Cost of Living Comparison Between Thika and Mombasa Cost of Living Comparison Between Thika and Mombasa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $516 per month in Thika vs $689 in Mombasa, rent included.

A couple spends around $873 per month in Thika vs $1,111 in Mombasa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,229 per month in Thika vs $1,534 in Mombasa, rent included.

Thika is about 25% cheaper than Mombasa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Thika and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Thika 62% lower, Mombasa 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 KES 456

$2.30 KES 298

53.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.14 KES 4,546

$23.05 KES 2,982

52.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.32 KES 818

$10.61 KES 1,373

-40.43%

Cappuccino

$1.91 KES 247

$3.60 KES 466

-46.94%

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

$0.29 KES 38.12

$1.00 KES 130

-71.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 KES 72.0

$0.42 KES 54.8

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 KES 256

$2.26 KES 292

-12.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 KES 282

$3.22 KES 417

-32.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 KES 89.4

$0.94 KES 121

-26.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 KES 61.4

$0.49 KES 63.8

-4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 KES 150

$1.58 KES 204

-26.58%

Eggs

$1.41 KES 182

$1.82 KES 235

-22.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 KES 1,343

$10.94 KES 1,416

-5.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.17 KES 798

$5.44 KES 704

13.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.01 KES 518

$5.34 KES 691

-24.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 KES 202

$2.10 KES 271

-25.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.61 KES 78.6

$1.15 KES 148

-46.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$1.79 KES 231

-55.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 KES 140

$0.65 KES 84.1

66.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 KES 48.55

$0.72 KES 93.7

-47.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 KES 57.7

$1.05 KES 135

-57.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 KES 92.9

$0.57 KES 73.4

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 KES 48.90

$0.46 KES 59.4

-17.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 KES 348

$4.51 KES 583

-40.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 KES 757

$7.61 KES 985

-23.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 KES 228

$2.00 KES 258

-11.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 KES 243

$2.88 KES 372

-35.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 KES 98.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.00 KES 4,916

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 KES 196

$3.01 KES 389

-49.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 KES 122

$1.71 KES 222

-45.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 KES 365

$4.54 KES 587

-37.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 KES 185

$1.56 KES 202

-8.33%

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

$20.2K KES 2.6M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

67.00%

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

$19.5K KES 2.5M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

65.26%

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

$35.13 KES 4,545

$55.1 KES 7,127

-36.23%

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

$15.08 KES 1,951

$13.42 KES 1,736

12.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.87 KES 4,511

$33.92 KES 4,388

2.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.65 KES 5,906

$18.20 KES 2,355

150.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 KES 2,452

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 KES 1,006

$11.00 KES 1,423

-29.27%

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

$54.5 KES 7,046

$87.7 KES 11.3K

-37.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,434 KES 444.2K

$5,514 KES 713.4K

-37.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.79 KES 3,466

$13.03 KES 1,686

105.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.35 KES 3,409

$13.50 KES 1,746

95.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.0 KES 8,146

$23.12 KES 2,991

172.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.58 KES 2,533

$45.53 KES 5,890

-57.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$100 KES 13.0K

$229 KES 29.6K

-56.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$57.8 KES 7,471

$154 KES 19.9K

-62.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 KES 35.0K

$537 KES 69.5K

-49.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 KES 23.2K

$389 KES 50.3K

-53.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$625 KES 80.9K

$5,396 KES 698.1K

-88.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,931 KES 508.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$321 KES 41.5K

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 Thika: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $100 in Thika 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 $35.00 in Thika versus $23.00 in Mombasa. Groceries tell a different story – $150 in Thika vs $175 in Mombasa – so Thika 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

Thika vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $516 in Thika, $689 in Mombasa – roughly 33% apart. Mombasa costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $774 per month in Thika 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 Thika, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $516 in Thika and $689 in Mombasa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $54.5 per month in Thika and $87.7 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 $516 in Thika and $689 in Mombasa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Thika – 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 Thika. 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.