Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Kenya Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Kenya

Name: Kenya
Address: KE

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $443 in Kenya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in China versus $736 in Kenya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in China versus $1,028 in Kenya.

Living in China is roughly 61% more expensive than Kenya on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Kenya 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.81 ¥18.99

$3.86 KES 499

-27.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.30 ¥158

$34.60 KES 4,474

-32.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥33.89

$6.94 KES 897

-27.81%

Cappuccino

$3.01 ¥20.39

$2.29 KES 296

31.44%

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

$0.45 ¥3.03

$0.71 KES 91.4

-36.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.54 KES 69.4

-46.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ¥6.42

$2.27 KES 294

-58.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.88

$2.75 KES 356

-25.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.88

$0.76 KES 98.0

131.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.98

$0.50 KES 64.6

224.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.45

$1.39 KES 180

-31.65%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.56

$1.55 KES 201

0.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.3

$10.41 KES 1,346

25.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ¥22.18

$6.28 KES 812

-47.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ¥72.0

$5.12 KES 662

108.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.04

$2.82 KES 365

-36.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.42

$1.03 KES 133

20.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.12

$1.82 KES 235

-17.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.79

$0.82 KES 107

40.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.07

$0.81 KES 104

-7.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.81

$0.96 KES 125

-10.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$0.63 KES 81.4

-1.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.70 KES 90.4

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ¥23.77

$3.15 KES 407

11.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 ¥78.9

$9.05 KES 1,171

28.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$2.07 KES 267

-61.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.25

$2.61 KES 337

-36.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.93

$0.79 KES 102

-45.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.86 ¥141

$29.95 KES 3,874

-30.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.26

$1.58 KES 204

-13.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.38

$1.53 KES 198

-77.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.85

$3.05 KES 395

117.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.70

$1.54 KES 199

-25.97%

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

$19.2K ¥129.8K

$19.0K KES 2.5M

0.93%

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

$16.8K ¥113.4K

$18.0K KES 2.3M

-6.96%

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

$51.2 ¥346

$32.85 KES 4,248

55.77%

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

$10.16 ¥68.7

$15.09 KES 1,952

-32.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.51 ¥77.9

$38.04 KES 4,920

-69.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.53 ¥274

$37.28 KES 4,820

8.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 ¥102

$19.75 KES 2,554

-23.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ¥41.28

$6.36 KES 822

-4.09%

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

$402 ¥2,720

$166 KES 21.5K

142.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥119.6K

$7,439 KES 962.0K

137.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 ¥308

$14.03 KES 1,814

224.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 ¥225

$21.33 KES 2,759

55.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$48.61 KES 6,287

49.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥504

$47.00 KES 6,078

58.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ¥2,905

$305 KES 39.4K

40.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,740

$150 KES 19.4K

71.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 ¥6,058

$855 KES 110.6K

4.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥3,662

$354 KES 45.8K

53.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,015 ¥33.9K

$1,411 KES 182.5K

255.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,469 ¥16.7K

$911 KES 117.8K

171.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,055 ¥7,135

$342 KES 44.3K

208.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

13.57

-70.08%

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

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kenya: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $83.0 in Kenya. Capital cities: $916 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $450 in Nairobi.

National salary averages: $861 in China, $327 in Kenya. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 245% higher in China.

Dining out costs 33% more in Kenya.

Public transport is 157% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 163% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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

China vs Kenya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $865 per month in China and $391 in Kenya, there's a 121% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Kenya is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China beats Kenya across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Kenya, $1,200 covers most cities easily. In China, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Kenya wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.