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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $578 per month in Wote vs $618 in Mombasa, rent included.

A couple spends around $885 per month in Wote vs $1,060 in Mombasa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,192 per month in Wote vs $1,502 in Mombasa, rent included.

Wote is about 6% cheaper than Mombasa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Wote and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Wote 57% lower, Mombasa 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.02 KES 390

$2.35 KES 304

28.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.40 KES 5,090

$19.18 KES 2,478

105.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 KES 869

$8.80 KES 1,137

-23.52%

Cappuccino

$1.58 KES 204

$3.18 KES 411

-50.31%

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

$0.40 KES 51.9

$0.48 KES 62.4

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 KES 28.41

$0.48 KES 61.7

-54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 KES 287

$1.96 KES 253

13.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 KES 307

$2.82 KES 364

-15.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 KES 103

$0.82 KES 106

-2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 KES 73.1

$0.49 KES 63.9

16.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 KES 192

$1.40 KES 180

6.43%

Eggs

$1.42 KES 183

$1.79 KES 231

-20.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.76 KES 615

$9.71 KES 1,255

-50.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.37 KES 823

$5.82 KES 752

9.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.59 KES 723

$5.22 KES 675

7.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 KES 409

$1.79 KES 231

77.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 KES 140

$0.91 KES 117

19.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 KES 268

$1.52 KES 197

36.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 KES 77.9

$0.79 KES 102

-24.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 KES 67.9

$0.68 KES 87.5

-22.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 KES 144

$1.08 KES 139

3.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 KES 82.7

$0.66 KES 85.4

-3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 KES 68.3

$0.60 KES 78.0

-11.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 KES 395

$3.30 KES 427

-7.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.45 KES 1,479

$7.95 KES 1,027

44.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 KES 292

$1.88 KES 242

20.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 KES 350

$2.77 KES 358

-2.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 KES 96.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.08 KES 4,532

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 KES 195

$3.05 KES 394

-50.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 KES 202

$1.94 KES 251

-19.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 KES 382

$4.58 KES 592

-35.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 KES 198

$1.60 KES 206

-4.38%

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

$22.1K KES 2.9M

$12.0K KES 1.5M

84.18%

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

$19.6K KES 2.5M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

66.50%

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

$33.98 KES 4,390

$44.61 KES 5,764

-23.83%

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

$16.63 KES 2,149

$14.45 KES 1,867

15.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.10 KES 5,181

$43.55 KES 5,626

-7.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.09 KES 2,337

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 KES 2,480

Cinema Ticket

$6.32 KES 817

$4.71 KES 609

34.18%

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

$154 KES 19.8K

$87.7 KES 11.3K

75.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,971 KES 1.0M

$5,406 KES 698.5K

47.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.54 KES 1,491

$13.03 KES 1,684

-11.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$7.64 KES 987

$13.80 KES 1,784

-44.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.40 KES 2,506

$23.61 KES 3,050

-17.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.11 KES 2,985

$45.93 KES 5,934

-49.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 KES 23.0K

$181 KES 23.4K

-1.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 KES 24.8K

$118 KES 15.3K

62.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 KES 101.8K

$590 KES 76.3K

33.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 KES 34.7K

$462 KES 59.7K

-41.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,440 KES 702.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,820 KES 493.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$321 KES 41.5K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $178 in Wote versus $181 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 $169 – 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: $578 in Wote, $618 in Mombasa – roughly 7% apart. Mombasa costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $868 per month in Wote and $928 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 $578 in Wote and $618 in Mombasa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $154 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 $578 in Wote and $618 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.