Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Kisumu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kisumu: $644 a month against $862 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Kisumu
Learn more

Kisumu Living Index

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Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$862

/mo nomad

Kisumu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nairobi and in Kisumu

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

A single person spends $862 per month in Nairobi vs $644 in Kisumu, rent included.

Nairobi $862
Kisumu $644

A couple spends around $1,408 per month in Nairobi vs $977 in Kisumu, rent included.

Nairobi $1,408
Kisumu $977

A family of three spends $1,953 per month in Nairobi vs $1,311 in Kisumu, rent included.

Nairobi $1,953
Kisumu $1,311

Nairobi costs about 34% more than Kisumu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Nairobi and Kisumu are more affordable than the global median – Nairobi 36% lower, Kisumu 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.61 KES 857

$4.65 KES 603

42.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.55 KES 4,480

$25.40 KES 3,293

36.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 KES 830

$6.55 KES 849

-2.29%

Cappuccino

$2.58 KES 334

$2.57 KES 334

0.39%

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

$0.65 KES 84.4

$0.61 KES 79.3

6.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 KES 81.7

$0.60 KES 78.2

5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KES 304

$1.98 KES 257

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 KES 355

$2.78 KES 360

-1.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 KES 110

$0.52 KES 67.5

63.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 KES 73.0

$0.52 KES 67.4

7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 KES 252

$1.96 KES 254

-1.02%

Eggs

$1.78 KES 231

$1.69 KES 219

5.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 KES 1,366

$10.51 KES 1,363

0.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 KES 852

$6.43 KES 834

2.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.18 KES 801

$5.07 KES 658

21.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 KES 442

$3.43 KES 444

-0.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 KES 137

$0.94 KES 122

11.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 KES 268

$2.07 KES 268

-0.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 KES 148

$1.13 KES 147

0.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$1.07 KES 138

-0.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$0.96 KES 124

8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 KES 94.7

$0.74 KES 95.9

-1.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 KES 96.4

$0.73 KES 94.8

1.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.62 KES 470

$3.14 KES 407

15.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 KES 1,480

$7.68 KES 996

48.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 KES 285

$2.27 KES 295

-3.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 KES 356

$2.35 KES 305

17.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KES 102

$0.80 KES 104

-1.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.32 KES 5,875

$23.09 KES 2,994

96.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 204

$1.52 KES 197

3.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 KES 196

$1.50 KES 195

0.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 KES 369

$2.88 KES 373

-1.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.61 KES 208

-3.11%

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

$19.2K KES 2.5M

$19.7K KES 2.6M

-2.59%

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

$21.6K KES 2.8M

$21.9K KES 2.8M

-1.51%

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

$56.2 KES 7,284

$55.8 KES 7,240

0.61%

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

$15.08 KES 1,955

$15.35 KES 1,990

-1.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.96 KES 4,532

$34.77 KES 4,508

0.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 KES 6,492

$23.41 KES 3,036

113.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.22 KES 1,973

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 KES 1,015

$7.91 KES 1,025

-1.01%

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

$249 KES 32.3K

$115 KES 14.9K

116.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-1.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.28 KES 3,667

$11.77 KES 1,527

140.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.81 KES 3,736

$19.06 KES 2,471

51.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 KES 8,900

$15.63 KES 2,026

339.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 KES 7,560

$15.63 KES 2,026

273.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 KES 57.9K

$153 KES 19.8K

191.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 KES 28.4K

$138 KES 17.9K

58.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 KES 144.3K

$563 KES 73.0K

97.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 KES 64.8K

$212 KES 27.5K

135.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,323 KES 171.5K

$756 KES 98.1K

74.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$894 KES 115.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$478 KES 61.9K

$758 KES 98.3K

-37.03%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Kisumu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nairobi

$219 25.4%

Kisumu

$138 21.5% 36.9% $81

Groceries & Markets

Nairobi

$206 23.9%

Kisumu

$189 29.4% 8.2% $17

Eating Out

Nairobi

$125 14.5%

Kisumu

$108 16.8% 13.8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nairobi

$106 12.3%

Kisumu

$106 16.5% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Nairobi

$83 9.6%

Kisumu

$28 4.3% 66.3% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Nairobi

$66 7.6%

Kisumu

$39 6.1% 40.3% $27

Getting Around

Nairobi

$58 6.7%

Kisumu

$35 5.5% 38.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $447 in Nairobi versus $153 in Kisumu. 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 59% higher in Kisumu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Nairobi versus $25.00 in Kisumu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $189 – making Kisumu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kisumu

🕒 Local time

17:18 5:18 PM

Same time as Nairobi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,138,295 Capital

1,155,574

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Kisumu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nairobi costs about 34% more than Kisumu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,294 per month in Nairobi and $965 in Kisumu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 9% more in Nairobi, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Nairobi and $25.00 in Kisumu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kisumu, where all-in costs run around $644, than in Nairobi at $862. In Kisumu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nairobi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kisumu costs $644 versus $862 in Nairobi. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kisumu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nairobi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.