Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Nairobi

For one person, living is cheaper in Nairobi: $874 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$874

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Nairobi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Nairobi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $874 in Nairobi.

Austin, TX $2,704
Nairobi $874

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,403 in Nairobi.

Austin, TX $4,133
Nairobi $1,403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,932 in Nairobi.

Austin, TX $5,562
Nairobi $1,932

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 209% more expensive than in Nairobi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Nairobi is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$6.12 KES 794

230.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$35.26 KES 4,574

141.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$6.59 KES 854

87.41%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.71 KES 351

101.85%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$0.66 KES 85.4

478.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.57 KES 73.9

338.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.33 KES 302

245.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.75 KES 357

226.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.89 KES 116

26.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.54 KES 69.9

600.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.94 KES 252

67.53%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.71 KES 222

142.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$10.63 KES 1,378

23.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.35 KES 824

125.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$6.22 KES 807

156.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.30 KES 428

32.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.06 KES 137

36.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.05 KES 265

121.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.10 KES 142

280.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.12 KES 145

134.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.10 KES 143

114.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.73 KES 95.3

141.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.77 KES 100

180.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.62 KES 469

170.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$11.46 KES 1,486

28.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.28 KES 296

21.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.69 KES 349

29.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.79 KES 102

88.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$45.51 KES 5,902

-10.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.52 KES 197

75.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.58 KES 205

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$2.81 KES 364

1155.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.56 KES 203

-36.54%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.8K KES 2.8M

64.41%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.2K $27.2K

$19.9K KES 2.6M

36.25%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 $219

$56.9 KES 7,375

285.63%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.0 $58.0

$15.35 KES 1,991

277.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$35.18 KES 4,563

94.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$49.39 KES 6,406

17.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$15.39 KES 1,996

-3.70%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$7.83 KES 1,016

80.46%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,509 $1,509

$250 KES 32.4K

504.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.5K KES 1.6M

71.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$27.71 KES 3,594

86.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$28.64 KES 3,714

53.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$68.7 KES 8,911

23.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$58.9 KES 7,638

78.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$453 KES 58.8K

326.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$217 KES 28.2K

485.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,106 KES 143.4K

231.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$507 KES 65.8K

397.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,292 KES 167.6K

489.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$897 KES 116.3K

256.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$481 KES 62.4K

961.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

14.71

-53.84%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Nairobi

$217 25.3% 82.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Nairobi

$205 23.9% 49.1% $198

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Nairobi

$123 14.4% 64.6% $225

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Nairobi

$107 12.5% 68.9% $238

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Nairobi

$83 9.6% 35.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Nairobi

$65 7.6% 24.5% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Nairobi

$58 6.8% 1.9% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $453 in Nairobi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 962% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $35.00 in Nairobi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $205 per month, with Nairobi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🕒 Local time

03:44 3:44 AM

11:44 11:44 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

3,138,295 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR).

KES to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Nairobi 14,240 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Nairobi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nairobi wins on cost – living expenses run 209% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nairobi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 962% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $453 in Nairobi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $874 in Nairobi – a 209% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nairobi runs roughly 12% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $874 in Nairobi versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nairobi but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Nairobi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nairobi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $874 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nairobi hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Nairobi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 209% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.