Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Garissa and Nairobi

For one person, living is cheaper in Garissa: $381 a month against $858 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index

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Garissa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$381

/mo nomad

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$858

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $381 per month in Garissa vs $858 in Nairobi, rent included.

Garissa $381
Nairobi $858

A couple spends around $667 per month in Garissa vs $1,405 in Nairobi, rent included.

Garissa $667
Nairobi $1,405

A family of three spends $952 per month in Garissa vs $1,952 in Nairobi, rent included.

Garissa $952
Nairobi $1,952

Garissa is about 56% cheaper than Nairobi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Garissa and Nairobi are more affordable than the global median – Garissa 72% lower, Nairobi 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.79 KES 1,528

$6.34 KES 822

85.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.02 KES 2,984

$34.07 KES 4,417

-32.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.41 KES 831

Cappuccino

$7.73 KES 1,002

$2.65 KES 344

191.70%

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

$1.88 KES 244

$0.63 KES 81.3

198.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 KES 147

$0.60 KES 78.3

88.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 KES 295

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 KES 361

Milk (1 liter)

$0.52 KES 66.9

$0.89 KES 116

-41.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 KES 76.9

$0.56 KES 73.0

5.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 KES 191

$1.90 KES 247

-22.63%

Eggs

$1.92 KES 249

$1.72 KES 223

11.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 KES 1,404

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.10 KES 791

$6.52 KES 846

-6.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.39 KES 698

$6.38 KES 827

-15.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 KES 490

$3.32 KES 431

13.86%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 KES 403

$1.10 KES 143

182.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 KES 608

$2.04 KES 265

129.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$1.10 KES 142

-28.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 KES 158

$1.06 KES 137

15.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$1.05 KES 136

49.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 KES 307

$0.74 KES 95.8

220.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 KES 72.3

$0.79 KES 102

-29.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 KES 451

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 KES 741

$11.64 KES 1,510

-50.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 KES 217

$2.21 KES 286

-24.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 KES 496

$2.84 KES 368

34.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 KES 100

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.01 KES 5,965

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 KES 202

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 198

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 KES 383

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 201

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

$21.9K KES 2.8M

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

$20.3K KES 2.6M

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

$55.1 KES 7,145

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

$15.13 KES 1,962

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.54 KES 4,478

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 KES 6,500

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 KES 2,010

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 KES 982

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

$251 KES 32.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K KES 1.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.61 KES 3,580

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.05 KES 3,766

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 KES 9,205

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 KES 7,679

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 KES 57.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 KES 27.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 KES 144.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 KES 64.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,324 KES 171.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$912 KES 118.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$129 KES 16.8K

$480 KES 62.2K

-73.05%

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 Garissa: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Garissa

–

Nairobi

$214 25%

Groceries & Markets

Garissa

–

Nairobi

$208 24.2%

Eating Out

Garissa

–

Nairobi

$124 14.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Garissa

–

Nairobi

$105 12.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Garissa

–

Nairobi

$84 9.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Garissa

–

Nairobi

$65 7.6%

Getting Around

Garissa

–

Nairobi

$58 6.8%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 271% higher in Nairobi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Garissa versus $34.00 in Nairobi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $182 vs $208 – making Garissa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Garissa

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

Same time as Garissa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,696

3,138,295 Capital

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Garissa Nairobi 330 km

From you

Garissa
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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

Garissa vs Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $381 in Garissa, $858 in Nairobi – roughly 125% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $572 per month in Garissa and $1,287 in Nairobi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Garissa and $34.00 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 $381 in Garissa and $858 in Nairobi. That's a gap of about 125%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Garissa, where all-in costs run around $381, than in Nairobi at $858. In Garissa 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 $381 in Garissa to $858 in Nairobi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Garissa. 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.