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Kigali vs Mombasa cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ท๐ผ Kigali
๐ฐ๐ช Mombasa
At a glance
- Where Mombasa is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (54%โ)
- Where Kigali is clearly cheaper: Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (69%โ), Transit (56%โ), SIM card (45%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Kigali is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Kigali 2 vs Mombasa 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Kigali | Mombasa | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | FRw 4,000$2.71 | KSh 400$3.1 | Kigali โ13% |
| Street food1 item | FRw 2,000$1.36 | KSh 150$1.16 | Mombasa โ14% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | FRw 15,000$10.2 | KSh 1,500$11.6 | Kigali โ13% |
| Coffeeone cup | FRw 3,000$2.03 | KSh 300$2.33 | Kigali โ13% |
| Beerone bottle | FRw 2,000$1.36 | KSh 300$2.33 | Kigali โ42% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | FRw 10,000$6.78 | KSh 800$6.2 | Mombasa โ8% |
| Bottled water | FRw 400$0.27 | KSh 50$0.39 | Kigali โ30% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | FRw 600$0.41 | KSh 80$0.62 | Kigali โ34% |
| Taxi5 km in town | FRw 5,000$3.39 | KSh 400$3.1 | Mombasa โ8% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | FRw 700$0.47 | KSh 200$1.55 | Kigali โ69% |
| Transitone ride | FRw 400$0.27 | KSh 80$0.62 | Kigali โ56% |
| Scooter rentalper day | FRw 18,000$12.2 | KSh 2,000$15.5 | Kigali โ21% |
| Hotel night3-star | FRw 90,000$61 | KSh 8,000$62 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | FRw 550,000$373 | KSh 22,000$171 | Mombasa โ54% |
| Laundry | FRw 2,000$1.36 | KSh 150$1.16 | Mombasa โ14% |
| SIM card1 week data | FRw 5,000$3.39 | KSh 800$6.2 | Kigali โ45% |
| Haircutcut | FRw 3,000$2.03 | KSh 250$1.94 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | FRw 25,000$16.9 | KSh 2,500$19.4 | Kigali โ13% |
| Half-day tourper person | FRw 40,000$27.1 | KSh 5,000$38.8 | Kigali โ30% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | FRw 10,000$6.78 | KSh 1,200$9.3 | Kigali โ27% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Kigali or Mombasa?
Mombasa is 10% cheaper than Kigali. Daily budget $94.2 vs $97.8; a month $1,307 vs $988.
Which is easier to travel, Kigali or Mombasa?
Kigali is easier: Kigali 2.6/5 vs Mombasa 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Kigali and Mombasa?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Kigali is about $1,307 and Mombasa about $988 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.