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: $388 in India versus $444 in Kenya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $617 in India versus $740 in Kenya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $846 in India versus $1,036 in Kenya.

Living in India costs about 13% less than in Kenya on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Kenya 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.53 ₹244

$3.82 KES 493

-33.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.73 ₹1,324

$35.22 KES 4,552

-61.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.00 ₹386

$6.76 KES 873

-40.83%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ₹185

$2.29 KES 295

-16.59%

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

$0.43 ₹41.92

$0.67 KES 86.8

-35.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹16.14

$0.54 KES 69.8

-68.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ₹186

$2.35 KES 304

-17.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₹341

$2.68 KES 347

32.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 ₹70.0

$0.77 KES 100

-5.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.2

$0.54 KES 69.5

-3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 ₹70.0

$1.35 KES 175

-45.93%

Eggs

$0.95 ₹91.5

$1.60 KES 207

-40.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.32 ₹513

$10.31 KES 1,333

-48.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 ₹299

$6.54 KES 845

-52.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.05 KES 653

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ₹208

$2.83 KES 366

-23.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.70 ₹67.8

$1.03 KES 133

-32.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 ₹101

$1.89 KES 244

-44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.9

$0.89 KES 115

-40.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.72

$0.82 KES 106

-52.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 ₹46.71

$0.95 KES 123

-49.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ₹49.86

$0.63 KES 81.7

-17.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₹34.38

$0.66 KES 84.9

-45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ₹388

$3.14 KES 406

28.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.28 ₹702

$9.46 KES 1,223

-23.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₹184

$2.10 KES 272

-9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ₹293

$2.64 KES 341

14.77%

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

$5.84 ₹563

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₹34.72

$0.76 KES 97.8

-52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.84 ₹949

$29.62 KES 3,828

-66.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 ₹92.0

$1.51 KES 196

-37.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹29.08

$1.50 KES 193

-80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 ₹172

$3.17 KES 410

-43.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₹117

$1.49 KES 192

-18.79%

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

$13.9K ₹1.3M

$18.7K KES 2.4M

-25.74%

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

$22.4K ₹2.2M

$17.8K KES 2.3M

25.84%

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

$40.16 ₹3,873

$32.91 KES 4,252

22.03%

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

$3.76 ₹363

$15.18 KES 1,962

-75.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.04 ₹776

$38.95 KES 5,033

-79.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.25 ₹1,567

$37.36 KES 4,828

-56.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.56 ₹729

$19.95 KES 2,578

-62.11%

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 ₹330

$6.22 KES 804

-44.86%

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

$69.7 ₹6,724

$162 KES 20.9K

-56.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,852 ₹178.6K

$7,355 KES 950.5K

-74.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.59 ₹2,467

$14.03 KES 1,813

82.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.30 ₹2,536

$20.82 KES 2,691

26.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.89 ₹4,328

$48.77 KES 6,302

-7.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.20 ₹3,202

$46.84 KES 6,053

-29.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₹16.8K

$299 KES 38.6K

-41.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 ₹10.8K

$147 KES 19.0K

-23.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 ₹39.0K

$868 KES 112.1K

-53.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ₹24.8K

$351 KES 45.3K

-26.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,263 ₹121.8K

$1,408 KES 181.9K

-10.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$653 ₹62.9K

$937 KES 121.1K

-30.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$424 ₹40.9K

$338 KES 43.7K

25.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.02

13.57

-33.53%

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

Last update for India: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kenya: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $127 in India, $82.0 in Kenya. Capital cities: $242 in Delhi vs $438 in Nairobi.

National salary averages: $398 in India, $329 in Kenya. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 55% higher in India.

Dining out costs 155% more in Kenya.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in India.

Salaries are 21% 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 $589 per month in India and $383 in Kenya, there's a 54% 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.