,457 KES 708.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 KES 503.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$317 KES 41.1K

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 Ongata Rongai: 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

Ongata Rongai

$129 22.5%

Mombasa

$185 25.8% 43.4% $56

Accommodation & Living

Ongata Rongai

$116 20.2%

Mombasa

$157 22% 36.1% $42

Eating Out

Ongata Rongai

$114 20%

Mombasa

$108 15.1% 5.2% $6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ongata Rongai

$105 18.3%

Mombasa

$120 16.8% 14.6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Ongata Rongai

$84 14.7%

Mombasa

$43 6.1% 48.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Ongata Rongai

$15 * 2.7%

Mombasa

$48 6.7% 213% $33

Getting Around

Ongata Rongai

$9.1 * 1.6%

Mombasa

$53 7.5% 485% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $156 in Ongata Rongai 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 $19 in Ongata Rongai versus $25 in Mombasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $129 vs $185 – making Ongata Rongai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Ongata Rongai

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

Same time as Ongata Rongai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

172,569

1,300,000

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Ongata Rongai Mombasa 440 km

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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

Ongata Rongai vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $572 in Ongata Rongai, $715 in Mombasa – Ongata Rongai comes out roughly 20% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $858 per month in Ongata Rongai 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 Ongata Rongai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $156 there versus $229 in Mombasa.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $572 in Ongata Rongai and $715 in Mombasa. That makes Ongata Rongai about 20% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $273 per month in Ongata Rongai 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 $572 in Ongata Rongai 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 $572 in Ongata Rongai to $715 in Mombasa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.