Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Kenya Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Kenya

Name: Kenya
Address: KE

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $365 in India versus $463 in Kenya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $579 in India versus $762 in Kenya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $792 in India versus $1,060 in Kenya.

Living in India costs about 21% less than in Kenya on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 73% lower, Kenya 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 ₹195

$3.36 KES 434

-38.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.63 ₹1,004

$30.88 KES 3,994

-65.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.70 ₹350

$6.27 KES 810

-40.99%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ₹164

$2.40 KES 310

-27.50%

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

$0.37 ₹35.14

$0.58 KES 74.7

-36.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹16.26

$0.53 KES 68.9

-67.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ₹182

$2.31 KES 299

-16.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₹289

$2.76 KES 357

10.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 ₹58.6

$0.74 KES 95.2

-16.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₹46.45

$0.53 KES 69.1

-7.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹59.8

$1.50 KES 194

-58.00%

Eggs

$0.94 ₹88.5

$1.66 KES 215

-43.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.67 ₹441

$9.40 KES 1,216

-50.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.88 ₹272

$6.13 KES 793

-53.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.54 KES 717

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 ₹180

$2.77 KES 358

-31.05%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 ₹60.6

$1.00 KES 129

-36.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 ₹92.8

$1.66 KES 214

-40.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 ₹47.90

$0.83 KES 107

-38.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹31.92

$0.81 KES 105

-58.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.68

$0.87 KES 113

-51.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 ₹45.45

$0.73 KES 93.9

-34.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₹27.27

$0.58 KES 74.4

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.91 ₹464

$3.14 KES 407

56.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 ₹687

$10.40 KES 1,345

-30.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₹156

$2.18 KES 282

-24.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₹251

$2.63 KES 340

1.14%

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

$5.22 ₹493

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₹25.68

$0.73 KES 94.7

-63.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.45 ₹798

$38.47 KES 4,976

-78.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 ₹90.9

$1.52 KES 196

-36.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.74

$1.53 KES 198

-82.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 ₹151

$2.86 KES 370

-44.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₹106

$1.46 KES 189

-23.29%

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

$12.7K ₹1.2M

$19.0K KES 2.5M

-32.88%

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

$20.4K ₹1.9M

$18.3K KES 2.4M

11.58%

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

$37.48 ₹3,541

$53.0 KES 6,850

-29.23%

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

$3.50 ₹331

$13.71 KES 1,773

-74.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.16 ₹676

$37.36 KES 4,832

-80.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.79 ₹1,398

$39.43 KES 5,100

-62.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.08 ₹669

$14.96 KES 1,935

-52.67%

Cinema Ticket

$3.06 ₹289

$7.64 KES 988

-59.95%

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

$57.0 ₹5,382

$171 KES 22.1K

-66.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,679 ₹158.6K

$9,316 KES 1.2M

-81.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.56 ₹2,131

$17.37 KES 2,246

29.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.04 ₹2,271

$19.56 KES 2,531

22.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.60 ₹3,836

$38.26 KES 4,949

6.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.39 ₹2,871

$41.93 KES 5,423

-27.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$145 ₹13.7K

$291 KES 37.6K

-50.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.4 ₹8,631

$153 KES 19.8K

-40.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 ₹31.6K

$807 KES 104.4K

-58.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 ₹19.8K

$389 KES 50.3K

-46.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,233 ₹116.5K

$1,264 KES 163.5K

-2.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$626 ₹59.1K

$931 KES 120.5K

-32.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$443 ₹41.9K

$350 KES 45.2K

26.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

13.64

-34.46%

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

Last update for India: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kenya: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $120 in India, $97.0 in Kenya. Capital cities: $272 in Delhi vs $458 in Nairobi.

National salary averages: $408 in India, $331 in Kenya. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 24% higher in India.

Dining out costs 190% more in Kenya.

Salaries are 23% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

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

India vs Kenya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $529 per month in India and $422 in Kenya, there's a 25% 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 India 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 India 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; India may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.