Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Machakos and Nairobi

For one person, living is cheaper in Machakos: $520 a month against $885 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Machakos
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Machakos Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index

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Machakos

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Machakos 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 Machakos and in Nairobi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $520 in Machakos versus $885 in Nairobi.

Machakos $520
Nairobi $885

Estimated couple costs with rent: $802 in Machakos versus $1,436 in Nairobi.

Machakos $802
Nairobi $1,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,084 in Machakos versus $1,987 in Nairobi.

Machakos $1,084
Nairobi $1,987

Living in Machakos costs roughly 41% less than in Nairobi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Machakos 62% lower, Nairobi 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.99 KES 389

$6.43 KES 835

-53.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.26 KES 2,500

$34.51 KES 4,480

-44.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 KES 812

$6.26 KES 813

Cappuccino

$1.97 KES 255

$2.60 KES 337

-24.23%

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

$0.66 KES 85.4

$0.64 KES 82.8

3.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 KES 69.6

$0.67 KES 86.8

-19.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 KES 281

$2.30 KES 298

-6.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 KES 346

$2.75 KES 356

-2.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.39 KES 50.9

$0.95 KES 123

-58.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 KES 62.7

$0.59 KES 76.1

-18.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 KES 104

$2.00 KES 260

-60.00%

Eggs

$1.36 KES 177

$1.69 KES 220

-19.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 KES 1,413

$11.01 KES 1,430

-1.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 KES 826

$6.41 KES 832

-0.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.71 KES 612

$6.41 KES 832

-26.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 KES 195

$3.42 KES 444

-56.14%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 KES 105

$1.06 KES 138

-23.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.37 KES 47.49

$2.03 KES 263

-81.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.40 KES 51.6

$1.14 KES 147

-64.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$1.10 KES 143

-28.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 KES 98.6

$1.10 KES 143

-30.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 KES 97.6

$0.74 KES 96.0

1.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 KES 51.1

$0.76 KES 99.1

-48.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 KES 455

$3.38 KES 438

3.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 KES 1,468

$11.65 KES 1,512

-2.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 KES 248

$2.26 KES 293

-15.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 KES 351

$2.74 KES 356

-1.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 KES 108

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.81 KES 6,076

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 KES 96.4

$1.52 KES 197

-51.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 KES 97.8

$1.52 KES 198

-50.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 KES 371

$2.80 KES 364

2.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 KES 195

$1.55 KES 201

-3.23%

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

$19.1K KES 2.5M

$19.4K KES 2.5M

-1.33%

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

$21.7K KES 2.8M

$22.2K KES 2.9M

-2.19%

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

$57.0 KES 7,396

$56.7 KES 7,356

0.55%

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

$7.83 KES 1,017

$15.25 KES 1,980

-48.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.58 KES 1,503

$34.78 KES 4,514

-66.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.98 KES 5,060

$51.6 KES 6,702

-24.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 KES 2,031

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 KES 994

$7.60 KES 987

0.79%

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

$45.51 KES 5,907

$277 KES 36.0K

-83.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

0.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.62 KES 1,509

$27.73 KES 3,600

-58.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.49 KES 3,698

$29.36 KES 3,811

-2.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 KES 8,923

$69.3 KES 8,996

-0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.19 KES 4,956

$59.1 KES 7,667

-35.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$94.2 KES 12.2K

$441 KES 57.3K

-78.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.4 KES 9,132

$235 KES 30.6K

-70.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$155 KES 20.1K

$1,131 KES 146.8K

-86.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 KES 15.1K

$522 KES 67.8K

-77.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,234 KES 160.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$805 KES 104.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$385 KES 50.0K

$484 KES 62.8K

-20.47%

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 Machakos: October 24, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Machakos

$161 31%

Nairobi

$209 23.7% 30.1% $48

Eating Out

Machakos

$87 16.8%

Nairobi

$124 14% 41.7% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Machakos

$76 14.7%

Nairobi

$107 12.1% 39.7% $30

Accommodation & Living

Machakos

$70 13.5%

Nairobi

$235 26.6% 235% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Machakos

$66 12.7%

Nairobi

$83 9.4% 26.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Machakos

$54 10.4%

Nairobi

$67 7.6% 23.1% $13

Getting Around

Machakos

$4.5 * 0.9%

Nairobi

$59 6.7% 1214% $55

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $94 in Machakos and $441 in Nairobi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nairobi pays 26% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19 in Machakos vs $35 in Nairobi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $161 vs $209 per month, with Machakos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Machakos

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🕒 Local time

12:53 12:53 PM

Same time as Machakos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,109

3,138,295 Capital

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Machakos Nairobi 56 km

From you

Machakos
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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

Machakos vs Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machakos wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Nairobi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Machakos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Machakos. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $94 in Machakos versus $441 in Nairobi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Nairobi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $520 per month in Machakos versus $885 in Nairobi – Machakos is about 41% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $520 in Machakos versus $885 in Nairobi, a $800 budget is realistic in Machakos but tight or insufficient in Nairobi. The gap between the two cities makes Machakos 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.

It comes down to priorities – Machakos wins on affordability, Nairobi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.