Abduljabbar Ali Do you know what makes Mombasa the cheapest city to live in? If you compare it to Nairobi, it’s way cheaper because of what you are going to read in this article.
In this article, I will share some of the things that make Mombasa a cheaper place to live.
With the tips and facts I will share with you in this article, you will be able to know if Mombasa is your cup of tea or not.
I was born and raised in Mombasa, but after high school, I started traveling around Kenya to get a new perspective on life.
As I was traveling around Kenya, I came to realize that Mombasa is one of the cheapest cities to live in.
Why I am saying this? These are my facts.
This is what makes Mombasa a cheap place to live;
1. You can get cheaper rentals and accommodations in town.
Mombasa is one of the cheapest cities to live in because of the low-budget rentals and accommodations you can get at a reasonable price.
Did you know that in Mombasa, you can stay in a bed-sitter room that costs only Ksh 5000 per month ($50)?
You can go cheaper than that if you are minimalist and you just want to get a single room and start living your life to the fullest.
There are even rentals that only cost less than $50 if you want to go too low but I wouldn’t recommend it since the area you will get this kind of rentals or accommodations are bad.
Some may have an issue with insecurity, noises, flash floods when heavy rains pour down, and garbage dumping.
What you should know is that in Mombasa (Island), if you are planning to live in a one-bedroom apartment, you can pay about Ksh 20,000 (minimum) per month (about $145) which can even go lower when you decide to move away further from the island.
It’s not an issue to hunt for an apartment in Mombasa because new buildings are coming up every single day.
Mombasa is growing gradually and the population is increasing steadily.
If you choose a fancy like Nyali, Ganjoni, Kizingo, Shanzu, or Vipingo area to stay in, you will pay more and vice versa is true.
The location of the rentals or accommodations also plays a big role when it comes to its price.
We have those who even prefer living in Likoni, Kisauni, Bamburi, and Mshomoroni because they get even cheaper rentals.
Read also; 7 Best Areas To Stay In Mombasa
If you move a little further from the city center the rental and accommodation prices go down.
The only issues are that these are a little bit insecure and when the rain hits harder some of the areas are unnavigable.
In Nairobi, if you go low on your rental budget, you will end up living in a slum.
But in Mombasa, you can live like a king in a mansion with less cash.
When we talk about accommodations like Airbnb and hotels, they are cheaper (starting from about $15) you can get a nice and clean that you can sleep for the night.
Read also; 8 Cheapest Places To Live In Mombasa
You can also be clever enough and choose to book an Airbnb for a month for less than $300 a month.
Read also; 17 Top Things To Do In Mombasa
2. It’s not expensive to get around Mombasa.
Another thing that makes Mombasa a cheaper place to live is the means of getting around.
It’s not expensive to get around Mombasa; be it around the island or out of the island.
I have seen people living on Mombasa Island while working in Kilifi County which is situated 16km north of Mombasa and they do commute every single day going to work.
This means that it’s not expensive to move from one point to another when one wants to.
This is a little bit different when you compare it to Nairobi. Traveling every single day to work in Nairobi is expensive.
I have seen firsthand; that fares increase during the weekdays when the rush is at its peak.
The increase of the fare can even go up to 50% in Nairobi.
This rarely happens in Mombasa unless there is a strike in the public transport sector.
When it comes to traveling around the island it’s very cheap because of many tuktuks readily available everywhere in the streets.
Sometimes they are annoying (tuk-tuks) when it comes to causing traffic jams but it’s not even heavy compared to what you would expect in Nairobi.
When you are moving around the island with the tuk-tuk, the much you can expect to spend is Ksh 500 (about $4) maximum. You can’t compare this to the other cities far away from the coastal region.
Read also; 3 Days Mombasa Itinerary On A Budget
3. The markets offer vastly different types of cheap foods.
The amount of money you spend on food also plays a big role when it comes to measuring how expensive or cheap a place is.
In Mombasa, we have the Marikiti market just on the Island, you don’t need to travel far to get groceries or the food you want.
You can almost find anything you want in Marikiti at a cheaper price. The food shopping you will do a month won’t even cost you more than Ksh 6000 ($60) if you are living alone.
If the number of mouths increases, so will the money you will spend on food.
I lived in Kwale County for three months when I was doing an attachment last year (2023). I realized that the prices of foods even in the markets all increased by 5% because of transportation increment.
Mombasa City being at the central the foods brought and dropped to the markets aren’t affected hugely by the transportation costs.
When the food starts moving from Mombasa to the rest of the parts (further south or north) that is when the prices keep increasing.
Apart from that, Mombasa has lots of different types of foods you can get at a cheaper price.
You can choose what you want to eat depending on your pocket. If you want to go expensive or cheaper, you can make your choice.
When comes to street foods like cassava, bajia, viazi karai, mahamri, and shawarma, they are sold at a very cheap price all over Mombasa.
Many food businesses and local eating spots are increasing to pop up in Mombasa making food easily accessible and cheap for anyone trying to survive on a tight budget in Mombasa.
Read also; What Is The Best Month To Visit Mombasa?
4. Recreational activities are cheap and easy to find.
It’s called “Mombasa Raha” for a reason. It’s the city of enjoyment and fun and that is why so many people coming from the Rift Valley, Eastern, Northern, and Western sides of Kenya tend to make Mombasa their home.
Mombasa is full of recreational activities, leisure, and sports that you would like to join.
If you like drinking and partying the nightlife that is what Mombasa is known for.
Read also; 9 Things That Mombasa Is Best Known For
You don’t need to be super rich to enjoy yourself once every weekend in Mombasa, Kenya.
As long as you are willing to go out on a weekend you won’t miss anything to do even if you only have $5 in your pocket.
You can choose to enjoy spending your day at Mama Ngina Waterfront and have it blast and make amazing memories.
Read also; 10 Things To Do At Mama Ngina Waterfront In Mombasa
There are so many affordable places you can visit and enjoy yourself on a weekend and you won’t have to be worried about breaking your bank account.
Read also; 8 Affordable Places To Visit In Mombasa Kenya
You can choose to spend your day at the beach and you won’t even have to pay anything for that except for the snacks and water you will buy when you are there.
Read also; 8 Best Hang Out Places In Mombasa (6 Free + 2 Pay)
We have the Mombasa Sports Club that is located along Mnazi Moja Road, Ganjoni when you are heading to Casablanca club, you can join as a member and you get to practice any kind of sports you are interested in such as tennis, bowling, basketball and gym.
5. The clothes don’t break the bank account.
You don’t need to break your bank account to look stylish in Mombasa. There are so many shops in town where you can get clothes are a very cheap price.
The Somalis are dominant when it comes to the clothes and shoe businesses in Mombasa.
You can get an amazing T-shirt at a considerable price without spending so much money on it.
We have the Marikiti market and the Biashara streets in Mombasa town where you can get any type of clothes you want without spending so much money.
For a decent trouser and a T-shirt depending on the brand, you won’t spend more than $20.
If you are not fun of the boutiques, you can hit Kongewea (the largest market in Mombasa) where you will buy second-hand clothes at a cheaper price (starting from $0.5).
These are some of the things that make Mombasa a cheap place to live for anyone who has a standard income and wants to start his or her life there.
Read also; My Experience Living In Mombasa (Insights From A Local)
Lastly…
It doesn’t matter whether the economy changes all over the world, Mombasa is always going to be where it is when you compare it to the big cities in Kenya.
If you are thinking of living in Mombasa, Kenya, you should not worry about the cost of living being heavier on you.
Mombasa is beautiful the way it is, every single year it keeps receiving lots of tourists and some even move from all over the world and settle there because of how incredibly cheap it is.
I hope what I have shared in this article will help you measure up if you can afford to move from wherever you are to Mombasa.
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