Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Nairobi Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Nairobi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,273 per month in Cape Town vs $782 in Nairobi, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,983 per month in Cape Town vs $1,305 in Nairobi, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,693 per month in Cape Town vs $1,828 in Nairobi, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 63% more than Nairobi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Cape Town and Nairobi are more affordable than the global median – Cape Town 5% lower, Nairobi 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 R 180

$5.35 KES 692

105.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 R 736

$38.02 KES 4,922

18.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 80.3

$6.91 KES 895

-28.94%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R 32.68

$2.39 KES 309

-16.32%

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

$1.10 R 18.05

$0.71 KES 91.9

54.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.51

$0.51 KES 65.6

62.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R 46.84

$2.31 KES 299

24.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.59

$2.97 KES 385

-16.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.72

$0.94 KES 121

22.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.69

$0.53 KES 68.2

103.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.56

$1.64 KES 212

14.02%

Eggs

$2.47 R 40.35

$1.69 KES 218

46.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 R 140

$11.74 KES 1,520

-27.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 R 84.0

$6.84 KES 885

-24.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 R 125

$5.44 KES 705

40.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.38

$3.03 KES 392

-50.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.41

$1.08 KES 140

37.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.42

$2.08 KES 269

-28.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.00

$1.04 KES 135

52.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.64

$1.06 KES 138

1.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.28

$1.15 KES 149

7.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 17.93

$0.70 KES 90.9

57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.66

$0.79 KES 102

21.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R 49.62

$3.04 KES 394

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 R 101

$11.67 KES 1,510

-47.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.10

$2.22 KES 287

-36.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.39

$2.82 KES 365

-40.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R 15.26

$0.75 KES 96.7

24.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 R 783

$30.59 KES 3,960

56.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 22.56

$1.59 KES 206

-13.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.23

$1.50 KES 194

-38.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 R 71.4

$2.88 KES 373

51.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.45

$1.56 KES 202

-19.87%

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

$21.3K R 348.9K

$22.0K KES 2.8M

-3.02%

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

$24.5K R 399.8K

$20.4K KES 2.6M

19.79%

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

$98.3 R 1,607

$34.70 KES 4,492

183.29%

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

$33.19 R 543

$16.60 KES 2,149

99.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.75 R 666

$39.54 KES 5,118

3.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.68 R 681

$43.29 KES 5,604

-3.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.15 R 133

$20.63 KES 2,670

-60.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 R 107

$6.07 KES 786

7.91%

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

$211 R 3,456

$202 KES 26.1K

4.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,300 R 86.6K

$8,140 KES 1.1M

-34.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 R 911

$18.28 KES 2,366

204.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.78 R 536

$23.56 KES 3,050

39.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 R 1,880

$66.4 KES 8,599

73.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 R 1,382

$56.7 KES 7,334

49.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 R 12.5K

$450 KES 58.3K

69.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 R 8,503

$185 KES 23.9K

181.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 R 23.4K

$1,134 KES 146.7K

26.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 R 16.6K

$417 KES 54.0K

142.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,344 R 38.3K

$1,558 KES 201.7K

50.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 R 24.6K

$886 KES 114.6K

70.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,683 R 27.5K

$416 KES 53.9K

304.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

14.84

-20.69%

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

Last update for Cape Town: June 1, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $765 in Cape Town versus $450 in Nairobi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 304% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $38.00 in Nairobi. Groceries tell a different story – $189 in Cape Town vs $207 in Nairobi – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Cape Town vs Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 63% more than Nairobi, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,909 per month in Cape Town and $1,174 in Nairobi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nairobi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,273 in Cape Town and $782 in Nairobi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Nairobi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nairobi, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Cape Town at $1,273. In Nairobi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nairobi costs $782 versus $1,273 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Nairobi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.