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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $588 per month in Wote vs $604 in Mombasa, rent included.

A couple spends around $896 per month in Wote vs $1,064 in Mombasa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,203 per month in Wote vs $1,525 in Mombasa, rent included.

Wote is about 3% cheaper than Mombasa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Wote and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Wote 56% lower, Mombasa 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 KES 396

$2.37 KES 307

29.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.60 KES 4,992

$19.29 KES 2,494

100.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 KES 887

$8.53 KES 1,104

-19.58%

Cappuccino

$1.57 KES 202

$3.25 KES 420

-51.69%

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

$0.37 KES 48.11

$0.51 KES 66.2

-27.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 KES 28.28

$0.47 KES 61.1

-53.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 KES 288

$1.90 KES 245

17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 KES 304

$2.93 KES 379

-19.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 KES 95.2

$0.81 KES 104

-8.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 KES 74.3

$0.53 KES 69.2

7.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 KES 195

$1.44 KES 187

4.17%

Eggs

$1.43 KES 185

$1.73 KES 223

-17.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.55 KES 588

$9.96 KES 1,289

-54.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 KES 819

$5.82 KES 753

8.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.56 KES 719

$5.24 KES 677

6.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 KES 393

$1.81 KES 234

67.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 KES 140

$0.93 KES 121

17.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 KES 272

$1.56 KES 202

34.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 KES 82.0

$0.76 KES 98.0

-17.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 KES 72.3

$0.71 KES 92.2

-21.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 KES 150

$1.05 KES 135

10.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 KES 83.2

$0.67 KES 86.8

-4.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 KES 73.0

$0.57 KES 73.9

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 KES 397

$3.32 KES 429

-7.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.79 KES 1,525

$7.90 KES 1,021

49.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 KES 286

$1.94 KES 251

13.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 KES 361

$2.73 KES 353

2.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KES 102

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.09 KES 4,538

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 203

$3.02 KES 390

-48.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 197

$1.95 KES 252

-22.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 KES 379

$4.61 KES 596

-36.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 KES 205

$1.60 KES 207

-0.63%

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

$21.4K KES 2.8M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

77.02%

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

$20.1K KES 2.6M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

70.35%

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

$35.00 KES 4,526

$44.87 KES 5,803

-22.00%

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

$16.74 KES 2,165

$14.07 KES 1,819

18.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.30 KES 5,083

$44.11 KES 5,705

-10.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 KES 2,352

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 KES 2,451

Cinema Ticket

$6.06 KES 784

$4.55 KES 588

33.19%

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

$152 KES 19.7K

$87.3 KES 11.3K

74.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,036 KES 1.0M

$5,325 KES 688.7K

50.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.60 KES 1,500

$13.39 KES 1,731

-13.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.63 KES 987

$13.83 KES 1,789

-44.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.47 KES 2,518

$23.61 KES 3,053

-17.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.64 KES 3,057

$47.29 KES 6,115

-50.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$176 KES 22.8K

$178 KES 23.0K

-0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 KES 25.5K

$115 KES 14.9K

71.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 KES 101.1K

$605 KES 78.2K

29.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 KES 34.2K

$465 KES 60.1K

-43.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,402 KES 698.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,839 KES 496.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$318 KES 41.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.84

14.15%

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

Last update for Wote: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $176 in Wote versus $178 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 $39.00 in Wote versus $19.00 in Mombasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $170 – 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

Wote vs Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $588 in Wote, $604 in Mombasa – roughly 3% apart. Mombasa costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $882 per month in Wote and $907 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 $588 in Wote and $604 in Mombasa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $152 per month in Wote and $87.3 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 $588 in Wote and $604 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.