Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Kenya

Name: Kenya
Address: KE

For one person, living is cheaper in Kenya: $710 a month against $2,539 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Kenya
Learn more

Kenya Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,539

/mo nomad

🇰🇪 Kenya

$710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Kenya

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

A single person spends $2,539 per month in Australia vs $710 in Kenya, rent included.

Australia $2,539
Kenya $710

A couple spends around $3,716 per month in Australia vs $1,170 in Kenya, rent included.

Australia $3,716
Kenya $1,170

A family of three spends $4,892 per month in Australia vs $1,629 in Kenya, rent included.

Australia $4,892
Kenya $1,629

The cost of living in Australia is about 257% higher than in Kenya on average.

Australia sits 87% above the global median, while Kenya is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.35 A$24.97

$3.92 KES 508

342.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 A$122

$30.22 KES 3,918

179.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 A$15.79

$6.84 KES 886

60.53%

Cappuccino

$3.84 A$5.53

$2.42 KES 313

58.68%

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

$2.89 A$4.16

$0.67 KES 86.5

331.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 A$3.29

$0.58 KES 75.8

294.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 A$11.21

$2.33 KES 302

234.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.42 A$12.12

$2.64 KES 342

218.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 A$2.52

$0.74 KES 95.5

136.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$0.54 KES 70.5

414.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.33

$1.50 KES 194

54.00%

Eggs

$4.89 A$7.04

$1.61 KES 208

203.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.95 A$14.32

$9.45 KES 1,226

5.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.03

$5.94 KES 770

52.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.92 A$21.46

$5.33 KES 691

179.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 A$5.25

$2.85 KES 370

28.07%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.03 KES 133

194.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.66

$1.76 KES 228

84.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 A$6.76

$0.79 KES 103

493.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.11

$0.85 KES 110

235.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.34

$0.96 KES 125

141.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.50

$0.71 KES 91.5

242.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.39

$0.63 KES 81.1

163.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.47 A$55.4

$3.41 KES 442

1028.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 A$19.92

$11.52 KES 1,494

20.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$7.01

$2.13 KES 276

128.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.59

$2.68 KES 347

97.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 A$3.90

$0.80 KES 103

238.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.0 A$135

$46.91 KES 6,082

100.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

$1.57 KES 204

127.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.35

$1.53 KES 198

6.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.04 A$57.6

$3.41 KES 442

1074.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.91

$1.54 KES 200

-13.64%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$19.4K KES 2.5M

49.94%

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

$25.7K A$37.0K

$20.2K KES 2.6M

27.10%

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

$205 A$296

$52.3 KES 6,780

292.75%

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

$28.24 A$40.63

$12.87 KES 1,668

119.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$82.0

$37.26 KES 4,830

52.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 A$79.7

$38.32 KES 4,968

44.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.46 A$28.01

$15.29 KES 1,982

27.27%

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 A$21.66

$7.78 KES 1,008

93.57%

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

$2,097 A$3,017

$175 KES 22.7K

1098.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K A$26.0K

$9,541 KES 1.2M

89.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 A$112

$18.36 KES 2,380

324.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 A$79.6

$21.85 KES 2,833

153.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$161

$43.45 KES 5,634

157.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$175

$40.40 KES 5,237

201.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 A$2,244

$294 KES 38.1K

430.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 A$1,748

$152 KES 19.7K

700.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,435 A$3,504

$757 KES 98.1K

221.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 A$2,769

$386 KES 50.0K

398.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,175 A$11.8K

$1,263 KES 163.8K

547.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,060 A$8,721

$914 KES 118.5K

563.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,038 A$5,811

$349 KES 45.2K

1057.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.94

13.64

-56.45%

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

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kenya: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.2K 47.8%

Kenya

$152 21.4% 87.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$372 14.7%

Kenya

$185 26% 50.4% $188

Eating Out

Australia

$294 11.6%

Kenya

$103 14.5% 65.1% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$291 11.4%

Kenya

$102 14.4% 64.8% $188

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$165 6.5%

Kenya

$56 7.9% 66.2% $109

Getting Around

Australia

$117 4.6%

Kenya

$59 8.4% 49.1% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$85 3.4%

Kenya

$54 7.6% 37% $32

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,364 in Australia vs $96.0 in Kenya. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,719 in Canberra and $447 in Nairobi.

Average salary: $3,853 in Australia vs $330 in Kenya. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1321% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 183% more in Australia.

Public transport is 971% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1068% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇰🇪 Kenya

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

03:47 3:47 AM

8 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

48,468,138

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Australia Kenya 11,930 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Kenya

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

Australia vs Kenya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kenya is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 257% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,364 versus $96.0 in Kenya.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Kenya, adding to the overall 257% price gap.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Kenya, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Kenya is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.