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 $1,640 per month in Cape Town vs $844 in Nairobi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,528 per month in Cape Town vs $1,376 in Nairobi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,415 per month in Cape Town vs $1,908 in Nairobi, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 94% more than Nairobi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cape Town sits 19% above the global median, while Nairobi is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 R 195

$3.75 KES 485

225.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.92 R 782

$35.04 KES 4,533

39.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 R 90.4

$6.31 KES 816

-10.46%

Cappuccino

$2.64 R 42.15

$2.70 KES 350

-2.22%

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

$1.31 R 21.03

$0.60 KES 77.5

118.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 R 16.91

$0.52 KES 67.2

103.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 R 50.7

$2.34 KES 302

35.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 R 60.7

$2.75 KES 356

38.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 R 22.05

$0.89 KES 116

55.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 R 19.75

$0.57 KES 73.3

115.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 R 34.84

$1.85 KES 240

17.84%

Eggs

$3.04 R 48.64

$1.70 KES 220

78.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 R 147

$10.55 KES 1,365

-12.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 110

$6.30 KES 815

9.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.32 R 149

$6.09 KES 788

53.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 R 30.26

$3.38 KES 438

-44.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 R 32.52

$1.00 KES 130

103.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 26.66

$1.95 KES 253

-14.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 R 35.48

$1.06 KES 138

109.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.44

$1.06 KES 137

44.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 R 25.85

$1.04 KES 135

55.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.33

$0.69 KES 89.1

92.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R 18.83

$0.73 KES 94.3

61.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.59 R 57.4

$3.39 KES 439

5.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.25 R 99.9

$11.53 KES 1,492

-45.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 22.47

$2.22 KES 287

-36.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 R 37.02

$2.72 KES 352

-14.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 R 23.20

$0.74 KES 96.2

95.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 R 984

$46.72 KES 6,045

31.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 R 10.32

$1.50 KES 194

-56.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 R 25.87

$1.58 KES 204

2.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 R 81.0

$2.95 KES 381

71.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 R 25.11

$1.52 KES 196

3.29%

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

$37.1K R 593.1K

$20.1K KES 2.6M

84.46%

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

$33.2K R 530.7K

$19.6K KES 2.5M

69.27%

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

$121 R 1,930

$62.0 KES 8,021

94.68%

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

$30.79 R 492

$15.43 KES 1,996

99.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.59 R 633

$34.66 KES 4,484

14.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 R 811

$51.0 KES 6,593

-0.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 R 189

$14.56 KES 1,884

-18.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 R 150

$7.92 KES 1,025

18.06%

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

$265 R 4,243

$234 KES 30.3K

13.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,560 R 104.9K

$11.5K KES 1.5M

-43.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 R 921

$26.93 KES 3,485

113.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 R 530

$25.62 KES 3,315

29.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,932

$64.2 KES 8,306

88.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 R 1,756

$59.8 KES 7,731

83.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 R 16.6K

$458 KES 59.3K

125.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 R 11.6K

$210 KES 27.2K

245.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 R 30.3K

$1,152 KES 149.0K

64.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 R 21.7K

$505 KES 65.4K

168.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,488 R 39.8K

$1,344 KES 173.8K

85.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,614 R 25.8K

$912 KES 118.0K

77.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,642 R 26.3K

$473 KES 61.2K

247.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.02

14.71

-25.08%

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

Last update for Cape Town: August 30, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,035 in Cape Town versus $458 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 247% 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 $49.00 in Cape Town versus $35.00 in Nairobi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $203 – 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 94% more than Nairobi, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,460 per month in Cape Town and $1,266 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 $1,640 in Cape Town and $844 in Nairobi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 32% 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 $844, than in Cape Town at $1,640. 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 $844 versus $1,640 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.