Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kenya and the United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

For one person, living is cheaper in Kenya: $710 a month against $2,478 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 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
119

Cost of Living Index in the United Kingdom
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United Kingdom Living Index

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🇰🇪 Kenya

$710

/mo nomad

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,478

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kenya and in the United Kingdom

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 the United Kingdom actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $710 per month in Kenya vs $2,478 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

Kenya $710
United Kingdom $2,478

A couple spends around $1,170 per month in Kenya vs $3,608 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

Kenya $1,170
United Kingdom $3,608

A family of three spends $1,629 per month in Kenya vs $4,739 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

Kenya $1,629
United Kingdom $4,739

The cost of living in Kenya is roughly 71% lower than in the United Kingdom on average.

Kenya sits 48% below the global median, while the United Kingdom is 83% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 KES 508

$21.61 £16.21

-81.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.22 KES 3,918

$87.7 £65.8

-65.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 KES 886

$10.82 £8.12

-36.78%

Cappuccino

$2.42 KES 313

$4.77 £3.58

-49.27%

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

$0.67 KES 86.5

$2.64 £1.98

-74.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 KES 75.8

$1.88 £1.41

-69.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 KES 302

$6.59 £4.94

-64.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 KES 342

$6.56 £4.92

-59.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 KES 95.5

$1.64 £1.23

-54.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 KES 70.5

$1.65 £1.23

-67.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 KES 194

$2.23 £1.68

-32.74%

Eggs

$1.61 KES 208

$4.06 £3.05

-60.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 KES 1,226

$9.64 £7.23

-1.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.94 KES 770

$9.14 £6.86

-35.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.33 KES 691

$14.77 £11.08

-63.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 KES 370

$2.92 £2.19

-2.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 KES 133

$1.65 £1.24

-37.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$2.80 £2.10

-37.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 103

$3.32 £2.49

-76.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 KES 110

$1.81 £1.36

-53.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 KES 125

$1.56 £1.17

-38.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 KES 91.5

$1.24 £0.93

-42.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 KES 81.1

$1.66 £1.25

-62.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 KES 442

$23.79 £17.85

-85.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.52 KES 1,494

$10.46 £7.85

10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 KES 276

$2.94 £2.21

-27.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 KES 347

$3.39 £2.54

-20.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 103

$3.51 £2.63

-77.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.91 KES 6,082

$104 £78.3

-55.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 204

$5.42 £4.06

-71.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 KES 198

$2.40 £1.80

-36.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 KES 442

$27.06 £20.30

-87.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 KES 200

$1.96 £1.47

-21.43%

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

$19.4K KES 2.5M

$38.7K £29.0K

-49.79%

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

$20.2K KES 2.6M

$41.2K £30.9K

-50.93%

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

$52.3 KES 6,780

$323 £242

-83.81%

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

$12.87 KES 1,668

$18.55 £13.92

-30.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.26 KES 4,830

$42.14 £31.61

-11.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.32 KES 4,968

$46.76 £35.08

-18.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.29 KES 1,982

$17.95 £13.47

-14.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 KES 1,008

$13.85 £10.39

-43.83%

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

$175 KES 22.7K

$1,725 £1,294

-89.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,541 KES 1.2M

$22.6K £16.9K

-57.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.36 KES 2,380

$92.8 £69.6

-80.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.85 KES 2,833

$46.58 £34.94

-53.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.45 KES 5,634

$102 £76.5

-57.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.40 KES 5,237

$102 £76.6

-60.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 KES 38.1K

$1,348 £1,011

-78.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 KES 19.7K

$1,098 £824

-86.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 KES 98.1K

$2,160 £1,620

-64.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 KES 50.0K

$1,745 £1,309

-77.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,263 KES 163.8K

$5,578 £4,184

-77.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$914 KES 118.5K

$4,418 £3,315

-79.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$349 KES 45.2K

$3,358 £2,519

-89.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.64

5.32

156.39%

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

Last update for Kenya: October 19, 2026

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kenya

$185 26%

United Kingdom

$305 12.3% 65.4% $121

Accommodation & Living

Kenya

$152 21.4%

United Kingdom

$1.1K 44.3% 624% $946

Eating Out

Kenya

$103 14.5%

United Kingdom

$327 13.2% 218% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kenya

$102 14.4%

United Kingdom

$384 15.5% 275% $281

Getting Around

Kenya

$59 8.4%

United Kingdom

$136 5.5% 129% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Kenya

$56 7.9%

United Kingdom

$155 6.2% 177% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Kenya

$54 7.6%

United Kingdom

$74 3% 38.2% $21

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $96.0 in Kenya vs $1,265 in the United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $447 in Nairobi and $2,852 in London.

Average salary: $330 in Kenya vs $3,250 in the United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1218% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 186% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 1157% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are 885% higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kenya

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🕒 Local time

01:24 1:24 AM

23:24 11:24 PM

2 h behind Kenya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

48,468,138

67,326,569

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, 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).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kenya United Kingdom 6,820 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Kenya
United Kingdom

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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kenya is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 249% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United Kingdom: a central one-bedroom averages $1,265 versus $96.0 in Kenya.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Kenya, adding to the overall 249% price gap.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Kenya, but in the United Kingdom 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.