Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Kenya

Name: Kenya
Address: KE

For one person, living is cheaper in Kenya: $710 a month against $800 in China, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in China outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Kenya
Learn more

Kenya Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$800

/mo nomad

🇰🇪 Kenya

$710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China 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 China and in Kenya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $800 in China versus $710 in Kenya.

China $800
Kenya $710

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,266 in China versus $1,170 in Kenya.

China $1,266
Kenya $1,170

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,731 in China versus $1,629 in Kenya.

China $1,731
Kenya $1,629

Living in China is roughly 13% more expensive than in Kenya on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 41% lower, Kenya 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.50

$3.92 KES 508

-25.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.45 ¥150

$30.22 KES 3,918

-25.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 ¥35.65

$6.84 KES 886

-22.08%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.34

$2.42 KES 313

25.62%

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

$0.48 ¥3.23

$0.67 KES 86.5

-28.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.58 KES 75.8

-48.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.12

$2.33 KES 302

-54.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.11

$2.64 KES 342

-14.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.70

$0.74 KES 95.5

136.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.80

$0.54 KES 70.5

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$1.50 KES 194

-34.00%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.44

$1.61 KES 208

-3.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$9.45 KES 1,226

40.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.50

$5.94 KES 770

-43.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ¥76.2

$5.33 KES 691

113.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.19

$2.85 KES 370

-36.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$1.03 KES 133

21.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$1.76 KES 228

-11.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.55

$0.79 KES 103

62.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$0.85 KES 110

-16.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.75

$0.96 KES 125

-10.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.36

$0.71 KES 91.5

-8.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.63 KES 81.1

-6.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 ¥25.14

$3.41 KES 442

10.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 ¥78.6

$11.52 KES 1,494

2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$2.13 KES 276

-57.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.86

$2.68 KES 347

-39.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.80 KES 103

-61.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.75 ¥152

$46.91 KES 6,082

-51.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$1.57 KES 204

-3.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.50

$1.53 KES 198

-75.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.66

$3.41 KES 442

113.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$1.54 KES 200

-18.83%

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

$19.4K ¥129.7K

$19.4K KES 2.5M

-0.16%

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

$17.1K ¥114.4K

$20.2K KES 2.6M

-15.43%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$52.3 KES 6,780

6.12%

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

$8.29 ¥55.4

$12.87 KES 1,668

-35.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.97 ¥73.3

$37.26 KES 4,830

-70.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.38 ¥270

$38.32 KES 4,968

5.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 ¥98.7

$15.29 KES 1,982

-3.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 ¥45.18

$7.78 KES 1,008

-13.11%

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

$465 ¥3,108

$175 KES 22.7K

165.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$9,541 KES 1.2M

105.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.32 ¥310

$18.36 KES 2,380

152.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.30 ¥243

$21.85 KES 2,833

66.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 ¥510

$43.45 KES 5,634

75.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 ¥527

$40.40 KES 5,237

95.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 ¥2,646

$294 KES 38.1K

34.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ¥1,604

$152 KES 19.7K

58.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,499

$757 KES 98.1K

8.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 ¥3,116

$386 KES 50.0K

20.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,544 ¥30.4K

$1,263 KES 163.8K

259.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 ¥15.3K

$914 KES 118.5K

149.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 ¥7,188

$349 KES 45.2K

208.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

13.64

-74.63%

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

Last update for China: 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

China

$240 30%

Kenya

$152 21.4% 36.8% $88

Groceries & Markets

China

$209 26.1%

Kenya

$185 26% 11.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

Kenya

$56 7.9% 47.8% $51

Eating Out

China

$89 11.1%

Kenya

$103 14.5% 15.7% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.3%

Kenya

$102 14.4% 37% $28

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.7%

Kenya

$54 7.6% 0% $0

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Kenya

$59 8.4% 116% $32

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $299 in China, $96.0 in Kenya. Capital cities: $945 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $447 in Nairobi.

National salary averages: $870 in China, $330 in Kenya. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 211% higher in China.

Dining out costs 38% more in Kenya.

Public transport is 143% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 164% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇰🇪 Kenya

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

06:49 6:49 AM

5 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

48,468,138

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 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 CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

China Kenya 9,210 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

China
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

China vs Kenya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $800 per month in China and $710 in Kenya, there's a 13% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $299 in China and $96.0 in Kenya. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Kenya, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and 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.