Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wote and Mombasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Wote: $600 a month against $717 in Mombasa, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Mombasa despite lower rent and utilities.

29

Cost of Living Index in Wote
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Wote Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index

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Wote

🇰🇪 Kenya

$600

/mo nomad

Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $600 per month in Wote vs $717 in Mombasa, rent included.

Wote $600
Mombasa $717

A couple spends around $1,065 per month in Wote vs $1,144 in Mombasa, rent included.

Wote $1,065
Mombasa $1,144

A family of three spends $1,529 per month in Wote vs $1,571 in Mombasa, rent included.

Wote $1,529
Mombasa $1,571

Wote is about 16% cheaper than Mombasa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Wote and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Wote 56% lower, Mombasa 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 KES 398

$2.75 KES 356

11.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.54 KES 4,479

$24.98 KES 3,239

38.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 KES 805

$10.39 KES 1,347

-40.23%

Cappuccino

$1.56 KES 203

$2.70 KES 350

-42.22%

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

$0.37 KES 48.48

$0.74 KES 96.1

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 KES 31.28

$0.52 KES 67.8

-53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 KES 278

$2.30 KES 298

-6.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 KES 295

$3.33 KES 432

-31.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 KES 97.7

$0.98 KES 127

-23.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 KES 67.7

$0.50 KES 64.2

4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 KES 188

$1.50 KES 195

-3.33%

Eggs

$1.35 KES 175

$1.82 KES 236

-25.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.68 KES 607

$14.11 KES 1,830

-66.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 KES 779

$4.93 KES 639

21.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.68 KES 736

$5.48 KES 711

3.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 KES 434

$2.09 KES 271

60.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$1.16 KES 150

-9.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 KES 267

$1.78 KES 231

15.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 KES 77.5

$0.68 KES 87.6

-11.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 KES 72.6

$0.69 KES 89.3

-18.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 KES 141

$1.01 KES 131

7.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 KES 88.2

$0.61 KES 78.6

11.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 KES 68.2

$0.43 KES 55.4

23.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.49 KES 452

$4.15 KES 537

-15.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.54 KES 1,496

$9.70 KES 1,257

18.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 KES 284

$1.93 KES 250

13.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 KES 359

$2.92 KES 379

-5.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 103

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.38 KES 4,976

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 KES 205

$3.06 KES 397

-48.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 KES 196

$1.76 KES 228

-14.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 KES 369

$4.60 KES 597

-38.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 KES 210

$1.55 KES 202

4.52%

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

$21.4K KES 2.8M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

76.36%

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

$20.1K KES 2.6M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

66.71%

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

$55.8 KES 7,233

$77.6 KES 10.1K

-28.14%

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

$15.10 KES 1,957

$9.35 KES 1,213

61.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.30 KES 4,577

$34.13 KES 4,426

3.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.15 KES 2,354

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.59 KES 2,540

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 KES 1,025

$15.29 KES 1,982

-48.33%

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

$157 KES 20.3K

$88.2 KES 11.4K

77.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K KES 1.6M

$5,301 KES 687.3K

136.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.77 KES 1,526

$13.08 KES 1,696

-10.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.74 KES 1,004

$13.44 KES 1,743

-42.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.54 KES 2,534

$23.46 KES 3,041

-16.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.03 KES 2,986

$45.81 KES 5,939

-49.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 KES 50.1K

$227 KES 29.5K

69.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 KES 24.5K

$156 KES 20.3K

20.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 KES 100.4K

$532 KES 68.9K

45.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 KES 76.2K

$370 KES 48.0K

58.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,417 KES 702.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,805 KES 493.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$324 KES 42.0K

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 Wote: October 17, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wote

$189 31.6%

Mombasa

$156 21.8% 17.3% $33

Groceries & Markets

Wote

$172 28.6%

Mombasa

$186 25.9% 8.2% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wote

$106 17.7%

Mombasa

$121 16.9% 14.1% $15

Eating Out

Wote

$80 13.3%

Mombasa

$109 15.2% 36.5% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Wote

$28 4.7%

Mombasa

$43 6% 54.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Wote

$16 * 2.6%

Mombasa

$49 6.8% 208% $33

Getting Around

Wote

$9.2 * 1.5%

Mombasa

$53 7.4% 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 $386 in Wote versus $227 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 Wote versus $25.00 in Mombasa. Groceries tell a different story – $172 in Wote vs $186 in Mombasa – so Wote wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Wote

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

Same time as Wote

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,725

1,300,000

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Wote Mombasa 340 km

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Wote
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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

Wote vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $600 in Wote, $717 in Mombasa – roughly 20% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $900 per month in Wote and $1,076 in Mombasa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wote, 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 $600 in Wote and $717 in Mombasa. That's a gap of about 20%.

Kindergarten costs $157 per month in Wote and $88.2 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 $600 in Wote and $717 in Mombasa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Wote – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Wote. 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.