Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isiolo and Nairobi

For one person, living is cheaper in Isiolo: $544 a month against $862 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Isiolo
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Isiolo Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index

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Isiolo

🇰🇪 Kenya

$544

/mo nomad

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $544 in Isiolo versus $862 in Nairobi.

Isiolo $544
Nairobi $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $891 in Isiolo versus $1,408 in Nairobi.

Isiolo $891
Nairobi $1,408

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,239 in Isiolo versus $1,953 in Nairobi.

Isiolo $1,239
Nairobi $1,953

Living in Isiolo costs roughly 37% less than in Nairobi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Isiolo 60% lower, Nairobi 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.25 KES 811

$6.61 KES 857

-5.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 KES 4,543

$34.55 KES 4,480

1.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 KES 829

$6.40 KES 830

Cappuccino

$2.69 KES 349

$2.58 KES 334

4.26%

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

$0.66 KES 84.9

$0.65 KES 84.4

1.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 KES 73.0

$0.63 KES 81.7

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 297

$2.34 KES 304

-2.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 KES 342

$2.73 KES 355

-3.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 KES 116

$0.85 KES 110

4.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 KES 73.4

$0.56 KES 73.0

1.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 KES 248

$1.94 KES 252

-1.55%

Eggs

$1.68 KES 218

$1.78 KES 231

-5.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 KES 1,398

$10.53 KES 1,366

2.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 KES 840

$6.57 KES 852

-1.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.22 KES 807

$6.18 KES 801

0.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 KES 427

$3.41 KES 442

-3.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$1.05 KES 137

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 KES 263

$2.06 KES 268

-1.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$1.14 KES 148

0.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 KES 145

$1.06 KES 138

5.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 KES 140

$1.04 KES 135

3.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 KES 94.9

$0.73 KES 94.7

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 KES 96.7

$0.74 KES 96.4

1.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 KES 457

$3.62 KES 470

-2.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 KES 1,482

$11.41 KES 1,480

0.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 KES 300

$2.20 KES 285

5.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 KES 349

$2.75 KES 356

-2.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KES 102

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.32 KES 5,875

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 KES 197

$1.57 KES 204

-3.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 197

$1.51 KES 196

0.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 KES 371

$2.85 KES 369

0.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 KES 209

$1.56 KES 202

3.21%

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

$21.8K KES 2.8M

$19.2K KES 2.5M

13.65%

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

$20.2K KES 2.6M

$21.6K KES 2.8M

-6.39%

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

$56.5 KES 7,319

$56.2 KES 7,284

0.48%

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

$14.95 KES 1,939

$15.08 KES 1,955

-0.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.44 KES 4,465

$34.96 KES 4,532

-1.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 KES 6,492

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.22 KES 1,973

Cinema Ticket

$7.75 KES 1,004

$7.83 KES 1,015

-1.02%

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

$249 KES 32.3K

0.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K KES 1.6M

$12.2K KES 1.6M

1.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.88 KES 3,615

$28.28 KES 3,667

-1.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.53 KES 3,829

$28.81 KES 3,736

2.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 KES 9,256

$68.6 KES 8,900

4.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.6 KES 7,592

$58.3 KES 7,560

0.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 KES 57.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 KES 28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 KES 144.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 KES 64.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,323 KES 171.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$894 KES 115.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$777 KES 100.7K

$478 KES 61.9K

62.62%

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 Isiolo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Isiolo

$206 37.9%

Nairobi

$206 23.9% 0.2% $0.4

Eating Out

Isiolo

$123 22.6%

Nairobi

$125 14.5% 1.8% $2.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Isiolo

$106 19.5%

Nairobi

$106 12.3% 0.3% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

Isiolo

$84 15.5%

Nairobi

$83 9.6% 1.8% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Isiolo

$15 * 2.9%

Nairobi

$66 7.6% 324% $50

Getting Around

Isiolo

$9.1 * 1.7%

Nairobi

$58 6.7% 532% $49

Accommodation & Living

Isiolo

- * 0%

Nairobi

$219 25.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

Isiolo pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Isiolo vs $35.00 in Nairobi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $206 per month, with Isiolo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Isiolo

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🕒 Local time

08:37 8:37 AM

Same time as Isiolo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,989

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

Isiolo Nairobi 200 km

From you

Isiolo
Nairobi

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

Isiolo vs Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isiolo wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Nairobi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Isiolo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 63% higher in Isiolo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Shoppers in Nairobi pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $544 per month in Isiolo versus $862 in Nairobi – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $544 in Isiolo versus $862 in Nairobi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Isiolo but tight or insufficient in Nairobi. The gap between the two cities makes Isiolo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Isiolo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $544 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Isiolo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Isiolo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Nairobi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.