Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Machakos

For one person, living is cheaper in Machakos: $520 a month against $885 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Machakos
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Machakos Living Index

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Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$885

/mo nomad

Machakos

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nairobi and in Machakos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $885 in Nairobi versus $520 in Machakos.

Nairobi $885
Machakos $520

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,436 in Nairobi versus $802 in Machakos.

Nairobi $1,436
Machakos $802

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,987 in Nairobi versus $1,084 in Machakos.

Nairobi $1,987
Machakos $1,084

Living in Nairobi is roughly 70% more expensive than in Machakos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nairobi 35% lower, Machakos 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.43 KES 835

$2.99 KES 389

115.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.51 KES 4,480

$19.26 KES 2,500

79.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 KES 813

$6.26 KES 812

Cappuccino

$2.60 KES 337

$1.97 KES 255

31.98%

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

$0.64 KES 82.8

$0.66 KES 85.4

-3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 KES 86.8

$0.54 KES 69.6

24.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 KES 298

$2.16 KES 281

6.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 KES 356

$2.67 KES 346

3.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 KES 123

$0.39 KES 50.9

143.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 KES 76.1

$0.48 KES 62.7

22.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 KES 260

$0.80 KES 104

150.00%

Eggs

$1.69 KES 220

$1.36 KES 177

24.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 KES 1,430

$10.89 KES 1,413

1.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 KES 832

$6.36 KES 826

0.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 KES 832

$4.71 KES 612

36.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 KES 444

$1.50 KES 195

128.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$0.81 KES 105

30.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 KES 263

$0.37 KES 47.49

448.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 KES 147

$0.40 KES 51.6

185.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$0.79 KES 102

39.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$0.76 KES 98.6

44.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KES 96.0

$0.75 KES 97.6

-1.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 KES 99.1

$0.39 KES 51.1

94.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 KES 438

$3.51 KES 455

-3.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.65 KES 1,512

$11.31 KES 1,468

3.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 KES 293

$1.91 KES 248

18.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 KES 356

$2.70 KES 351

1.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 KES 108

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.81 KES 6,076

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 KES 197

$0.74 KES 96.4

105.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 198

$0.75 KES 97.8

102.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 KES 364

$2.86 KES 371

-2.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 201

$1.50 KES 195

3.33%

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

$19.4K KES 2.5M

$19.1K KES 2.5M

1.34%

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

$22.2K KES 2.9M

$21.7K KES 2.8M

2.24%

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

$56.7 KES 7,356

$57.0 KES 7,396

-0.54%

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

$15.25 KES 1,980

$7.83 KES 1,017

94.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.78 KES 4,514

$11.58 KES 1,503

200.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 KES 6,702

$38.98 KES 5,060

32.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 KES 2,031

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 KES 987

$7.66 KES 994

-0.78%

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

$277 KES 36.0K

$45.51 KES 5,907

508.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-0.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.73 KES 3,600

$11.62 KES 1,509

138.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.36 KES 3,811

$28.49 KES 3,698

3.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 KES 8,996

$68.8 KES 8,923

0.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 KES 7,667

$38.19 KES 4,956

54.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 KES 57.3K

$94.2 KES 12.2K

368.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 KES 30.6K

$70.4 KES 9,132

234.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 KES 146.8K

$155 KES 20.1K

630.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 KES 67.8K

$116 KES 15.1K

348.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,234 KES 160.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$805 KES 104.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$484 KES 62.8K

$385 KES 50.0K

25.74%

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 Machakos: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nairobi

$235 26.6%

Machakos

$70 13.5% 70.1% $165

Groceries & Markets

Nairobi

$209 23.7%

Machakos

$161 31% 23.1% $48

Eating Out

Nairobi

$124 14%

Machakos

$87 16.8% 29.4% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nairobi

$107 12.1%

Machakos

$76 14.7% 28.4% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Nairobi

$83 9.4%

Machakos

$66 12.7% 20.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Nairobi

$67 7.6%

Machakos

$54 10.4% 18.7% $13

Getting Around

Nairobi

$59 6.7%

Machakos

$4.5 * 0.9% 92.4% $55

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 $94 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nairobi pays 26% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35 in Nairobi vs $19 in Machakos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $161 per month, with Machakos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🇰🇪 Machakos

🕒 Local time

18:56 6:56 PM

Same time as Nairobi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,138,295 Capital

114,109

💱 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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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 Machakos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machakos wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Nairobi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Machakos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Nairobi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $441 in Nairobi versus $94 in Machakos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Nairobi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $885 per month in Nairobi versus $520 in Machakos – Machakos is about 41% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $520 in Machakos versus $885 in Nairobi, a $800 budget is realistic in Machakos but tight or insufficient in Nairobi. The gap between the two cities makes Machakos 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.

It comes down to priorities – Machakos wins on affordability, Nairobi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.