Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $782 in Nairobi versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,305 in Nairobi versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,828 in Nairobi versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Nairobi costs roughly 47% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nairobi is 42% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 KES 692

$13.18 MX$230

-59.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 KES 4,917

$53.9 MX$941

-29.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 KES 894

$9.42 MX$165

-26.65%

Cappuccino

$2.39 KES 309

$3.55 MX$62.0

-32.68%

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

$0.71 KES 91.8

$1.62 MX$28.25

-56.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 KES 65.5

$1.11 MX$19.46

-54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 KES 298

$3.12 MX$54.5

-25.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 KES 385

$4.63 MX$80.8

-35.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 KES 121

$1.70 MX$29.71

-44.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 KES 68.1

$2.72 MX$47.47

-80.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 KES 212

$1.91 MX$33.39

-14.14%

Eggs

$1.69 KES 218

$2.54 MX$44.28

-33.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 KES 1,518

$10.03 MX$175

17.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 KES 884

$8.09 MX$141

-15.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.44 KES 704

$11.62 MX$203

-53.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 KES 392

$2.97 MX$51.8

2.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 KES 140

$1.81 MX$31.54

-40.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 KES 269

$2.01 MX$35.15

3.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$2.03 MX$35.53

-48.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$2.12 MX$37.10

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$2.27 MX$39.63

-49.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 KES 90.8

$1.40 MX$24.45

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 KES 102

$1.13 MX$19.74

-30.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 KES 393

$4.27 MX$74.6

-28.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 KES 1,509

$15.56 MX$272

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 KES 287

$1.76 MX$30.68

26.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 KES 364

$3.60 MX$62.8

-21.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 KES 96.6

$0.38 MX$6.69

97.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.59 KES 3,956

$19.18 MX$335

59.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 KES 205

$1.38 MX$24.02

15.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 KES 194

$0.28 MX$4.83

435.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 KES 372

$5.45 MX$95.1

-47.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.30 MX$22.77

20.00%

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

$22.0K KES 2.8M

$18.7K MX$326.3K

17.77%

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

$20.4K KES 2.6M

$23.1K MX$403.9K

-11.73%

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

$34.70 KES 4,487

$40.86 MX$714

-15.08%

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

$16.60 KES 2,147

$26.81 MX$468

-38.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 KES 5,113

$29.96 MX$523

31.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.29 KES 5,598

$52.0 MX$908

-16.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.63 KES 2,667

$26.84 MX$469

-23.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 KES 785

$6.30 MX$110

-3.65%

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

$202 KES 26.1K

$436 MX$7,616

-53.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,140 KES 1.1M

$10.4K MX$181.9K

-21.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.28 KES 2,364

$56.7 MX$989

-67.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.56 KES 3,047

$44.38 MX$775

-46.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 KES 8,590

$103 MX$1,797

-35.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.7 KES 7,326

$106 MX$1,843

-46.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 KES 58.2K

$1,022 MX$17.8K

-55.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 KES 23.9K

$631 MX$11.0K

-70.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 KES 146.6K

$2,136 MX$37.3K

-46.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 KES 54.0K

$1,243 MX$21.7K

-66.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,558 KES 201.5K

$3,903 MX$68.2K

-60.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$886 KES 114.5K

$2,064 MX$36.0K

-57.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$416 KES 53.9K

$1,115 MX$19.5K

-62.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.84

11.34

30.86%

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

Last update for Nairobi: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $450 in Nairobi and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 168% 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: $38.00 in Nairobi vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $288 per month, with Nairobi cheaper across the board.

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nairobi and Mexico City differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($782 vs $1,467 including rent). Nairobi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 168% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $450 in Nairobi versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nairobi runs roughly 59% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $202 in Nairobi versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $782 in Nairobi versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nairobi but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Nairobi 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.

Expats usually find Nairobi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.