Kenya · Visit or make it home

Mombasa

Mombasa is a city in Kenya. Compare its dated local facts and monthly climate before choosing a time to visit or planning a move. Housing references and national earnings describe different populations; verify the costs of your own home and job before deciding.

Mombasa — Mombasa Island

Get to know Mombasa

A sense of the place

Mombasa is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital status in 1907. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. Buildings in the Central Business District are blue and white, representing the Indian Ocean. It is the country's oldest and second-largest city after Nairobi, with a population of about 1,208,333 people according to the 2019 census. Mombasa's location on the Indian Ocean made it a historic trading centre, and it has been controlled by many countries because of its strategic location. Kenyan school history books place the founding of Mombasa as 900 AD. It must have already been a prosperous trading town in the 12th century, as the Arab geographer al-Idrisi mentions it in 1151. It was a part of the Kilwa Sultanate from approximately the early 14th century until the dissolution of the sultanate in 1513. The oldest stone mosque in Mombasa, Mnara, was built c. 1300.

Weather through the year

When to visit Mombasa

Temperature

February has the warmest monthly average (28.4°C); July is coolest (23.9°C). These averages include nights, so daytime highs can be considerably warmer.

Rain and outdoor plans

May averages about 217 mm of rain, compared with 15 mm in February. For an outdoor-focused trip, compare the drier months before choosing dates.

Planning time outdoors

Monthly mean temperatures reach at least 25°C in January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November, December. For sightseeing, plan shade, water breaks and accommodation cooling into your day; daytime temperatures can be higher than these day-and-night averages.

Monthly climate averages — 2001-2020
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average °C27.928.428.226.925.524.323.924.325.226.126.627.4
Rain, mm241562129217743629389810469

Source: NASA POWER climatology · Reference period: 2001-2020. Long-term averages for the surrounding grid area. Conditions vary within a city; monthly averages are neither a forecast nor a guarantee of dry days.

Places around Mombasa

Build your shortlist for a day out. Distances are straight-line from the city centre; check routes and opening times before setting off.

Average rent in Mombasa

What is the average rent in Mombasa?

A verified average rent for Mombasa is not available in the evidence shown here. Do not substitute another city’s price or a national estimate. Compare current properties for the same home size and neighbourhood, then include utilities, deposits and daily transport when building a budget for a visit or move.

Average salary in Mombasa

What is the average salary in Mombasa?

A verified city average salary for Mombasa is not available in the evidence shown here. National income per person and purchasing-power measures are not salaries and cannot predict take-home pay. Compare a current offer in your occupation with local taxes, housing and transport costs before deciding whether a move is affordable.

How should I compare Mombasa with another city?

Compare the same dated measures for both cities, keeping local observations separate from national context. Start with rent, your expected income and the journeys you will make regularly. Then adjust the comparison weights to your priorities. Missing measurements do not prove an advantage; verify decisive costs and services with current local sources.

  1. Choose a comparison below and read its sources and dates.
  2. Set priorities for housing, work, transport and climate.
  3. Check current listings and your own income before making a decision.

Data sources, licences & reuse terms

Plan your stay

Budget and everyday decisions

A holiday budget

Compare accommodation for your actual dates in Mombasa, then add the journey here, airport transfers, meals and the activities you want. A cheap room outside the centre can cost more overall if it adds daily transport.

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A relocation budget

Use the planner below to compare housing, daily spending and the cost of your move.

Include the deposit, utilities, internet and commuting. Compare those costs with your own expected take-home income.

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Your relocation planning budget

Build a monthly budget for Mombasa in euros. Totals are calculated from the amounts below, not live quotes. Enter a housing amount for your chosen home.

Monthly total: Enter all five monthly amounts

First month including move: Enter your moving costs too

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Compare the details

Mombasa at a glance

Kenya: the wider context

These are country-level figures, not measurements of Mombasa. Use them to compare national conditions; neighbourhoods, salaries and individual services can differ substantially.

See 9 national indicators

Other places to compare in Kenya

What to check before deciding

Comparable figures are not available here for: Seismic hazard (ordinal 0 very-low to 4 high); Public-transport provision (ordinal proxy); Distance to nearest sea / coastline; Distance to nearest mountains (>1500 m); Monthly rent, 1-bedroom, city centre; Annual sunshine hours. Check the items that affect your plans with local providers. They are not treated as zero or as an advantage in recommendations.

Compare Mombasa with other cities

Read the source dates, choose your priorities and keep unavailable values separate from costs you know.

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