Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Nairobi: $874 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$874

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nairobi and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $874 in Nairobi versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Nairobi $874
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,403 in Nairobi versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Nairobi $1,403
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,932 in Nairobi versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Nairobi $1,932
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Nairobi costs roughly 68% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nairobi is 35% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.12 KES 794

$20.22 $20.22

-69.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.26 KES 4,574

$85.0 $85.0

-58.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 KES 854

$12.35 $12.35

-46.64%

Cappuccino

$2.71 KES 351

$5.47 $5.47

-50.46%

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

$0.66 KES 85.4

$3.82 $3.82

-82.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 KES 73.9

$2.50 $2.50

-77.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 KES 302

$8.06 $8.06

-71.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 KES 357

$8.99 $8.99

-69.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 KES 116

$1.13 $1.13

-21.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 KES 69.9

$3.78 $3.78

-85.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 KES 252

$3.25 $3.25

-40.31%

Eggs

$1.71 KES 222

$4.14 $4.14

-58.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.63 KES 1,378

$13.08 $13.08

-18.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 KES 824

$14.31 $14.31

-55.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.22 KES 807

$15.96 $15.96

-61.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 KES 428

$4.38 $4.38

-24.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 KES 137

$1.45 $1.45

-26.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 KES 265

$4.54 $4.54

-54.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 KES 142

$4.19 $4.19

-73.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 KES 145

$2.63 $2.63

-57.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$2.36 $2.36

-53.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 KES 95.3

$1.76 $1.76

-58.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 KES 100

$2.16 $2.16

-64.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.62 KES 469

$9.81 $9.81

-63.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.46 KES 1,486

$14.72 $14.72

-22.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 KES 296

$2.78 $2.78

-17.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 KES 349

$3.48 $3.48

-22.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KES 102

$1.49 $1.49

-46.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.51 KES 5,902

$40.51 $40.51

12.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 KES 197

$2.67 $2.67

-43.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 KES 205

$1.58 $1.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 KES 364

$35.29 $35.29

-92.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 203

$0.99 $0.99

57.58%

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

$21.8K KES 2.8M

$35.8K $35.8K

-39.18%

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

$19.9K KES 2.6M

$27.2K $27.2K

-26.61%

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

$56.9 KES 7,375

$219 $219

-74.07%

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

$15.35 KES 1,991

$58.0 $58.0

-73.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.18 KES 4,563

$68.4 $68.4

-48.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.39 KES 6,406

$57.9 $57.9

-14.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.39 KES 1,996

$14.82 $14.82

3.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 KES 1,016

$14.13 $14.13

-44.59%

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

$250 KES 32.4K

$1,509 $1,509

-83.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K KES 1.6M

$21.5K $21.5K

-41.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.71 KES 3,594

$51.7 $51.7

-46.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.64 KES 3,714

$44.05 $44.05

-34.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 KES 8,911

$85.1 $85.1

-19.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 KES 7,638

$105 $105

-44.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$453 KES 58.8K

$1,932 $1,932

-76.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 KES 28.2K

$1,272 $1,272

-82.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 KES 143.4K

$3,670 $3,670

-69.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 KES 65.8K

$2,525 $2,525

-79.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,292 KES 167.6K

$7,617 $7,617

-83.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$897 KES 116.3K

$3,199 $3,199

-71.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$481 KES 62.4K

$5,105 $5,105

-90.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

6.79

116.64%

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

Last update for Nairobi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nairobi

$217 25.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 485% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Nairobi

$205 23.9%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 96.3% $198

Eating Out

Nairobi

$123 14.4%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 182% $225

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nairobi

$107 12.5%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 222% $238

Clothing & Footwear

Nairobi

$83 9.6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 55.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Nairobi

$65 7.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 32.4% $21

Getting Around

Nairobi

$58 6.8%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 1.9% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $453 in Nairobi and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 962% 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: $35.00 in Nairobi vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $403 per month, with Nairobi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:30 9:30 AM

01:30 1:30 AM

8 h behind Nairobi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,138,295 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Nairobi Austin, TX 14,240 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Nairobi
Austin, TX

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

Nairobi vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nairobi wins on cost – living expenses run 209% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nairobi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 962% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $453 in Nairobi versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $874 per month in Nairobi versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 209% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nairobi runs roughly 12% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $874 in Nairobi versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nairobi but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Nairobi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nairobi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $874 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nairobi hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Nairobi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 209% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.