Cost of Living Comparison Between Kenya and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Kenya and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $463 in Kenya versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $761 in Kenya versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,058 in Kenya versus $1,576 in China.

Living in Kenya costs about 36% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Kenya 66% lower, China 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.21 KES 415

$2.93 ¥19.61

9.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.98 KES 4,008

$22.72 ¥152

36.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 KES 842

$5.07 ¥33.97

28.40%

Cappuccino

$2.40 KES 311

$2.94 ¥19.71

-18.37%

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

$0.57 KES 74.0

$0.48 ¥3.21

18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 KES 70.4

$0.30 ¥2.02

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 KES 294

$1.06 ¥7.10

114.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 KES 354

$2.25 ¥15.08

21.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 KES 101

$1.79 ¥12.00

-56.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.5

$1.70 ¥11.36

-70.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 KES 194

$0.96 ¥6.46

56.25%

Eggs

$1.59 KES 206

$1.61 ¥10.80

-1.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 KES 1,159

$13.60 ¥91.2

-34.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 KES 784

$3.41 ¥22.85

77.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 679

$11.07 ¥74.2

-52.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 KES 358

$1.81 ¥12.10

53.04%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 KES 123

$1.30 ¥8.74

-26.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 KES 223

$1.48 ¥9.91

16.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.83 KES 107

$1.30 ¥8.73

-36.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 KES 111

$0.72 ¥4.82

19.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 KES 114

$0.94 ¥6.31

-6.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KES 96.0

$0.61 ¥4.09

21.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 KES 74.2

$0.56 ¥3.74

1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 KES 420

$3.67 ¥24.59

-11.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.54 KES 1,364

$11.90 ¥79.8

-11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 KES 267

$0.83 ¥5.56

148.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 KES 343

$1.65 ¥11.08

60.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KES 103

$0.29 ¥1.92

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.94 KES 5,038

$22.61 ¥152

72.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 KES 199

$1.45 ¥9.72

6.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 KES 198

$0.34 ¥2.31

350.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 KES 382

$7.27 ¥48.74

-59.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 KES 196

$1.23 ¥8.27

22.76%

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

$19.0K KES 2.5M

$19.5K ¥130.9K

-2.57%

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

$18.5K KES 2.4M

$17.2K ¥115.6K

7.51%

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

$53.7 KES 6,949

$55.5 ¥372

-3.16%

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

$13.70 KES 1,772

$8.51 ¥57.0

60.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.41 KES 4,710

$10.81 ¥72.4

236.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.63 KES 5,127

$40.02 ¥268

-0.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.10 KES 1,953

$14.80 ¥99.2

2.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 KES 1,023

$6.73 ¥45.11

17.53%

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

$171 KES 22.1K

$454 ¥3,043

-62.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,260 KES 1.2M

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-52.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.80 KES 2,303

$44.95 ¥301

-60.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.97 KES 2,584

$35.81 ¥240

-44.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.39 KES 4,966

$76.8 ¥514

-49.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.09 KES 5,575

$77.3 ¥518

-44.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$299 KES 38.7K

$385 ¥2,582

-22.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 KES 19.7K

$242 ¥1,623

-37.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 KES 103.3K

$837 ¥5,606

-4.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 KES 50.0K

$474 ¥3,179

-18.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,259 KES 162.8K

$4,619 ¥30.9K

-72.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$935 KES 120.9K

$2,316 ¥15.5K

-59.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$349 KES 45.1K

$1,062 ¥7,113

-67.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.64

3.47

293.08%

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

Last update for Kenya: September 5, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $97.0 in Kenya, $295 in China. Capital cities: $452 in Nairobi vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $334 in Kenya, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 204% higher in China.

Dining out costs 38% more in Kenya.

Public transport is 143% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 159% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

Kenya vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $418 in Kenya, there's a 104% 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 China 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 China 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; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.