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 $444 in Kenya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,134 in China versus $737 in Kenya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,555 in China versus $1,029 in Kenya.

Living in China is roughly 60% more expensive than in Kenya on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.82 ¥19.10

$3.94 KES 509

-28.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.43 ¥158

$34.90 KES 4,509

-32.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 ¥32.64

$7.14 KES 922

-32.49%

Cappuccino

$2.98 ¥20.16

$2.30 KES 297

29.57%

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

$0.48 ¥3.22

$0.70 KES 90.9

-31.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.53 KES 68.9

-49.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ¥6.85

$2.35 KES 304

-57.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.96

$2.63 KES 340

-21.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ¥12.31

$0.82 KES 106

121.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥11.03

$0.51 KES 65.7

219.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.47

$1.40 KES 181

-31.43%

Eggs

$1.55 ¥10.47

$1.57 KES 202

-1.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.05 ¥88.3

$10.27 KES 1,327

27.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.92

$6.48 KES 837

-50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.83 ¥73.3

$5.15 KES 666

110.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 ¥11.83

$2.85 KES 368

-38.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.66

$0.98 KES 126

30.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 ¥9.76

$1.87 KES 241

-22.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 ¥8.01

$0.89 KES 115

32.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.77

$0.82 KES 105

-14.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.95

$0.95 KES 123

-7.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.91

$0.68 KES 88.0

-14.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.61

$0.70 KES 90.3

-24.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ¥23.43

$3.06 KES 396

13.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.91 ¥80.5

$9.41 KES 1,216

26.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.26

$2.04 KES 263

-61.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$2.69 KES 347

-39.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.96

$0.76 KES 98.1

-42.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.65 ¥140

$29.64 KES 3,830

-30.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ¥9.16

$1.54 KES 198

-12.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$1.58 KES 204

-79.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 ¥43.91

$3.06 KES 395

112.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.63

$1.55 KES 200

-27.10%

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

$19.4K ¥131.6K

$19.3K KES 2.5M

1.00%

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

$16.5K ¥111.9K

$17.6K KES 2.3M

-6.19%

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

$51.3 ¥347

$32.80 KES 4,238

56.49%

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

$10.19 ¥68.9

$15.12 KES 1,954

-32.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.11 ¥75.2

$38.73 KES 5,003

-71.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.99 ¥271

$36.97 KES 4,776

8.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.55 ¥98.4

$19.61 KES 2,534

-25.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 ¥41.84

$6.21 KES 802

-0.48%

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

$416 ¥2,816

$165 KES 21.3K

151.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ¥116.6K

$7,582 KES 979.6K

127.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.94 ¥311

$14.42 KES 1,863

218.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.70 ¥221

$21.06 KES 2,721

55.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 ¥489

$49.21 KES 6,358

46.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.8 ¥506

$45.77 KES 5,914

63.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 ¥3,004

$303 KES 39.2K

46.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ¥1,714

$148 KES 19.1K

71.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 ¥6,298

$859 KES 111.0K

8.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 ¥3,693

$357 KES 46.1K

53.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,778 ¥32.3K

$1,424 KES 184.0K

235.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,418 ¥16.4K

$937 KES 121.1K

157.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 ¥7,231

$348 KES 45.0K

206.75%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Kenya: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $82.0 in Kenya. Capital cities: $896 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $446 in Nairobi.

National salary averages: $856 in China, $328 in Kenya. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 250% higher in China.

Dining out costs 33% more in Kenya.

Public transport is 157% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 161% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 $871 per month in China and $391 in Kenya, there's a 123% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Kenya: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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.