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 $765 per month in Nairobi vs $1,274 in Cape Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,299 per month in Nairobi vs $2,011 in Cape Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,832 per month in Nairobi vs $2,747 in Cape Town, rent included.

Nairobi is about 40% cheaper than Cape Town, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Nairobi and Cape Town are more affordable than the global median – Nairobi 43% lower, Cape Town 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 KES 717

$10.87 R 180

-48.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.48 KES 4,972

$44.99 R 745

-14.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.64 KES 858

$5.17 R 85.5

28.43%

Cappuccino

$2.49 KES 322

$1.99 R 32.87

25.13%

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

$0.70 KES 91.1

$1.15 R 18.98

-39.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 KES 65.0

$0.88 R 14.54

-43.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 KES 305

$2.87 R 47.57

-17.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 KES 366

$2.45 R 40.55

15.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 KES 111

$1.16 R 19.27

-25.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 KES 72.6

$1.10 R 18.23

-49.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 KES 207

$1.90 R 31.41

-15.79%

Eggs

$1.68 KES 216

$2.47 R 40.92

-31.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 KES 1,513

$8.55 R 142

36.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 KES 893

$5.04 R 83.4

37.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.64 KES 729

$7.48 R 124

-24.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 KES 398

$1.52 R 25.09

102.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 KES 139

$1.42 R 23.49

-24.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 KES 266

$1.46 R 24.18

41.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$1.54 R 25.58

-32.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 KES 138

$1.12 R 18.57

-4.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$1.24 R 20.54

-7.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 KES 84.5

$1.09 R 17.99

-40.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 KES 96.6

$0.96 R 15.84

-21.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 KES 409

$3.02 R 49.93

4.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.79 KES 1,523

$6.02 R 99.7

95.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 KES 285

$1.39 R 23.04

58.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 KES 365

$1.67 R 27.63

69.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 KES 97.4

$0.97 R 16.05

-22.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.90 KES 3,992

$47.18 R 781

-34.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 KES 198

$1.43 R 23.75

6.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 KES 193

$0.93 R 15.46

61.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 KES 382

$4.46 R 73.9

-33.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 KES 198

$1.19 R 19.71

28.57%

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

$22.1K KES 2.9M

$21.2K R 351.3K

4.03%

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

$19.8K KES 2.6M

$23.9K R 395.6K

-17.30%

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

$33.74 KES 4,359

$99.4 R 1,646

-66.07%

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

$16.72 KES 2,160

$33.36 R 552

-49.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.94 KES 5,032

$40.88 R 677

-4.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.13 KES 5,573

$41.96 R 695

2.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.62 KES 2,664

$8.18 R 135

152.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.36 KES 822

$6.87 R 114

-7.42%

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

$205 KES 26.5K

$210 R 3,478

-2.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,113 KES 1.0M

$5,351 R 88.6K

51.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.49 KES 2,389

$55.8 R 923

-66.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.69 KES 3,061

$33.54 R 555

-29.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.3 KES 8,308

$113 R 1,873

-43.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 KES 7,184

$85.6 R 1,417

-35.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 KES 56.6K

$768 R 12.7K

-42.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 KES 24.1K

$523 R 8,658

-64.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 KES 147.5K

$1,455 R 24.1K

-21.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 KES 55.8K

$1,044 R 17.3K

-58.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,526 KES 197.1K

$2,329 R 38.6K

-34.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$909 KES 117.5K

$1,509 R 25.0K

-39.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$431 KES 55.7K

$1,600 R 26.5K

-73.06%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $438 in Nairobi versus $768 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 271% 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 $187 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 67% 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 $1,147 per month in Nairobi and $1,911 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 $765 in Nairobi and $1,274 in Cape Town. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 53% 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 $765, than in Cape Town at $1,274. 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 $765 versus $1,274 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.