Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Cape Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Cape Town

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $782 per month in Nairobi vs $1,273 in Cape Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,305 per month in Nairobi vs $1,983 in Cape Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,828 per month in Nairobi vs $2,693 in Cape Town, rent included.

Nairobi is about 39% cheaper than Cape Town, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Nairobi and Cape Town are more affordable than the global median – Nairobi 42% lower, Cape Town 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 KES 693

$11.02 R 179

-51.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 KES 4,926

$44.99 R 731

-15.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 KES 895

$4.91 R 79.8

40.73%

Cappuccino

$2.39 KES 309

$2.00 R 32.49

19.50%

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

$0.71 KES 91.9

$1.10 R 17.94

-35.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 KES 65.6

$0.83 R 13.43

-38.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 KES 299

$2.87 R 46.56

-19.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 KES 385

$2.48 R 40.35

19.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 KES 122

$1.15 R 18.61

-18.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 KES 68.3

$1.08 R 17.59

-50.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 KES 212

$1.87 R 30.38

-12.30%

Eggs

$1.69 KES 218

$2.47 R 40.11

-31.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 KES 1,521

$8.57 R 139

36.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 KES 886

$5.14 R 83.5

33.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.44 KES 705

$7.66 R 124

-28.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 KES 392

$1.49 R 24.24

103.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 KES 140

$1.49 R 24.26

-27.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 KES 269

$1.49 R 24.28

39.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$1.59 R 25.85

-34.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$1.08 R 17.54

-1.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 KES 150

$1.24 R 20.16

-7.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 KES 90.9

$1.10 R 17.83

-36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 KES 102

$0.96 R 15.57

-17.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 KES 394

$3.04 R 49.33

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 KES 1,511

$6.18 R 100

88.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 KES 288

$1.41 R 22.97

57.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 KES 365

$1.68 R 27.23

67.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 KES 96.7

$0.93 R 15.17

-19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.59 KES 3,963

$47.91 R 779

-36.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 KES 206

$1.38 R 22.43

15.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 KES 195

$0.93 R 15.14

61.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 KES 373

$4.36 R 70.9

-33.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.25 R 20.33

24.80%

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

$22.0K KES 2.9M

$21.3K R 346.9K

3.11%

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

$20.4K KES 2.6M

$24.5K R 397.5K

-16.52%

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

$34.70 KES 4,495

$98.3 R 1,598

-64.70%

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

$16.60 KES 2,151

$33.19 R 539

-49.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 KES 5,122

$40.75 R 662

-2.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.29 KES 5,608

$41.68 R 677

3.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.63 KES 2,672

$8.15 R 133

153.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 KES 787

$6.55 R 107

-7.33%

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

$202 KES 26.1K

$211 R 3,435

-4.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,140 KES 1.1M

$5,300 R 86.1K

53.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.28 KES 2,368

$55.7 R 906

-67.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.56 KES 3,053

$32.78 R 533

-28.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 KES 8,605

$115 R 1,869

-42.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.7 KES 7,339

$84.5 R 1,374

-32.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 KES 58.3K

$765 R 12.4K

-41.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 KES 23.9K

$520 R 8,453

-64.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 KES 146.9K

$1,430 R 23.2K

-20.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 KES 54.1K

$1,014 R 16.5K

-58.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,558 KES 201.9K

$2,344 R 38.1K

-33.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$886 KES 114.7K

$1,506 R 24.5K

-41.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$416 KES 53.9K

$1,683 R 27.4K

-75.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.84

11.77

26.08%

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

Last update for Nairobi: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $450 in Nairobi versus $765 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 304% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Nairobi versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $207 in Nairobi vs $189 in Cape Town – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 63% more than Nairobi, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,174 per month in Nairobi and $1,909 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nairobi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $782 in Nairobi and $1,273 in Cape Town. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Nairobi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nairobi, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Cape Town at $1,273. In Nairobi 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. Nairobi costs $782 versus $1,273 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 Nairobi. 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.