Cost of Living Comparison Between Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and Mombasa Cost of Living Comparison Between Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and Mombasa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $714 per month in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu vs $689 in Mombasa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,167 per month in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu vs $1,111 in Mombasa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,620 per month in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu vs $1,534 in Mombasa, rent included.

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu costs about 4% more than Mombasa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 48% lower, Mombasa 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 ¥25.19

$2.30 KES 298

63.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.45 ¥171

$23.05 KES 2,981

10.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 ¥33.92

$10.61 KES 1,372

-52.40%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥20.33

$3.60 KES 466

-15.83%

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

$0.48 ¥3.23

$1.00 KES 130

-52.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.23

$0.42 KES 54.7

-21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ¥5.84

$2.26 KES 292

-61.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ¥10.14

$3.22 KES 417

-53.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ¥12.72

$0.94 KES 121

102.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 ¥8.11

$0.49 KES 63.8

146.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.82

$1.58 KES 204

-44.94%

Eggs

$2.16 ¥14.53

$1.82 KES 235

18.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ¥130

$10.94 KES 1,415

76.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 ¥24.32

$5.44 KES 704

-33.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.01 ¥40.35

$5.34 KES 691

12.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 ¥14.97

$2.10 KES 271

6.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.60

$1.15 KES 148

11.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 ¥10.65

$1.79 KES 231

-11.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.73

$0.65 KES 84.1

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.80

$0.72 KES 93.7

19.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.26

$1.05 KES 135

-11.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.20

$0.57 KES 73.4

10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.59

$0.46 KES 59.3

15.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.63 ¥24.36

$4.51 KES 583

-19.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.25 ¥88.9

$7.61 KES 984

74.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥5.06

$2.00 KES 258

-62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ¥10.21

$2.88 KES 372

-47.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.76 KES 98.0

-61.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.09 ¥121

$38.00 KES 4,914

-52.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 ¥12.79

$3.01 KES 389

-36.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$1.71 KES 221

-77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.88 ¥46.19

$4.54 KES 587

51.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ¥8.11

$1.56 KES 202

-22.44%

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

$18.1K ¥121.8K

$12.1K KES 1.6M

50.22%

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

$17.6K ¥118.1K

$11.8K KES 1.5M

49.52%

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

$18.81 ¥126

$55.1 KES 7,124

-65.86%

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

$10.62 ¥71.2

$13.42 KES 1,735

-20.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.00 ¥73.8

$33.92 KES 4,386

-67.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.5 ¥392

$18.20 KES 2,354

221.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.55 ¥111

$18.95 KES 2,450

-12.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 ¥50.0

$11.00 KES 1,422

-32.27%

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

$293 ¥1,967

$87.7 KES 11.3K

234.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ¥119.8K

$5,514 KES 713.0K

223.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.33 ¥304

$13.03 KES 1,685

247.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.36 ¥284

$13.50 KES 1,745

213.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 ¥404

$23.12 KES 2,989

160.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.0 ¥396

$45.53 KES 5,887

29.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 ¥1,778

$229 KES 29.6K

15.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 ¥1,252

$154 KES 19.9K

21.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 ¥3,962

$537 KES 69.5K

9.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ¥2,495

$389 KES 50.2K

-4.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,996 ¥20.1K

$5,396 KES 697.7K

-44.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,907 ¥12.8K

$3,931 KES 508.3K

-51.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$321 KES 41.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

-73.08%

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

Last update for Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu: September 1, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $265 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu 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 $25.00 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu versus $23.00 in Mombasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $175 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $714 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, $689 in Mombasa – roughly 4% apart. Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,071 per month in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and $1,033 in Mombasa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mombasa, 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 $25.00 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and $23.00 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 $714 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and $689 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 $714 in Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu and $689 in Mombasa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Mombasa – 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 Mombasa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.