Cost of Living Comparison Between Wote and Mombasa Cost of Living Comparison Between Wote and Mombasa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $608 per month in Wote vs $689 in Mombasa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,072 per month in Wote vs $1,111 in Mombasa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,536 per month in Wote vs $1,534 in Mombasa, rent included.

Wote is about 12% cheaper than Mombasa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Wote and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Wote 56% lower, Mombasa 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.15 KES 407

$2.30 KES 298

36.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.94 KES 4,520

$23.05 KES 2,982

51.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 KES 777

$10.61 KES 1,373

-43.45%

Cappuccino

$1.51 KES 195

$3.60 KES 466

-58.06%

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

$0.40 KES 52.1

$1.00 KES 130

-60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 KES 28.29

$0.42 KES 54.8

-47.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 KES 277

$2.26 KES 292

-5.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 KES 294

$3.22 KES 417

-29.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 KES 101

$0.94 KES 121

-17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 KES 73.5

$0.49 KES 63.8

16.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 KES 185

$1.58 KES 204

-9.49%

Eggs

$1.35 KES 175

$1.82 KES 235

-25.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.60 KES 595

$10.94 KES 1,416

-57.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.29 KES 813

$5.44 KES 704

15.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.83 KES 755

$5.34 KES 691

9.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 KES 431

$2.10 KES 271

58.57%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 KES 129

$1.15 KES 148

-13.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 KES 256

$1.79 KES 231

10.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 KES 77.8

$0.65 KES 84.1

-7.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 KES 72.7

$0.72 KES 93.7

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 KES 133

$1.05 KES 135

-1.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 KES 93.5

$0.57 KES 73.4

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 KES 68.6

$0.46 KES 59.4

15.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 KES 437

$4.51 KES 583

-25.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.46 KES 1,483

$7.61 KES 985

50.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 KES 290

$2.00 KES 258

12.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 KES 369

$2.88 KES 372

-1.04%

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)

$1.51 KES 195

$3.01 KES 389

-49.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 196

$1.71 KES 222

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 KES 367

$4.54 KES 587

-37.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 KES 205

$1.56 KES 202

1.28%

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

$20.2K KES 2.6M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

67.34%

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

$19.5K KES 2.5M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

65.66%

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

$59.9 KES 7,747

$55.1 KES 7,127

8.69%

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

$14.99 KES 1,939

$13.42 KES 1,736

11.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.84 KES 4,507

$33.92 KES 4,388

2.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.20 KES 2,355

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 KES 2,452

Cinema Ticket

$7.68 KES 993

$11.00 KES 1,423

-30.18%

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

$153 KES 19.7K

$87.7 KES 11.3K

73.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K KES 1.5M

$5,514 KES 713.4K

106.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.81 KES 1,528

$13.03 KES 1,686

-9.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.78 KES 1,007

$13.50 KES 1,746

-42.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.52 KES 2,525

$23.12 KES 2,991

-15.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$22.74 KES 2,942

$45.53 KES 5,890

-50.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 KES 50.8K

$229 KES 29.6K

71.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 KES 24.5K

$154 KES 19.9K

23.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$760 KES 98.4K

$537 KES 69.5K

41.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 KES 74.0K

$389 KES 50.3K

47.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,396 KES 698.1K

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 Wote: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $393 in Wote 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 Wote versus $23.00 in Mombasa. Groceries tell a different story – $174 in Wote vs $175 in Mombasa – so Wote 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

Wote vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $608 in Wote, $689 in Mombasa – roughly 13% apart. Mombasa costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $911 per month in Wote 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 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 $608 in Wote and $689 in Mombasa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $153 per month in Wote and $87.7 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 $608 in Wote and $689 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.