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 $463 per month in Kenya vs $1,143 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $761 per month in Kenya vs $1,781 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,058 per month in Kenya vs $2,419 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Kenya is roughly 59% 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 66% lower, South Africa 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.21 KES 415

$11.30 R 181

-71.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.98 KES 4,008

$44.51 R 711

-30.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 KES 842

$5.90 R 94.2

10.34%

Cappuccino

$2.40 KES 311

$2.44 R 38.93

-1.64%

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

$0.57 KES 74.0

$1.16 R 18.50

-50.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 KES 70.4

$0.96 R 15.28

-43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 KES 294

$2.56 R 40.98

-11.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 KES 354

$3.08 R 49.23

-11.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 KES 101

$1.28 R 20.41

-39.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.5

$1.13 R 18.02

-55.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 KES 194

$1.83 R 29.33

-18.03%

Eggs

$1.59 KES 206

$2.55 R 40.82

-37.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 KES 1,159

$8.35 R 133

7.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 KES 784

$5.44 R 86.9

11.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 679

$7.88 R 126

-33.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 KES 358

$1.90 R 30.38

45.79%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 KES 123

$1.70 R 27.15

-44.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 KES 223

$1.81 R 28.92

-4.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.83 KES 107

$1.88 R 30.01

-55.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 KES 111

$1.54 R 24.58

-44.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 KES 114

$1.49 R 23.85

-40.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KES 96.0

$1.33 R 21.29

-44.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 KES 74.2

$1.19 R 18.95

-52.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 KES 420

$3.41 R 54.6

-4.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.54 KES 1,364

$5.08 R 81.1

107.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 KES 267

$1.51 R 24.09

36.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 KES 343

$2.03 R 32.40

30.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KES 103

$1.76 R 28.18

-55.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.94 KES 5,038

$63.1 R 1,009

-38.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 KES 199

$1.12 R 17.84

37.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 KES 198

$1.01 R 16.21

51.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 KES 382

$8.07 R 129

-63.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 KES 196

$1.46 R 23.35

3.42%

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

$19.0K KES 2.5M

$36.8K R 588.4K

-48.29%

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

$18.5K KES 2.4M

$32.5K R 519.7K

-42.97%

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

$53.7 KES 6,949

$136 R 2,169

-60.41%

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

$13.70 KES 1,772

$35.72 R 571

-61.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.41 KES 4,710

$41.40 R 662

-12.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.63 KES 5,127

$34.96 R 559

13.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.10 KES 1,953

$12.46 R 199

21.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 KES 1,023

$7.62 R 122

3.81%

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

$171 KES 22.1K

$231 R 3,697

-26.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,260 KES 1.2M

$5,726 R 91.5K

61.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.80 KES 2,303

$56.4 R 901

-68.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.97 KES 2,584

$33.91 R 542

-41.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.39 KES 4,966

$102 R 1,627

-62.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.09 KES 5,575

$93.0 R 1,486

-53.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$299 KES 38.7K

$506 R 8,093

-40.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 KES 19.7K

$418 R 6,677

-63.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 KES 103.3K

$979 R 15.6K

-18.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 KES 50.0K

$838 R 13.4K

-53.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,259 KES 162.8K

$1,151 R 18.4K

9.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$935 KES 120.9K

$800 R 12.8K

16.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$349 KES 45.1K

$1,554 R 24.8K

-77.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.64

11.24

21.35%

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

Last update for Kenya: September 5, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $97.0 in Kenya vs $445 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $452 in Nairobi and $324 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $334 in Kenya vs $1,553 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 359% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 38% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 143% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 365% 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 194% 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 194% 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.