Cost of Living Comparison Between Kenya and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Kenya and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $444 per month in Kenya vs $1,019 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $737 per month in Kenya vs $1,585 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,029 per month in Kenya vs $2,151 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Kenya is roughly 56% lower than in South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Kenya and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Kenya 67% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.94 KES 509

$8.98 R 148

-56.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.90 KES 4,509

$38.92 R 641

-10.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.14 KES 922

$5.09 R 83.8

40.28%

Cappuccino

$2.30 KES 297

$1.97 R 32.48

16.75%

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

$0.70 KES 90.9

$0.96 R 15.73

-27.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 KES 68.9

$0.79 R 13.08

-32.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 KES 304

$2.27 R 37.33

3.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 KES 340

$2.47 R 40.60

6.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 KES 106

$1.12 R 18.36

-26.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 KES 65.7

$0.96 R 15.81

-46.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 KES 181

$1.57 R 25.79

-10.83%

Eggs

$1.57 KES 202

$2.36 R 38.80

-33.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 KES 1,327

$7.50 R 123

36.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 KES 837

$4.66 R 76.7

39.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.15 KES 666

$6.68 R 110

-22.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 KES 368

$1.57 R 25.91

81.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 KES 126

$1.41 R 23.24

-30.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 KES 241

$1.47 R 24.13

27.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 KES 115

$1.49 R 24.54

-40.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 KES 105

$1.26 R 20.74

-34.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 KES 123

$1.34 R 22.05

-29.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 KES 88.0

$1.03 R 16.99

-33.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 KES 90.3

$0.92 R 15.18

-23.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 KES 396

$2.90 R 47.70

5.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.41 KES 1,216

$5.14 R 84.7

83.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 KES 263

$1.39 R 22.83

46.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 KES 347

$1.67 R 27.55

61.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 KES 98.1

$1.69 R 27.88

-55.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.64 KES 3,830

$45.44 R 748

-34.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 KES 198

$1.14 R 18.85

35.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 KES 204

$1.07 R 17.58

47.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 KES 395

$4.88 R 80.3

-37.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 200

$1.29 R 21.21

20.16%

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

$19.3K KES 2.5M

$21.1K R 346.7K

-8.58%

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

$17.6K KES 2.3M

$24.0K R 394.9K

-26.47%

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

$32.80 KES 4,238

$111 R 1,828

-70.45%

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

$15.12 KES 1,954

$33.07 R 544

-54.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.73 KES 5,003

$41.55 R 684

-6.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.97 KES 4,776

$30.98 R 510

19.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.61 KES 2,534

$9.32 R 153

110.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.21 KES 802

$6.58 R 108

-5.62%

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

$165 KES 21.3K

$192 R 3,167

-14.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,582 KES 979.6K

$4,342 R 71.5K

74.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.42 KES 1,863

$48.43 R 797

-70.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.06 KES 2,721

$31.28 R 515

-32.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.21 KES 6,358

$95.0 R 1,563

-48.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.77 KES 5,914

$79.6 R 1,311

-42.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 KES 39.2K

$441 R 7,254

-31.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 KES 19.1K

$363 R 5,972

-59.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$859 KES 111.0K

$900 R 14.8K

-4.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 KES 46.1K

$715 R 11.8K

-50.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,424 KES 184.0K

$1,110 R 18.3K

28.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$937 KES 121.1K

$788 R 13.0K

19.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$348 KES 45.0K

$1,483 R 24.4K

-76.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.57

11.55

17.49%

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

Last update for Kenya: July 19, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $82.0 in Kenya vs $369 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $446 in Nairobi and $410 in Pretoria.

Average salary: $328 in Kenya vs $1,522 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 350% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 25% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 129% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 364% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kenya is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 173% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Kenya, contributing to the overall 173% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Kenya, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Kenya is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.