Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Eldoret and Nairobi

For one person, living is cheaper in Eldoret: $506 a month against $885 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Eldoret
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Eldoret Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index

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Eldoret

🇰🇪 Kenya

$506

/mo nomad

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $506 in Eldoret versus $885 in Nairobi.

Eldoret $506
Nairobi $885

Estimated couple costs with rent: $870 in Eldoret versus $1,436 in Nairobi.

Eldoret $870
Nairobi $1,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,234 in Eldoret versus $1,987 in Nairobi.

Eldoret $1,234
Nairobi $1,987

Living in Eldoret costs roughly 43% less than in Nairobi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Eldoret 63% lower, Nairobi 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.50 KES 195

$6.43 KES 835

-76.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.67 KES 4,500

$34.51 KES 4,480

0.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 KES 807

$6.26 KES 813

-0.80%

Cappuccino

$2.66 KES 346

$2.60 KES 337

2.31%

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

$0.30 KES 38.35

$0.64 KES 82.8

-53.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 KES 51.0

$0.67 KES 86.8

-41.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KES 304

$2.30 KES 298

1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 KES 347

$2.75 KES 356

-2.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 KES 93.6

$0.95 KES 123

-24.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 KES 58.9

$0.59 KES 76.1

-23.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 KES 194

$2.00 KES 260

-25.50%

Eggs

$1.50 KES 195

$1.69 KES 220

-11.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.91 KES 507

$11.01 KES 1,430

-64.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 KES 533

$6.41 KES 832

-36.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.13 KES 535

$6.41 KES 832

-35.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 KES 307

$3.42 KES 444

-30.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

Oranges (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.0

$2.03 KES 263

-64.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.87 KES 113

$1.14 KES 147

-23.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 KES 72.5

$1.10 KES 143

-49.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 KES 56.8

$1.10 KES 143

-60.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 KES 97.5

$0.74 KES 96.0

1.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 KES 86.5

$0.76 KES 99.1

-11.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 KES 439

$3.38 KES 438

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 KES 732

$11.65 KES 1,512

-51.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 KES 274

$2.26 KES 293

-6.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 KES 197

$2.74 KES 356

-44.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 KES 176

$0.83 KES 108

62.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.81 KES 6,076

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 KES 201

$1.52 KES 197

1.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 KES 203

$1.52 KES 198

3.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 KES 369

$2.80 KES 364

1.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 202

$1.55 KES 201

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

$19.3K KES 2.5M

$19.4K KES 2.5M

-0.62%

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

$22.1K KES 2.9M

$22.2K KES 2.9M

-0.61%

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

$40.35 KES 5,237

$56.7 KES 7,356

-28.80%

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

$15.06 KES 1,955

$15.25 KES 1,980

-1.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.77 KES 4,514

$34.78 KES 4,514

-0.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.46 KES 4,992

$51.6 KES 6,702

-25.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 KES 2,031

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 KES 976

$7.60 KES 987

-1.05%

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

$63.4 KES 8,224

$277 KES 36.0K

-77.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K KES 1.6M

$12.3K KES 1.6M

1.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.63 KES 1,509

$27.73 KES 3,600

-58.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 KES 3,832

$29.36 KES 3,811

0.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.48 KES 2,529

$69.3 KES 8,996

-71.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.36 KES 4,460

$59.1 KES 7,667

-41.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$91.8 KES 11.9K

$441 KES 57.3K

-79.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.9 KES 11.7K

$235 KES 30.6K

-61.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 KES 146.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 KES 35.3K

$522 KES 67.8K

-47.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$604 KES 78.4K

$1,234 KES 160.2K

-51.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$805 KES 104.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$484 KES 62.8K

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 24, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Eldoret

$132 26.1%

Nairobi

$209 23.7% 58.4% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Eldoret

$90 17.8%

Nairobi

$107 12.1% 18.3% $17

Accommodation & Living

Eldoret

$90 17.8%

Nairobi

$235 26.6% 162% $146

Eating Out

Eldoret

$82 16.3%

Nairobi

$124 14% 50.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Eldoret

$54 10.6%

Nairobi

$67 7.6% 24.9% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Eldoret

$43 8.5%

Nairobi

$83 9.4% 95.2% $41

Getting Around

Eldoret

$15 * 2.9%

Nairobi

$59 6.7% 300% $44

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 $92 in Eldoret and $441 in Nairobi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35 in Eldoret vs $35 in Nairobi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $132 vs $209 per month, with Eldoret cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Eldoret

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🕒 Local time

07:34 7:34 AM

Same time as Eldoret

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

193,830

3,138,295 Capital

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eldoret wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Nairobi. 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 $758 in Eldoret and $1,327 in Nairobi 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: $92 in Eldoret versus $441 in Nairobi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $506 per month in Eldoret versus $885 in Nairobi – Eldoret is about 43% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Nairobi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $506 in Eldoret versus $885 in Nairobi, a $800 budget is realistic in Eldoret but tight or insufficient in Nairobi. The gap between the two cities makes Eldoret the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.