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 $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $874 in Nairobi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $1,403 in Nairobi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $1,932 in Nairobi, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 79% more than Nairobi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Nairobi is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 195

$6.12 KES 794

92.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 770

$35.26 KES 4,573

32.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.6

$6.59 KES 854

-9.56%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.89

$2.71 KES 351

-8.86%

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

$1.33 R 21.96

$0.66 KES 85.4

101.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 17.03

$0.57 KES 73.9

80.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.83

$2.33 KES 302

29.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.6

$2.75 KES 357

33.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 23.01

$0.89 KES 116

56.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.65

$0.54 KES 69.9

120.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.92

$1.94 KES 252

8.76%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.70

$1.71 KES 222

76.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

$10.63 KES 1,378

-15.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

$6.35 KES 824

4.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 154

$6.22 KES 807

49.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.20

$3.30 KES 428

-44.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.38

$1.06 KES 137

79.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.90

$2.05 KES 265

-14.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.49

$1.10 KES 142

90.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.70

$1.12 KES 145

38.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.58

$1.10 KES 143

35.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.47

$0.73 KES 95.3

78.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.24

$0.77 KES 100

50.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.3

$3.62 KES 469

2.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$11.46 KES 1,486

-47.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.91

$2.28 KES 295

-39.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.40

$2.69 KES 349

-18.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 25.04

$0.79 KES 102

91.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,008

$45.51 KES 5,902

33.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.35

$1.52 KES 197

-58.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.35

$1.58 KES 205

-3.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.6

$2.81 KES 364

71.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.14

$1.56 KES 203

1.28%

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

$35.5K R 587.0K

$21.8K KES 2.8M

63.01%

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

$31.7K R 525.1K

$19.9K KES 2.6M

59.18%

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

$116 R 1,925

$56.9 KES 7,374

104.68%

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

$28.37 R 469

$15.35 KES 1,991

84.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 673

$35.18 KES 4,563

15.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 808

$49.39 KES 6,406

-1.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

$15.39 KES 1,996

-27.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$7.83 KES 1,016

12.77%

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

$261 R 4,324

$250 KES 32.4K

4.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.8K

$12.5K KES 1.6M

-46.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 916

$27.71 KES 3,594

99.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 534

$28.64 KES 3,714

12.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,943

$68.7 KES 8,910

71.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,770

$58.9 KES 7,638

81.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.8K

$453 KES 58.8K

123.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

$217 KES 28.2K

229.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.8K

$1,106 KES 143.4K

62.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

$507 KES 65.8K

162.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

$1,292 KES 167.6K

80.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

$897 KES 116.3K

68.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.1K

$481 KES 62.4K

240.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

14.71

-25.42%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: October 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town versus $453 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 240% 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 $47.00 in Cape Town versus $35.00 in Nairobi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $205 – making Nairobi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 79% 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 $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $1,311 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 $1,568 in Cape Town and $874 in Nairobi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 34% 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 $874, than in Cape Town at $1,568. 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 $874 versus $1,568 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.