Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kisii and Nairobi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kisii: $304 a month against $881 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index

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Kisii

🇰🇪 Kenya

$304

/mo nomad

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$881

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kisii and in Nairobi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $304 in Kisii versus $881 in Nairobi.

Kisii $304
Nairobi $881

Estimated couple costs with rent: $444 in Kisii versus $1,446 in Nairobi.

Kisii $444
Nairobi $1,446

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $585 in Kisii versus $2,010 in Nairobi.

Kisii $585
Nairobi $2,010

Living in Kisii costs roughly 65% less than in Nairobi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kisii 78% lower, Nairobi 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 KES 358

$6.70 KES 870

-58.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.91 KES 4,532

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 KES 813

Cappuccino

$1.37 KES 178

$2.60 KES 337

-47.31%

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

$0.87 KES 113

$0.64 KES 83.4

35.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 KES 28.46

$0.67 KES 86.9

-67.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 KES 237

$2.25 KES 293

-18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 KES 293

$2.72 KES 353

-17.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 KES 122

$0.93 KES 121

1.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 KES 62.0

$0.58 KES 75.3

-17.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 KES 294

$2.04 KES 265

10.78%

Eggs

$1.81 KES 236

$1.74 KES 226

4.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.79 KES 1,401

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 KES 839

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.67 KES 606

$6.29 KES 817

-25.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 KES 457

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 KES 132

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 KES 271

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 KES 145

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 KES 139

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 KES 96.9

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 KES 97.8

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 KES 468

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 KES 1,521

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 KES 256

$2.26 KES 293

-12.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 KES 364

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 KES 47.40

$0.83 KES 107

-55.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.58 KES 2,022

$45.80 KES 5,946

-65.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 KES 98.6

$1.53 KES 198

-50.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 KES 196

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 KES 374

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 KES 190

$1.54 KES 200

-4.55%

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

$19.3K KES 2.5M

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

$11.7K KES 1.5M

$21.9K KES 2.8M

-46.72%

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

$56.8 KES 7,373

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

$16.21 KES 2,105

$15.49 KES 2,011

4.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.51 KES 6,169

$34.75 KES 4,512

36.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 KES 6,614

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.40 KES 2,000

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 KES 989

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

$37.99 KES 4,932

$280 KES 36.4K

-86.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K KES 1.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.44 KES 1,486

$28.39 KES 3,686

-59.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.86 KES 3,877

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.57 KES 5,007

$68.6 KES 8,908

-43.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.24 KES 3,926

$58.3 KES 7,567

-48.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 KES 58.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.5 KES 9,801

$232 KES 30.1K

-67.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 KES 144.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 KES 20.1K

$543 KES 70.5K

-71.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,200 KES 155.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$782 KES 101.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$470 KES 61.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

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

Last update for Kisii: October 31, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kisii

–

Nairobi

$232 26.3%

Groceries & Markets

Kisii

–

Nairobi

$209 23.8%

Eating Out

Kisii

–

Nairobi

$126 14.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kisii

–

Nairobi

$107 12.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Kisii

–

Nairobi

$83 9.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Kisii

–

Nairobi

$66 7.5%

Getting Around

Kisii

–

Nairobi

$58 6.6%

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kisii

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

Same time as Kisii

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,000

3,138,295 Capital

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Kisii Nairobi 240 km

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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 Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kisii wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Nairobi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kisii the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $456 in Kisii and $1,321 in Nairobi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 285% higher in Nairobi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $304 per month in Kisii versus $881 in Nairobi – Kisii is about 65% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $304 in Kisii versus $881 in Nairobi, a $800 budget is realistic in Kisii but tight or insufficient in Nairobi. The gap between the two cities makes Kisii the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.