For one person, living is cheaper in Kenya: $710 a month against $1,825 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Italy and in Kenya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,825 in Italy versus $710 in Kenya.
Italy $1,825
Kenya $710
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,790 in Italy versus $1,170 in Kenya.
Italy $2,790
Kenya $1,170
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,756 in Italy versus $1,629 in Kenya.
Italy $3,756
Kenya $1,629
🌍
Living in Italy is roughly 157% more expensive than in Kenya on average.
📊
Italy (35% above) and Kenya (48% below) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Kenya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.90€17.70
$3.92KES 508
407.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.1€68.6
$30.22KES 3,918
155.16%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.41€10.15
$6.84KES 886
66.81%
Cappuccino
$2.01€1.78
$2.42KES 313
-16.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13€2.78
$0.67KES 86.5
367.16%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40€1.24
$0.58KES 75.8
141.38%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.76€5.12
$2.33KES 302
147.21%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.73€5.10
$2.64KES 342
117.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Kenya
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.62€1.44
$0.74KES 95.5
118.92%
White Bread(500g)
$2.38€2.12
$0.54KES 70.5
340.74%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.92€2.60
$1.50KES 194
94.67%
Eggs
$4.17€3.70
$1.61KES 208
159.01%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$17.28€15.37
$9.45KES 1,226
82.86%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.73€11.32
$5.94KES 770
114.31%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$20.39€18.13
$5.33KES 691
282.55%
Apples(1kg)
$2.61€2.32
$2.85KES 370
-8.42%
Banana(1kg)
$2.12€1.88
$1.03KES 133
105.83%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.63€2.34
$1.76KES 228
49.43%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.34€2.97
$0.79KES 103
322.78%
Potato(1kg)
$2.02€1.79
$0.85KES 110
137.65%
Onion(1kg)
$1.89€1.69
$0.96KES 125
96.88%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.56€1.39
$0.71KES 91.5
119.72%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55€0.49
$0.63KES 81.1
-12.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.84€6.08
$3.41KES 442
100.59%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.64€6.80
$11.52KES 1,494
-33.68%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80€1.61
$2.13KES 276
-15.49%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40€2.14
$2.68KES 347
-10.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Kenya
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.86€1.65
$0.80KES 103
132.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$43.27€38.49
$46.91KES 6,082
-7.76%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.64€5.01
$1.57KES 204
259.24%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.71€1.52
$1.53KES 198
11.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$33.04€29.39
$3.41KES 442
868.91%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.11€1.87
$1.54KES 200
37.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K€31.8K
$19.4KKES 2.5M
84.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.4K€33.3K
$20.2KKES 2.6M
84.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Kenya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$230€204
$52.3KES 6,780
339.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60€10.32
$12.87KES 1,668
-9.87%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.40€27.04
$37.26KES 4,830
-18.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Kenya
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$53.9€47.96
$38.32KES 4,968
40.71%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.24€21.56
$15.29KES 1,982
58.53%
Cinema Ticket
$10.58€9.41
$7.78KES 1,008
35.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Kenya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$545€485
$175KES 22.7K
211.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.5K€10.3K
$9,541KES 1.2M
20.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Kenya
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.4€78.7
$18.36KES 2,380
381.59%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.60€35.22
$21.85KES 2,833
81.24%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$101€89.8
$43.45KES 5,634
132.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$133€118
$40.40KES 5,237
229.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Kenya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$799€711
$294KES 38.1K
172.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$624€555
$152KES 19.7K
311.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,423€1,266
$757KES 98.1K
88.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,030€916
$386KES 50.0K
166.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,601€3,203
$1,263KES 163.8K
185.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,270€2,019
$914KES 118.5K
148.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Kenya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,893€1,684
$349KES 45.2K
442.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.56
13.64
-73.90%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Italy: October 18, 2026
Last update for Kenya: October 19, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Italy
$624 34.2%
Kenya
$152 21.4% ↓ 75.7%$473
🛒Groceries & Markets
Italy
$350 19.2%
Kenya
$185 26% ↓ 47.2%$165
🍽Eating Out
Italy
$276 15.1%
Kenya
$103 14.5% ↓ 62.7%$173
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$272 14.9%
Kenya
$102 14.4% ↓ 62.3%$169
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$163 8.9%
Kenya
$56 7.9% ↓ 65.7%$107
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$75 4.1%
Kenya
$54 7.6% ↓ 28.2%$21
🚌Getting Around
Italy
$65 3.6%
Kenya
$59 8.4% ↓ 8.6%$5.6
🏠Accommodation & Living
Italy
$1K 27.4%
Kenya
$386 23.7% ↓ 62.5%$644
🛒Groceries & Markets
Italy
$828 22.1%
Kenya
$410 25.2% ↓ 50.5%$418
🍽Eating Out
Italy
$945 25.2%
Kenya
$351 21.5% ↓ 62.9%$595
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$283 7.5%
Kenya
$115 7.1% ↓ 59.3%$168
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$362 9.6%
Kenya
$124 7.6% ↓ 65.7%$238
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$174 4.6%
Kenya
$123 7.6% ↓ 29.5%$51
🚌Getting Around
Italy
$134 3.6%
Kenya
$120 7.4% ↓ 10%$13
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $724 in Italy, $96.0 in Kenya. Capital cities: $1,191 in Rome vs $447 in Nairobi.
💰National salary averages: $1,892 in Italy, $330 in Kenya. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 654% higher in Italy.
⭐Dining out costs 152% more in Italy.
⭐Public transport is 486% more expensive in Italy.
⭐Salaries are 473% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.
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
Italy vs Kenya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and Kenya?
At $1,825 per month in Italy and $710 in Kenya, there's a 157% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Kenya: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $724 in Italy and $96.0 in Kenya. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget in Italy or in Kenya?
In Kenya, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Italy or to Kenya?
It depends on what you're after: Kenya wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.