Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kisii and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Kisii: $304 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Kisii

🇰🇪 Kenya

$304

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kisii and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $304 per month in Kisii vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Kisii $304
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $442 per month in Kisii vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Kisii $442
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $580 per month in Kisii vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Kisii $580
Cape Town $3,263

Kisii is about 81% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kisii sits 77% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 KES 357

$12.14 R 200

-77.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 R 747

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 96.9

Cappuccino

$1.40 KES 182

$2.50 R 41.18

-44.00%

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

$0.81 KES 105

$1.27 R 20.94

-36.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 KES 28.51

$0.98 R 16.14

-77.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 KES 238

$2.99 R 49.33

-38.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 KES 293

$3.72 R 61.4

-39.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 KES 112

$1.30 R 21.40

-33.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 KES 66.2

$1.25 R 20.68

-59.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 KES 294

$2.23 R 36.76

1.35%

Eggs

$1.86 KES 241

$3.11 R 51.2

-40.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 R 149

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 R 114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.48 KES 581

$9.30 R 153

-51.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.25

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.29

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.45

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 R 35.70

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.81

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.45

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.60

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 R 59.3

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 101

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 KES 246

$1.38 R 22.66

36.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R 35.20

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 KES 52.8

$1.50 R 24.65

-72.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.51 KES 2,011

$60.8 R 1,001

-74.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 KES 104

$0.59 R 9.71

35.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 R 24.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 R 84.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 KES 198

$1.55 R 25.50

-1.29%

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

$36.2K R 596.5K

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

$11.4K KES 1.5M

$31.2K R 514.8K

-63.63%

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

$114 R 1,883

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

$16.09 KES 2,086

$28.91 R 476

-44.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.10 KES 6,236

$39.73 R 654

21.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.01 R 808

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 R 151

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

$38.12 KES 4,942

$259 R 4,264

-85.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,794 R 111.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.66 KES 1,512

$56.2 R 926

-79.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.59 KES 5,003

$121 R 1,987

-68.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.38 KES 3,939

$108 R 1,781

-71.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 R 16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.6 KES 9,804

$717 R 11.8K

-89.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 R 30.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 KES 19.6K

$1,327 R 21.9K

-88.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 R 39.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,542 R 25.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,639 R 27.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Kisii: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kisii

–

Cape Town

$717 45.2%

Groceries & Markets

Kisii

–

Cape Town

$225 14.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kisii

–

Cape Town

$183 11.5%

Eating Out

Kisii

–

Cape Town

$176 11.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Kisii

–

Cape Town

$143 9%

Getting Around

Kisii

–

Cape Town

$75 4.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Kisii

–

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kisii

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

22:32 10:32 PM

21:32 9:32 PM

1 h behind Kisii

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,000

3,740,026 Capital

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

Kisii Cape Town 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kisii
Cape Town

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

Kisii vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 422% more than Kisii, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $456 per month in Kisii and $2,379 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $304 in Kisii and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 422%.

Kindergarten costs $38.12 per month in Kisii and $259 in Cape Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kisii, where all-in costs run around $304, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Kisii it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kisii costs $304 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Kisii. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.