The honest answer, with real numbers: what sea and air actually cost, what a barrel or a car runs, what drives the price — and the simple moves that make it cheaper.
Sea freight is billed on space: $30 per cubic foot (Standard, $100 minimum), plus Kenyan duties at clearance. Our All-Inclusive tier is $37 per cubic foot ($125 minimum) with typical duties covered, for used personal effects. Air freight is billed on weight: from $7.99 per lb ($50 minimum). Mandatory insurance is 2% of declared value (5% for electronics).
So a full 55-gallon barrel runs from about $270 by sea; a large box from $135. Get an exact figure from the calculator →
Standard sea rate, $30 per cubic foot. Your exact price comes from measured dimensions.
| Item | Billed volume | From (Standard sea) |
|---|---|---|
| Medium box (18×18×16 in) | 3 ft³ | $90 |
| Large box (24×18×18 in) | 4.5 ft³ | $135 |
| 55-gallon barrel | ~9 ft³ | $270 |
| 55″ TV (boxed) | ~8.8 ft³ | $265 |
| Mini fridge | ~9.5 ft³ | $285 |
| Car / vehicle | By vessel | Custom quote |
Prices exclude Kenyan duties (Standard) and mandatory insurance. See per-item packing & costs →
Sea freight is charged per cubic foot, so a barrel of clothes and a barrel of tinned food cost the same. Fill every container completely.
Air is faster but priced on weight — best for small, urgent, valuable items. Sea wins on anything large or heavy. Compare →
Insurance is mandatory (2%/5% of declared value). Kenyan import duty is assessed by KRA on arrival — billed separately on Standard, covered on All-Inclusive personal effects.
You pay for the space a barrel or box occupies whether it's full or half-empty. Stuff socks into shoes, fill pots with rice, roll clothes — a packed barrel costs the same as an empty one.
An assembled sofa is mostly air. Taking legs and frames apart routinely cuts billed volume — and the price — by a third.
Air is charged by weight and adds up fast on heavy cargo. For barrels, boxes and furniture, sea is far cheaper.
Send everything to our warehouse and we combine it into one shipment, so you pay for one consolidated volume instead of many separate parcels.
Under-declaring caps your payout if something goes missing and invites customs inspection. Accurate declarations are the cheapest path through Mombasa.
Enter your dimensions in the free calculator for an instant estimate, or send us the details for a firm written quote within 24 hours.
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