Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Eldoret and Kisumu

For one person, living is cheaper in Eldoret: $505 a month against $643 in Kisumu, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Eldoret
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Eldoret Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Kisumu
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Kisumu Living Index

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Eldoret

🇰🇪 Kenya

$505

/mo nomad

Kisumu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Eldoret and in Kisumu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $505 in Eldoret versus $643 in Kisumu.

Eldoret $505
Kisumu $643

Estimated couple costs with rent: $869 in Eldoret versus $972 in Kisumu.

Eldoret $869
Kisumu $972

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,233 in Eldoret versus $1,302 in Kisumu.

Eldoret $1,233
Kisumu $1,302

Living in Eldoret costs roughly 21% less than in Kisumu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Eldoret 63% lower, Kisumu 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.52 KES 198

$4.67 KES 606

-67.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.76 KES 4,507

$24.63 KES 3,193

41.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 KES 805

$6.54 KES 848

-5.05%

Cappuccino

$2.59 KES 336

$2.63 KES 342

-1.52%

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

$0.30 KES 38.85

$0.67 KES 86.8

-55.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 KES 52.6

$0.56 KES 72.9

-26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 KES 296

$1.96 KES 254

16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 KES 348

$2.72 KES 353

-1.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 KES 93.4

$0.56 KES 72.1

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 KES 63.9

$0.52 KES 67.0

-5.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 KES 203

$1.89 KES 245

-17.46%

Eggs

$1.56 KES 203

$1.64 KES 212

-4.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.79 KES 491

$10.71 KES 1,388

-64.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 KES 539

$6.28 KES 814

-33.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.34 KES 563

$5.06 KES 656

-14.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 KES 295

$3.37 KES 437

-32.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$0.89 KES 115

23.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.6

$1.98 KES 257

-63.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 KES 119

$1.11 KES 144

-17.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 KES 72.9

$1.07 KES 139

-47.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 KES 58.0

$0.90 KES 117

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 KES 89.7

$0.69 KES 89.4

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 KES 81.6

$0.74 KES 95.6

-14.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 KES 447

$3.05 KES 395

12.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 KES 739

$7.90 KES 1,024

-27.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 KES 271

$2.30 KES 298

-9.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 KES 198

$2.36 KES 306

-35.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 KES 183

$0.74 KES 96.3

90.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.05 KES 2,989

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 KES 204

$1.57 KES 204

0.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 198

$1.50 KES 195

1.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 KES 385

$2.82 KES 365

5.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 KES 199

$1.62 KES 210

-4.94%

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

$21.8K KES 2.8M

$21.5K KES 2.8M

1.24%

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

$20.0K KES 2.6M

$20.6K KES 2.7M

-2.95%

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

$39.37 KES 5,105

$54.9 KES 7,119

-28.30%

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

$15.13 KES 1,962

$15.40 KES 1,997

-1.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.19 KES 4,562

$35.59 KES 4,614

-1.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.92 KES 5,045

$22.87 KES 2,965

70.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 KES 978

$7.70 KES 998

-2.08%

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

$63.5 KES 8,232

$115 KES 14.9K

-44.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$12.2K KES 1.6M

0.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.52 KES 1,494

$11.41 KES 1,479

0.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.96 KES 3,754

$19.63 KES 2,545

47.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.43 KES 2,519

$15.49 KES 2,008

25.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.06 KES 4,545

$15.27 KES 1,979

129.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$93.2 KES 12.1K

$151 KES 19.6K

-38.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.1 KES 11.5K

$139 KES 18.0K

-35.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$560 KES 72.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 KES 34.8K

$212 KES 27.4K

26.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$609 KES 78.9K

$765 KES 99.2K

-20.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$779 KES 101.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

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

Last update for Eldoret: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kisumu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Eldoret

$133 26.4%

Kisumu

$188 29.2% 41.1% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Eldoret

$90 17.8%

Kisumu

$106 16.5% 18.1% $16

Accommodation & Living

Eldoret

$89 17.6%

Kisumu

$139 21.6% 56.1% $50

Eating Out

Eldoret

$81 16.1%

Kisumu

$109 16.9% 33.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Eldoret

$54 10.7%

Kisumu

$38 6% 29.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Eldoret

$43 8.5%

Kisumu

$28 4.3% 34.9% $15

Getting Around

Eldoret

$15 * 2.9%

Kisumu

$35 5.5% 137% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $93.2 in Eldoret and $151 in Kisumu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Eldoret vs $25.00 in Kisumu. Groceries flip the comparison at $133 vs $188, with Eldoret cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Eldoret

🇰🇪 Kisumu

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

Same time as Eldoret

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

193,830

1,155,574

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Eldoret Kisumu 90 km

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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

Eldoret vs Kisumu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eldoret wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Kisumu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Eldoret the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $757 in Eldoret and $964 in Kisumu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $93.2 in Eldoret versus $151 in Kisumu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Kisumu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $505 per month in Eldoret versus $643 in Kisumu – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Eldoret gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Eldoret delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $505 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Eldoret hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Eldoret and Kisumu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Eldoret gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Kisumu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.