Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Nairobi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $874 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
Learn more

Nairobi Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$874

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi and in Nairobi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Delhi and in Nairobi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $520 per month in Delhi vs $874 in Nairobi, rent included.

Delhi $520
Nairobi $874

A couple spends around $858 per month in Delhi vs $1,403 in Nairobi, rent included.

Delhi $858
Nairobi $1,403

A family of three spends $1,195 per month in Delhi vs $1,932 in Nairobi, rent included.

Delhi $1,195
Nairobi $1,932

Delhi is about 40% cheaper than Nairobi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Delhi and Nairobi are more affordable than the global median – Delhi 61% lower, Nairobi 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ₹355

$6.12 KES 794

-40.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.95 ₹2,027

$35.26 KES 4,574

-40.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹362

$6.59 KES 854

-43.25%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹226

$2.71 KES 351

-14.02%

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

$0.37 ₹35.82

$0.66 KES 85.4

-43.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₹18.91

$0.57 KES 73.9

-64.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹195

$2.33 KES 302

-13.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₹308

$2.75 KES 357

16.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 ₹65.9

$0.89 KES 116

-23.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.2

$0.54 KES 69.9

-3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₹80.0

$1.94 KES 252

-57.22%

Eggs

$1.07 ₹104

$1.71 KES 222

-37.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.43 ₹428

$10.63 KES 1,378

-58.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₹326

$6.35 KES 824

-46.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.22 KES 807

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ₹192

$3.30 KES 428

-39.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹70.1

$1.06 KES 137

-32.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₹98.4

$2.05 KES 265

-50.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$1.10 KES 142

-52.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 ₹25.96

$1.12 KES 145

-75.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.42

$1.10 KES 143

-66.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.64

$0.73 KES 95.3

-41.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹30.39

$0.77 KES 100

-59.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 ₹476

$3.62 KES 469

35.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹808

$11.46 KES 1,486

-27.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₹159

$2.28 KES 296

-28.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹261

$2.69 KES 349

0.37%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹44.04

$0.79 KES 102

-41.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₹1,480

$45.51 KES 5,902

-66.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹99.8

$1.52 KES 197

-32.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹26.38

$1.58 KES 205

-82.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₹148

$2.81 KES 364

-45.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₹102

$1.56 KES 203

-32.69%

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

$10.5K ₹1.0M

$21.8K KES 2.8M

-51.95%

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

$18.4K ₹1.8M

$19.9K KES 2.6M

-7.91%

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

$42.67 ₹4,129

$56.9 KES 7,375

-24.96%

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

$4.04 ₹391

$15.35 KES 1,991

-73.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.75 ₹653

$35.18 KES 4,563

-80.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.40 ₹1,878

$49.39 KES 6,406

-60.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.06 ₹780

$15.39 KES 1,996

-47.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 ₹492

$7.83 KES 1,016

-35.12%

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

$100 ₹9,696

$250 KES 32.4K

-59.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 ₹219.5K

$12.5K KES 1.6M

-81.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.14 ₹2,336

$27.71 KES 3,594

-12.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.38 ₹2,747

$28.64 KES 3,714

-0.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.3 ₹5,160

$68.7 KES 8,911

-22.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.13 ₹4,271

$58.9 KES 7,638

-25.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₹25.5K

$453 KES 58.8K

-41.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ₹14.9K

$217 KES 28.2K

-29.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 ₹71.2K

$1,106 KES 143.4K

-33.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₹38.5K

$507 KES 65.8K

-21.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,494 ₹241.4K

$1,292 KES 167.6K

93.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 ₹98.4K

$897 KES 116.3K

13.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 ₹56.7K

$481 KES 62.4K

21.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

14.71

-43.37%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$154 29.7%

Nairobi

$217 25.3% 41.1% $63

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.8%

Nairobi

$205 23.9% 90% $97

Eating Out

Delhi

$87 16.8%

Nairobi

$123 14.4% 41.3% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$67 13%

Nairobi

$83 9.6% 22.6% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.3%

Nairobi

$107 12.5% 101% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Nairobi

$65 7.6% 120% $35

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Nairobi

$58 6.8% 198% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $264 in Delhi 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 22% higher in Delhi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Delhi versus $35.00 in Nairobi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $205 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🕒 Local time

14:36 2:36 PM

12:06 12:06 PM

2 h 30 min behind Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

3,138,295 Capital

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Delhi Nairobi 5,440 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
Nairobi

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

Delhi vs Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $520 in Delhi, $874 in Nairobi – roughly 68% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $780 per month in Delhi 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 Delhi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Delhi and $35.00 in Nairobi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $520 in Delhi and $874 in Nairobi. That's a gap of about 68%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Delhi, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Nairobi at $874. In Delhi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nairobi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nairobi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $520 in Delhi to $874 in Nairobi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Delhi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nairobi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.