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: $463 in Kenya versus $365 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $762 in Kenya versus $579 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,060 in Kenya versus $792 in India.

Living in Kenya is roughly 27% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Kenya 66% lower, India 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.36 KES 434

$2.06 ₹195

63.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.88 KES 3,994

$10.63 ₹1,004

190.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 KES 810

$3.70 ₹350

69.46%

Cappuccino

$2.40 KES 310

$1.74 ₹164

37.93%

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

$0.58 KES 74.7

$0.37 ₹35.14

56.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 KES 68.9

$0.17 ₹16.26

211.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 KES 299

$1.93 ₹182

19.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 KES 357

$3.06 ₹289

-9.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 KES 95.2

$0.62 ₹58.6

19.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 KES 69.1

$0.49 ₹46.45

8.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 KES 194

$0.63 ₹59.8

138.10%

Eggs

$1.66 KES 215

$0.94 ₹88.5

76.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 KES 1,216

$4.67 ₹441

101.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 KES 793

$2.88 ₹272

112.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.54 KES 717

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 KES 358

$1.91 ₹180

45.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 KES 129

$0.64 ₹60.6

56.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 KES 214

$0.98 ₹92.8

69.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.83 KES 107

$0.51 ₹47.90

62.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 KES 105

$0.34 ₹31.92

138.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 KES 113

$0.42 ₹39.68

107.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 KES 93.9

$0.48 ₹45.45

52.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 KES 74.4

$0.29 ₹27.27

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.14 KES 407

$4.91 ₹464

-36.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.40 KES 1,345

$7.27 ₹687

43.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 KES 282

$1.65 ₹156

32.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 KES 340

$2.66 ₹251

-1.13%

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

$5.22 ₹493

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 KES 94.7

$0.27 ₹25.68

170.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.47 KES 4,976

$8.45 ₹798

355.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 KES 196

$0.96 ₹90.9

58.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 KES 198

$0.27 ₹25.74

466.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 KES 370

$1.60 ₹151

78.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 KES 189

$1.12 ₹106

30.36%

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

$19.0K KES 2.5M

$12.7K ₹1.2M

48.98%

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

$18.3K KES 2.4M

$20.4K ₹1.9M

-10.38%

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

$53.0 KES 6,850

$37.48 ₹3,541

41.30%

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

$13.71 KES 1,773

$3.50 ₹331

291.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.36 KES 4,832

$7.16 ₹676

421.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.43 KES 5,100

$14.79 ₹1,398

166.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.96 KES 1,935

$7.08 ₹669

111.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.64 KES 988

$3.06 ₹289

149.67%

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

$171 KES 22.1K

$57.0 ₹5,382

200.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,316 KES 1.2M

$1,679 ₹158.6K

455.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.37 KES 2,246

$22.56 ₹2,131

-23.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.56 KES 2,531

$24.04 ₹2,271

-18.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.26 KES 4,949

$40.60 ₹3,836

-5.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.93 KES 5,423

$30.39 ₹2,871

37.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$291 KES 37.6K

$145 ₹13.7K

100.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 KES 19.8K

$91.4 ₹8,631

67.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$807 KES 104.4K

$335 ₹31.6K

141.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 KES 50.3K

$209 ₹19.8K

85.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,264 KES 163.5K

$1,233 ₹116.5K

2.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$931 KES 120.5K

$626 ₹59.1K

48.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$350 KES 45.2K

$443 ₹41.9K

-21.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.64

8.94

52.57%

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

Last update for Kenya: September 1, 2026

Last update for India: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $97.0 in Kenya, $120 in India. Capital cities: $458 in Nairobi vs $272 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $331 in Kenya, $408 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 24% higher in India.

Dining out costs 190% more in Kenya.

Salaries are 23% 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

Kenya vs India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $529 per month in India and $422 in Kenya, there's a 25% 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.