Abduljabbar Ali If you want to know some of the cheapest places to live in Mombasa, be ready to accept the reality of the situations of these areas.
Most of these areas that are super cheap to stay in aren’t as safe as the best areas in Mombasa.
Places like Nyali, Kizingo, Shanzu, Vipingo, Tudor, and Ganjoni — are some of the best areas to stay in Mombasa because of the location, security, and facilities around them.
The ease of movement from one location to another also plays a part when it comes to the value of the location.
Read also; 7 Best Areas To Stay In Mombasa
I am not saying that the cheap areas that people stay in Mombasa are all bad.
Some areas within these cheap areas are super amazing.
They have been growing gradually — more hospitals are coming in place, big schools are available, the roads are entering the interior parts and big shopping centers are available.
You just have to know which areas within these cheap places you can choose to stay in Mombasa.
Without wasting so much time being caught up with the details, let me share what you should know about some of the cheapest areas to stay in Mombasa.
These are the cheapest places to live in Mombasa;
1. Likoni.
Likoni is one of the cheapest areas to stay in Mombasa since it’s away from the Island.
To get to Likoni you will have to cross the Ferry from the Island — for that you will have to go through the Likoni Ferry crossing Channel.
Likoni is one of the vibrant locations to live in Mombasa. The area has been growing as days go by.
I was lucky enough to live in Likoni from 2007 up to 2024; so I have seen its transition vividly.
Likoni is well known in Mombasa because of one of the top public beaches that is located in that area — Shelly Beach.
Read also; 6 Top Public Beaches In Mombasa
I was lucky enough to live a few meters away from the beach when I was in Likoni.
You may be wondering why would such an area close to the beach be such a cheap area to live in Mombasa.
Don’t worry, I will get to that soon. Anyway, the Likoni area is quite big. The entire area is subdivided into other sections with different names.
So many people from Kisauni, Bamburi, and Changamwe have been moving to Likoni to find cheap accommodations and rentals.
Somalis are now building their houses and businesses in Likoni because it’s growing and the traffic is increasing.
As you go deeper from the Island, further south, houses tend to get even cheaper.
You can find amazing rentals starting from Ksh 2500 per month — these are mostly single rooms.
But if you want a well-furnished bedsitter in Likoni, you can get one at Ksh 4000 within Likoni.
For a such price, one can’t find a rental of such a price in areas like Nyali and Ganjoni.
Not so many people fancy living in Likoni because of the security issues and the part of having to cross the ferry to get to town.
If you are willing to compromise these two things and live in Likoni, you are likely to find a good place and a cheap rental to stay in Mombasa.
The best locations to stay in Likoni are those that are close to the main roads — there is so much going on thus a little bit safer than the other sides.
The main roads that connect from the Likoni Ferry Channel go deeper into Likoni, use them as your marking points to find places to stay in Mombasa.
You will find amazing buildings along the main roads, you will have easy access to shops, a route to take you directly to Likoni Ferry and you will be a little bit safer.
2. Mtongwe.
Mtongwe is another cheap place to live in Mombasa that is also a little bit far away from the Island.
It also has a high traffic because of how cheap the houses are in this area.
Due to the large population of people living in the area, the government decided to build a floating bridge (Liwatoni floating bridge) that they would use to cross to town.
Before that, there was Mtongwe Ferry but it went through a horrible accident that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people.
Before that people living in Mtongwe would just use the ferry on their side without moving to the Likoni Ferry Channel which is a little bit a distance.
There are many cheap houses one can rent in Mtongwe that start from Ksh 2500 for a single room.
The rentals are cheaper thus making it one of the cheapest places to live in Mombasa.
Mtongwe isn’t all bad when we ditch the side of security. The area is filled with so many shops, local restaurants, and street food spots along the roads.
In the evening is when everything in the streets lighten up. That is when you will find every kind of street food you will find in Mombasa sold along these roads.
Maybe except for the Shawarmas, you will have to go to town.
There are tuk-tuks and boda boda all over that can take you around places you want to visit within Mtongwe thus making it easier to move from place to place.
It’s a cheap place to live in Mombasa but the main problem is security.
As with any of the other cheap areas one will consider staying in Mombasa, they all have issues with security and are under developed.
The roads in Mtongwe get messy when it rains, some of the buildings are flooded with water during these moments and it gets super unsafe during the night hours.
So, if you are willing to save a few hundred shillings to live in Mtongwe — these are some of the things you will have to deal with.
3. Mikindani.
Mikindani is also one of the cheapest places to stay in Mombasa which is about 8.4 Km away from the CBD.
Since it’s away from the city center it’s not developed, and people have to move to Mombasa CBD for other important services like banking and treatments.
There are many cheap rentals you will find in Mikindani starting from Ksh 3000.
But if you keep going cheaper than that you will definitely find yourself in the slum areas which aren’t good places to live.
The area around the center point of Mikindani is amazing areas are at least well-kept compared to the other ones that are deeper from the center.
The downside about Mikindani is that the roads are in poor conditions thus making it harder to navigate when heavy rains pour down in Mombasa.
A 15-minute drive to take you to Mombasa CBD will take you almost half an hour.
Apart from the roads being in poor condition, the area also has a poor drainage system thus endangering the people who live around there.
The stagnant dirty water that had been washed away from the high grounds tends to act as a breeding ground for mosquitoes, some of the houses in the lower grounds get flooded with water and it becomes hard to navigate in these conditions.
Not all the areas in Mikindani are this way, but most of the areas with super cheap accommodations tend to have this problem.
If you choose to live in a cheap place in Mombasa, you have to be ready to deal with these problems.
Security is also another problem in Mikindani because of the drug addicts who hide in the slums and areas around the creek.
4. Miritini.
Miritini is located 12 Km away from Mombasa CBD, it’s in front of Mikindani.
As you keep going far away from the city center in Mombasa, the rentals and accommodations keep getting cheaper.
You can find very cheap accommodations and rentals in the Miritini area thus making it one of the cheapest areas to stay in Mombasa.
The issues you just read about other cheap areas to live in Mombasa are also similar to this area.
Security is a major problem, the roads are also in poor conditions thus making it harder to navigate the area during heavy rains.
The buildings are cheaper to rent, and some are located in bad areas prone to floods.
Miritini is now getting a little bit popular because of the SGR Mombasa Terminus being located at that point.
That’s the only advantage of living in Miritini — you will have easy access to the Terminus compared to someone living in Likoni.
Some of the areas in Miritini are horrible because of the dumping problem. There are also so many slums that ruin the picture of the area.
The best area to stay in Miritini is around Miritini estate. This area is a little bit better since the roads are in good condition compared to the other areas.
There are a lot of businesses going on in these areas, there are schools, mosques and churches, big shops, and even some government buildings.
Such an area is safer compared to the other areas in Miritini since it’s super active and well-protected.
But during the night hours, it’s super unsafe for anyone to roam around.
Even the locals who stay in this area keep complaining of how unsafe it is when the sun sets and the businesses are closed along the roads.
This is like a common problem in most cheap places to stay in Mombasa but it’s way too much in Miritini.
I remember when I was going to Mombasa Terminus I didn’t take a taxi directly to the station. I took a matatu that dropped me at Miritini then I had to take a bodaboda that took me to the station.
The bodaboda guy who was taking me to the Mombasa Terminus kept saying how unsafe it was for them once it got darker.
They are constantly worried about coming across a gang of drug addicts who are going to mug and rob them.
It’s a cheap place to stay in Mombasa but it’s not safe.
5. Changamwe.
Changamwe is a little better compared to Mikindani and Miritini.
Though it’s not super cheap when we compare it to the two areas I have mentioned it’s relatively better.
Changamwe is located 6.3 km away from Mombasa CBD. The roads in this area have been constantly developing more than other areas I have talked about in this article.
Those who are coming to Mombasa from Western and Rift Valley have to use these roads to get to the city.
The traffic along these roads is always super high and it gets busier during the peak seasons in Mombasa.
There are a lot of things going on around this area thus making it a little bit popular in Mombasa than other cheap areas that are far from the city.
Moi International Airport, Bomu Hospital, several estates, and factories are located around this area.
Changamwe is vibrant and in a few years it’s going to be one of the best areas to stay in Mombasa.
With this development that this area has been undergoing, it’s not going to be a cheaper area to stay in Mombasa, but a relatively low compared to the best areas like Nyali and Kizingo.
6. Bombolulu.
Bombolulu is located 4.8 Km from Mombasa CBD. To get to Bombolulu you will have to cross Nyali Bridge.
Before we moved to Likoni in 2007 we used to live in Bombolulu. I have been able to roam around this area and see its growth.
It’s considered one of the cheapest areas to stay in Mombasa because there are so many cheap rentals and accommodations.
Bombolulu is a cheap area to stay in Mombasa but not cheaper compared to Likoni, Mikindani, and Miritini.
This area was too cheap to stay in Mombasa in early 2005 but since then it has been growing exponentially because it’s close to Haller Park, Nyali Centre, Kongowea market, and so many facilities.
The growth of this area has definitely made it a little bit expensive to stay in but it’s relatively low if you compare it to Nyali, Shanzu, and Vipingo.
Despite the development the area has been undergoing for several years, it still has a huge problem with the drainage system and dumping issues.
The area is also unsafe because of the large population of drug addicts living in the area.
Some of the roads are also usually super flooded during heavy rains and some of the buildings are drowned in water.
The best areas to stay in Bombolulu are around V.O.K, along the main roads taking you to town, and around the estates.
Going deeper in Bombolulu will only get you to some of the worst areas to stay in Mombasa.
The beautiful thing about Bombolulu is that it’s super active and vibrant. There are lots of kiosks, shops, and local food spots where you can find amazing Swahili dishes.
If you stay in Bombolulu it’s way easier to get to Pirates Beach, Nyali Beach, and some other cheap areas to visit in Mombasa.
Read also; 8 Affordable Places To Visit In Mombasa
7. Mshomoroni.
Mshomoroni is another cheap area to stay in Mombasa because of the cheap rentals you can find there.
Mshomoroni is also one of the active areas to stay in Mombasa since it is just close to the biggest market in Mombasa (Kongowea).
It’s a unique area of its own that is filled with buildings of every type thus giving one an option to get through his or her preferences.
Some of the areas in Mshomoroni are super crowded with buildings thus getting fresh air is a dream in this location.
You will have to drive a few kilometers to get to the beach to get the fresh air you want so bad.
Apart from that it’s an area with it’s unique atmosphere that is filled with people from different classes.
Those who are a little bit well off stay in apartments, while those who can’t afford that stay in the modern Swahili houses, which are very common in Mombasa.
So, if you decide to live in Mshomoroni you have a variety of houses to choose from depending on your pocket.
As with any other cheap area to stay in Mombasa, Mshomoroni also has an issue with security and poorly built buildings that tend to collapse during the heavy rains.
The roads are also in bad conditions, navigation becomes super hard during heavy rains since the roads are usually flooded.
8. Kisauni.
Kisauni is also another cheap area to stay in Mombasa but it’s highly considered unsafe.
Apart from the security issues, you can find cheap accommodation and rentals around Kisauni if you look at the right places.
If you want to be safe staying in Kisauni you will have to find rentals and apartments that are just close to the main roads.
As you go deeper from the main roads and business areas that is where things get so tense and unsafe.
Kisauni being just close to Mshomoroni and Bombolulu, it’s also affected by heavy rains because of poor drainage.
Kisauni stretches to Bamburi, when it rains it’s a disaster.
You will find a large population living in Kisauni despite the security problems because of its location.
You can access so many shops and markets from Kisauni. It’s also super easy to get to the main tourist attractions and hang out spots in Mombasa.
Read also; 8 Best Hang Out Places In Mombasa (6 Free + 2 Pay)
A decent single room in Kisauni can cost you Ksh 3500 per month which is incredibly cheap.
Apart from the issues of insecurities, Kisauni is an amazing area to stay in Mombasa because of how vibrant it is.
The Swahili culture is full to the brim around this area. The street foods and Swahili dishes are sold at cheaper prices in the streets.
Lastly…
The areas I have mentioned in this article are considerably cheaper compared to the best areas to stay in Mombasa.
Areas like Likoni, Changamwe, and Mikindani are somehow better choices if you want a cheap place to stay in Mombasa.
Areas like Kisauni and Mshomoroni are notoriously unsafe for you to stay and they get super flooded during heavy rains.
If you want a cheap place to stay in Mombasa, you should be ready to accept the reality of the situation.
The rentals and accommodations won’t be super fancy but they will fit your pocket.
Before you decide which area you want to stay in Mombasa, you have to get in touch with the locals to share with you their details about some of the better places you should stay.
Things keep changing every day and the locals who stay in that area have a depth insight about what goes on there.
Otherwise, if you choose to live in any location I have shared in this article, you will still experience the full Mombasa vibe.
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