Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kenya and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Kenya: $710 a month against $2,727 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 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
132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇰🇪 Kenya

$710

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $710 per month in Kenya vs $2,727 in the United States, rent included.

Kenya $710
United States $2,727

A couple spends around $1,170 per month in Kenya vs $4,009 in the United States, rent included.

Kenya $1,170
United States $4,009

A family of three spends $1,629 per month in Kenya vs $5,291 in the United States, rent included.

Kenya $1,629
United States $5,291

The cost of living in Kenya is roughly 74% lower than in the United States on average.

Kenya sits 48% below the global median, while the United States is 101% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 KES 508

$19.73 $19.73

-80.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.22 KES 3,918

$81.0 $81.0

-62.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 KES 886

$11.98 $11.98

-42.90%

Cappuccino

$2.42 KES 313

$5.59 $5.59

-56.71%

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

$0.67 KES 86.5

$2.78 $2.78

-75.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 KES 75.8

$2.10 $2.10

-72.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 KES 302

$5.98 $5.98

-61.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 KES 342

$7.92 $7.92

-66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 KES 95.5

$1.03 $1.03

-28.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 KES 70.5

$3.75 $3.75

-85.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 KES 194

$4.46 $4.46

-66.37%

Eggs

$1.61 KES 208

$4.34 $4.34

-62.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 KES 1,226

$12.75 $12.75

-25.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.94 KES 770

$12.27 $12.27

-51.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.33 KES 691

$17.29 $17.29

-69.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 KES 370

$5.31 $5.31

-46.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 KES 133

$1.67 $1.67

-38.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$4.32 $4.32

-59.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 103

$5.03 $5.03

-84.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 KES 110

$2.81 $2.81

-69.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 KES 125

$3.05 $3.05

-68.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 KES 91.5

$2.22 $2.22

-68.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 KES 81.1

$2.35 $2.35

-73.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 KES 442

$10.92 $10.92

-68.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.52 KES 1,494

$14.87 $14.87

-22.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 KES 276

$2.10 $2.10

1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 KES 347

$3.62 $3.62

-25.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 103

$2.46 $2.46

-67.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.91 KES 6,082

$65.7 $65.7

-28.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 204

$3.58 $3.58

-56.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 KES 198

$1.90 $1.90

-19.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 KES 442

$29.51 $29.51

-88.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 KES 200

$1.02 $1.02

50.98%

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

$19.4K KES 2.5M

$28.3K $28.3K

-31.35%

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

$20.2K KES 2.6M

$26.0K $26.0K

-22.06%

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

$52.3 KES 6,780

$221 $221

-76.32%

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

$12.87 KES 1,668

$61.3 $61.3

-79.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.26 KES 4,830

$73.3 $73.3

-49.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.32 KES 4,968

$44.89 $44.89

-14.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.29 KES 1,982

$22.65 $22.65

-32.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 KES 1,008

$15.16 $15.16

-48.68%

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

$175 KES 22.7K

$1,471 $1,471

-88.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,541 KES 1.2M

$25.0K $25.0K

-61.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.36 KES 2,380

$53.5 $53.5

-65.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.85 KES 2,833

$43.76 $43.76

-50.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.45 KES 5,634

$92.0 $92.0

-52.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.40 KES 5,237

$114 $114

-64.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 KES 38.1K

$1,654 $1,654

-82.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 KES 19.7K

$1,332 $1,332

-88.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 KES 98.1K

$2,669 $2,669

-71.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 KES 50.0K

$2,207 $2,207

-82.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,263 KES 163.8K

$3,054 $3,054

-58.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$914 KES 118.5K

$2,522 $2,522

-63.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$349 KES 45.2K

$4,391 $4,391

-92.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.64

6.55

108.24%

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 States: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kenya

$185 26%

United States

$413 15.1% 124% $228

Accommodation & Living

Kenya

$152 21.4%

United States

$1.3K 48.9% 778% $1.2K

Eating Out

Kenya

$103 14.5%

United States

$326 12% 217% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kenya

$102 14.4%

United States

$355 13% 247% $253

Getting Around

Kenya

$59 8.4%

United States

$89 3.3% 49.4% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Kenya

$56 7.9%

United States

$137 5% 145% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Kenya

$54 7.6%

United States

$75 2.8% 39.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $96.0 in Kenya vs $1,612 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $447 in Nairobi and $2,743 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $330 in Kenya vs $4,548 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1579% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 159% more in the United States.

Public transport is 286% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 1278% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kenya

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

19:46 7:46 PM

12:46 12:46 PM

7 h behind Kenya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

48,468,138

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kenya United States 13,090 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Kenya
United States

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 States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kenya is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 284% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,612 versus $96.0 in Kenya.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Kenya, adding to the overall 284% price gap.

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