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 $844 per month in Nairobi vs $1,640 in Cape Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,376 per month in Nairobi vs $2,528 in Cape Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,908 per month in Nairobi vs $3,415 in Cape Town, rent included.

Nairobi is about 49% cheaper than Cape Town, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Nairobi sits 39% below the global median, while Cape Town is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 KES 485

$12.20 R 195

-69.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 KES 4,533

$48.92 R 782

-28.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.31 KES 816

$5.65 R 90.4

11.68%

Cappuccino

$2.70 KES 350

$2.64 R 42.15

2.27%

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

$0.60 KES 77.5

$1.31 R 21.03

-54.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.2

$1.06 R 16.91

-50.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KES 302

$3.17 R 50.7

-26.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 KES 356

$3.80 R 60.7

-27.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 KES 116

$1.38 R 22.05

-35.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 KES 73.3

$1.23 R 19.75

-53.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 KES 240

$2.18 R 34.84

-15.14%

Eggs

$1.70 KES 220

$3.04 R 48.64

-44.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 KES 1,365

$9.18 R 147

14.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 KES 815

$6.89 R 110

-8.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.09 KES 788

$9.32 R 149

-34.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 KES 438

$1.89 R 30.26

78.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 KES 130

$2.03 R 32.52

-50.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 KES 253

$1.67 R 26.66

16.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$2.22 R 35.48

-52.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 KES 137

$1.53 R 24.44

-30.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$1.62 R 25.85

-35.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 KES 89.1

$1.33 R 21.33

-48.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 KES 94.3

$1.18 R 18.83

-38.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 KES 439

$3.59 R 57.4

-5.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 KES 1,492

$6.25 R 99.9

84.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 KES 287

$1.41 R 22.47

57.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 KES 352

$2.32 R 37.02

17.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 KES 96.2

$1.45 R 23.20

-48.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.72 KES 6,045

$61.5 R 984

-24.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 KES 194

$0.65 R 10.32

130.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 KES 204

$1.62 R 25.87

-2.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 KES 381

$5.06 R 81.0

-41.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 KES 196

$1.57 R 25.11

-3.18%

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

$20.1K KES 2.6M

$37.1K R 593.1K

-45.79%

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

$19.6K KES 2.5M

$33.2K R 530.7K

-40.92%

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

$62.0 KES 8,021

$121 R 1,930

-48.63%

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

$15.43 KES 1,996

$30.79 R 492

-49.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.66 KES 4,484

$39.59 R 633

-12.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 KES 6,593

$50.7 R 811

0.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.56 KES 1,884

$11.80 R 189

23.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.92 KES 1,025

$9.35 R 150

-15.29%

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

$234 KES 30.3K

$265 R 4,243

-11.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K KES 1.5M

$6,560 R 104.9K

76.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.93 KES 3,485

$57.6 R 921

-53.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.62 KES 3,315

$33.12 R 530

-22.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.2 KES 8,306

$121 R 1,932

-46.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.8 KES 7,731

$110 R 1,756

-45.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 KES 59.3K

$1,035 R 16.6K

-55.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 KES 27.2K

$727 R 11.6K

-71.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 KES 149.0K

$1,896 R 30.3K

-39.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 KES 65.4K

$1,359 R 21.7K

-62.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,344 KES 173.8K

$2,488 R 39.8K

-45.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$912 KES 118.0K

$1,614 R 25.8K

-43.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$473 KES 61.2K

$1,642 R 26.3K

-71.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

11.02

33.48%

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

Last update for Nairobi: August 29, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $458 in Nairobi versus $1,035 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 247% 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 $35.00 in Nairobi versus $49.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $203 vs $228 – making Nairobi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 94% more than Nairobi, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,266 per month in Nairobi and $2,460 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 $844 in Nairobi and $1,640 in Cape Town. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 32% 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 $844, than in Cape Town at $1,640. 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 $844 versus $1,640 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.