Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Eldoret

For one person, living is cheaper in Eldoret: $506 a month against $885 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Eldoret
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Eldoret Living Index

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Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$885

/mo nomad

Eldoret

🇰🇪 Kenya

$506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nairobi and in Eldoret

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 Eldoret actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $885 in Nairobi versus $506 in Eldoret.

Nairobi $885
Eldoret $506

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,436 in Nairobi versus $870 in Eldoret.

Nairobi $1,436
Eldoret $870

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,987 in Nairobi versus $1,234 in Eldoret.

Nairobi $1,987
Eldoret $1,234

Living in Nairobi is roughly 75% more expensive than in Eldoret, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nairobi 35% lower, Eldoret 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.43 KES 835

$1.50 KES 195

328.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.51 KES 4,480

$34.67 KES 4,500

-0.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 KES 813

$6.21 KES 807

0.81%

Cappuccino

$2.60 KES 337

$2.66 KES 346

-2.26%

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

$0.64 KES 82.8

$0.30 KES 38.35

113.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 KES 86.8

$0.39 KES 51.0

71.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 KES 298

$2.34 KES 304

-1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 KES 356

$2.67 KES 347

3.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 KES 123

$0.72 KES 93.6

31.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 KES 76.1

$0.45 KES 58.9

31.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 KES 260

$1.49 KES 194

34.23%

Eggs

$1.69 KES 220

$1.50 KES 195

12.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 KES 1,430

$3.91 KES 507

181.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 KES 832

$4.10 KES 533

56.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 KES 832

$4.13 KES 535

55.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 KES 444

$2.36 KES 307

44.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 KES 263

$0.72 KES 93.0

181.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 KES 147

$0.87 KES 113

31.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$0.56 KES 72.5

96.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$0.44 KES 56.8

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KES 96.0

$0.75 KES 97.5

-1.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 KES 99.1

$0.67 KES 86.5

13.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 KES 438

$3.38 KES 439

Wine (Bottle)

$11.65 KES 1,512

$5.64 KES 732

106.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 KES 293

$2.11 KES 274

7.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 KES 356

$1.52 KES 197

80.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 KES 108

$1.35 KES 176

-38.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.81 KES 6,076

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 KES 197

$1.55 KES 201

-1.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 198

$1.57 KES 203

-3.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 KES 364

$2.84 KES 369

-1.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 201

$1.55 KES 202

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

$19.4K KES 2.5M

$19.3K KES 2.5M

0.62%

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

$22.2K KES 2.9M

$22.1K KES 2.9M

0.61%

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

$56.7 KES 7,356

$40.35 KES 5,237

40.45%

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

$15.25 KES 1,980

$15.06 KES 1,955

1.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.78 KES 4,514

$34.77 KES 4,514

0.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 KES 6,702

$38.46 KES 4,992

34.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 KES 2,031

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 KES 987

$7.52 KES 976

1.06%

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

$277 KES 36.0K

$63.4 KES 8,224

337.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$12.5K KES 1.6M

-1.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.73 KES 3,600

$11.63 KES 1,509

138.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.36 KES 3,811

$29.52 KES 3,832

-0.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 KES 8,996

$19.48 KES 2,529

255.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 KES 7,667

$34.36 KES 4,460

71.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 KES 57.3K

$91.8 KES 11.9K

381.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 KES 30.6K

$89.9 KES 11.7K

162.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 KES 146.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 KES 67.8K

$272 KES 35.3K

91.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,234 KES 160.2K

$604 KES 78.4K

104.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$805 KES 104.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$484 KES 62.8K

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 Nairobi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Eldoret: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nairobi

$235 26.6%

Eldoret

$90 17.8% 61.8% $146

Groceries & Markets

Nairobi

$209 23.7%

Eldoret

$132 26.1% 36.9% $77

Eating Out

Nairobi

$124 14%

Eldoret

$82 16.3% 33.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nairobi

$107 12.1%

Eldoret

$90 17.8% 15.5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Nairobi

$83 9.4%

Eldoret

$43 8.5% 48.8% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Nairobi

$67 7.6%

Eldoret

$54 10.6% 19.9% $13

Getting Around

Nairobi

$59 6.7%

Eldoret

$15 * 2.9% 75% $44

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 $441 in Nairobi and $92 in Eldoret. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35 in Nairobi vs $35 in Eldoret. Groceries flip the comparison at $209 vs $132, with Eldoret cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🇰🇪 Eldoret

🕒 Local time

08:23 8:23 AM

Same time as Nairobi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,138,295 Capital

193,830

💱 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

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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

Nairobi vs Eldoret: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eldoret wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Nairobi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Eldoret the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,327 in Nairobi and $758 in Eldoret to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $441 in Nairobi versus $92 in Eldoret. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $885 per month in Nairobi versus $506 in Eldoret – Eldoret is about 43% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Nairobi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $506 in Eldoret versus $885 in Nairobi, a $800 budget is realistic in Eldoret but tight or insufficient in Nairobi. The gap between the two cities makes Eldoret 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.