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 $443 per month in Kenya vs $1,020 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $736 per month in Kenya vs $1,598 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,028 per month in Kenya vs $2,175 in South Africa, rent included.

Kenya is roughly 57% cheaper than 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

$3.86 KES 499

$9.05 R 150

-57.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.60 KES 4,474

$39.48 R 654

-12.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.94 KES 897

$4.94 R 81.8

40.49%

Cappuccino

$2.29 KES 296

$2.06 R 34.09

11.17%

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

$0.71 KES 91.4

$0.95 R 15.68

-25.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 KES 69.4

$0.81 R 13.38

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 KES 294

$2.21 R 36.57

2.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 KES 356

$2.48 R 41.09

10.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 KES 98.0

$1.11 R 18.41

-31.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.6

$1.02 R 16.95

-50.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 KES 180

$1.56 R 25.75

-10.90%

Eggs

$1.55 KES 201

$2.34 R 38.76

-33.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.41 KES 1,346

$7.73 R 128

34.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.28 KES 812

$4.49 R 74.4

39.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.12 KES 662

$6.73 R 111

-23.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 KES 365

$1.56 R 25.87

80.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 KES 133

$1.43 R 23.66

-27.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 KES 235

$1.44 R 23.92

26.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 KES 107

$1.51 R 25.00

-45.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 KES 104

$1.22 R 20.18

-33.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 KES 125

$1.28 R 21.13

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 KES 81.4

$1.04 R 17.21

-39.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 KES 90.4

$0.94 R 15.49

-25.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 KES 407

$2.99 R 49.46

5.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.05 KES 1,171

$5.16 R 85.4

75.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 KES 267

$1.39 R 22.97

48.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 KES 337

$1.66 R 27.43

57.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KES 102

$1.63 R 26.98

-51.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.95 KES 3,874

$45.05 R 746

-33.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 KES 204

$1.13 R 18.75

39.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 KES 198

$1.10 R 18.26

39.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 KES 395

$4.86 R 80.4

-37.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 KES 199

$1.24 R 20.52

24.19%

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

$19.0K KES 2.5M

$20.3K R 336.4K

-6.47%

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

$18.0K KES 2.3M

$23.5K R 388.5K

-23.22%

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

$32.85 KES 4,248

$113 R 1,878

-71.04%

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

$15.09 KES 1,952

$32.36 R 536

-53.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.04 KES 4,920

$41.45 R 686

-8.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.28 KES 4,820

$31.59 R 523

18.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 KES 2,554

$9.61 R 159

105.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.36 KES 822

$6.83 R 113

-6.88%

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

$166 KES 21.5K

$187 R 3,096

-11.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,439 KES 962.0K

$4,362 R 72.2K

70.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.03 KES 1,814

$49.50 R 819

-71.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.33 KES 2,759

$30.42 R 504

-29.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.61 KES 6,287

$91.7 R 1,517

-46.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.00 KES 6,078

$78.9 R 1,305

-40.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$305 KES 39.4K

$442 R 7,309

-31.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 KES 19.4K

$367 R 6,074

-59.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 KES 110.6K

$884 R 14.6K

-3.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 KES 45.8K

$723 R 12.0K

-51.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,411 KES 182.5K

$1,090 R 18.1K

29.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$911 KES 117.8K

$780 R 12.9K

16.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$342 KES 44.3K

$1,558 R 25.8K

-78.02%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $83.0 in Kenya vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $450 in Nairobi and $765 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $327 in Kenya vs $1,520 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 343% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 25% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 129% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 365% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa 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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kenya is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 176% 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 176% 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.