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

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $443 in Kenya versus $389 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $736 in Kenya versus $618 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,029 in Kenya versus $846 in India.

Living in Kenya is roughly 14% more expensive than India on average.

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

Kenya ($0–$763) and India ($268–$899) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 KES 513

$2.63 ₹244

50.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.26 KES 4,551

$13.85 ₹1,285

154.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.79 KES 876

$3.99 ₹370

70.18%

Cappuccino

$2.28 KES 294

$1.90 ₹176

20.00%

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

$0.72 KES 92.8

$0.40 ₹37.11

80.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 KES 65.6

$0.19 ₹17.55

168.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 KES 292

$1.96 ₹182

15.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 KES 340

$3.46 ₹321

-23.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 KES 97.0

$0.69 ₹63.6

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.5

$0.51 ₹47.60

-1.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 KES 174

$0.73 ₹67.8

84.93%

Eggs

$1.53 KES 198

$0.98 ₹91.0

56.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 KES 1,363

$5.43 ₹504

94.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 KES 854

$3.19 ₹296

107.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.24 KES 676

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 KES 367

$2.12 ₹197

33.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 KES 133

$0.76 ₹70.1

35.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 KES 242

$1.04 ₹96.9

80.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 KES 116

$0.52 ₹48.61

73.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 KES 113

$0.40 ₹37.00

117.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 KES 123

$0.45 ₹42.04

111.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 KES 87.3

$0.55 ₹50.9

23.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 KES 90.7

$0.35 ₹32.68

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 KES 397

$3.99 ₹370

-23.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.91 KES 1,280

$7.55 ₹700

31.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 KES 264

$1.84 ₹170

10.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 KES 343

$3.05 ₹283

-12.79%

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

$5.81 ₹539

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KES 103

$0.34 ₹31.50

132.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.86 KES 3,854

$9.85 ₹914

203.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 KES 195

$0.97 ₹89.8

55.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 KES 195

$0.28 ₹25.61

439.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 KES 390

$1.69 ₹157

78.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 KES 191

$1.22 ₹113

21.31%

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

$19.2K KES 2.5M

$14.2K ₹1.3M

34.75%

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

$18.0K KES 2.3M

$22.8K ₹2.1M

-21.34%

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

$33.01 KES 4,260

$40.60 ₹3,768

-18.69%

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

$14.90 KES 1,923

$3.75 ₹348

297.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.55 KES 4,976

$8.13 ₹754

374.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.86 KES 4,886

$16.08 ₹1,492

135.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.16 KES 2,602

$7.72 ₹717

161.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 KES 813

$3.40 ₹315

85.29%

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

$161 KES 20.7K

$68.7 ₹6,379

133.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,594 KES 980.2K

$1,787 ₹165.8K

324.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.05 KES 1,814

$25.17 ₹2,335

-44.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.20 KES 2,737

$26.56 ₹2,465

-20.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.42 KES 6,379

$44.85 ₹4,161

10.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.02 KES 6,069

$33.83 ₹3,139

38.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 KES 39.6K

$177 ₹16.4K

73.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 KES 19.1K

$111 ₹10.3K

33.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 KES 109.1K

$415 ₹38.5K

103.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 KES 45.4K

$256 ₹23.8K

37.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,402 KES 180.9K

$1,245 ₹115.5K

12.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$922 KES 119.0K

$636 ₹59.0K

44.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$342 KES 44.1K

$434 ₹40.3K

-21.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.57

9.02

50.44%

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

Last update for Kenya: April 12, 2026

Last update for India: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $83 in Kenya, $127 in India. Capital cities: $449 in Nairobi vs $237 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $325 in Kenya, $400 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 53% higher in India.

Dining out costs 155% more in Kenya.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in India.

Salaries are 23% higher in India, giving India stronger purchasing power.

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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $584 per month in India and $382 in Kenya, there's a 53% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Kenya is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.