Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kenya and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

For one person, living is cheaper in Kenya: $710 a month against $1,214 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Kenya
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Kenya Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index

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🇰🇪 Kenya

$710

/mo nomad

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,214

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kenya and in South Africa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kenya and in South Africa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $710 per month in Kenya vs $1,214 in South Africa, rent included.

Kenya $710
South Africa $1,214

A couple spends around $1,170 per month in Kenya vs $1,908 in South Africa, rent included.

Kenya $1,170
South Africa $1,908

A family of three spends $1,629 per month in Kenya vs $2,602 in South Africa, rent included.

Kenya $1,629
South Africa $2,602

The cost of living in Kenya is roughly 41% lower than in South Africa on average.

Both Kenya and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Kenya 48% lower, South Africa 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 KES 508

$11.17 R 184

-64.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.22 KES 3,918

$42.79 R 705

-29.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 KES 886

$5.75 R 94.8

18.96%

Cappuccino

$2.42 KES 313

$2.35 R 38.68

2.98%

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

$0.67 KES 86.5

$1.14 R 18.73

-41.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 KES 75.8

$0.86 R 14.23

-32.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 KES 302

$2.38 R 39.19

-2.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 KES 342

$3.07 R 50.6

-14.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 KES 95.5

$1.22 R 20.13

-39.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 KES 70.5

$1.10 R 18.10

-50.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 KES 194

$1.74 R 28.66

-13.79%

Eggs

$1.61 KES 208

$2.61 R 42.98

-38.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 KES 1,226

$8.46 R 139

11.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.94 KES 770

$5.17 R 85.1

14.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.33 KES 691

$7.81 R 129

-31.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 KES 370

$1.79 R 29.52

59.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 KES 133

$1.75 R 28.87

-41.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$1.73 R 28.50

1.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 103

$1.79 R 29.47

-55.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 KES 110

$1.44 R 23.75

-40.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 KES 125

$1.52 R 24.97

-36.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 KES 91.5

$1.25 R 20.59

-43.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 KES 81.1

$1.10 R 18.18

-42.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 KES 442

$3.43 R 56.5

-0.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.52 KES 1,494

$4.90 R 80.7

135.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 KES 276

$1.53 R 25.21

39.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 KES 347

$2.00 R 32.96

34.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 103

$1.57 R 25.85

-49.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.91 KES 6,082

$59.7 R 983

-21.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 204

$1.07 R 17.58

46.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 KES 198

$1.04 R 17.17

47.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 KES 442

$7.74 R 128

-55.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 KES 200

$1.50 R 24.75

2.67%

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

$19.4K KES 2.5M

$36.4K R 600.2K

-46.67%

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

$20.2K KES 2.6M

$33.1K R 545.0K

-38.83%

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

$52.3 KES 6,780

$132 R 2,172

-60.34%

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

$12.87 KES 1,668

$35.19 R 580

-63.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.26 KES 4,830

$39.82 R 656

-6.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.32 KES 4,968

$33.82 R 557

13.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.29 KES 1,982

$11.61 R 191

31.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 KES 1,008

$7.15 R 118

8.81%

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

$175 KES 22.7K

$227 R 3,740

-22.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,541 KES 1.2M

$5,604 R 92.3K

70.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.36 KES 2,380

$53.1 R 874

-65.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.85 KES 2,833

$34.46 R 568

-36.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.45 KES 5,634

$102 R 1,680

-57.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.40 KES 5,237

$90.0 R 1,482

-55.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 KES 38.1K

$488 R 8,036

-39.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 KES 19.7K

$403 R 6,634

-62.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 KES 98.1K

$960 R 15.8K

-21.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 KES 50.0K

$824 R 13.6K

-53.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,263 KES 163.8K

$1,115 R 18.4K

13.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$914 KES 118.5K

$803 R 13.2K

13.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$349 KES 45.2K

$1,482 R 24.4K

-76.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.64

11.23

21.46%

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

Last update for Kenya: October 19, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Kenya

$185 26%

South Africa

$198 16.3% 7.1% $13

Accommodation & Living

Kenya

$152 21.4%

South Africa

$403 33.2% 166% $251

Eating Out

Kenya

$103 14.5%

South Africa

$161 13.3% 56.5% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kenya

$102 14.4%

South Africa

$207 17% 102% $104

Getting Around

Kenya

$59 8.4%

South Africa

$72 6% 21.8% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Kenya

$56 7.9%

South Africa

$126 10.4% 125% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Kenya

$54 7.6%

South Africa

$48 4% 10.7% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $96.0 in Kenya vs $429 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $447 in Nairobi and $455 in Pretoria.

Average salary: $330 in Kenya vs $1,501 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 347% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 34% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 143% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 355% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kenya

🇿🇦 South Africa

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

17:39 5:39 PM

1 h behind Kenya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

48,468,138

62,027,503

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kenya South Africa 3,290 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kenya
South Africa

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

Kenya vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kenya is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 71% lower on average.

Housing costs more in South Africa: a central one-bedroom averages $429 versus $96.0 in Kenya.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Kenya, adding to the overall 71% price gap.

$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.