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: $836 in Nairobi versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,368 in Nairobi versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Nairobi versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Nairobi costs roughly 50% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nairobi is 39% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.94 KES 509

$12.14 MX$206

-67.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.11 KES 4,410

$53.9 MX$914

-36.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 KES 803

$11.09 MX$188

-44.00%

Cappuccino

$2.71 KES 351

$4.10 MX$69.5

-33.90%

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

$0.60 KES 78.2

$1.68 MX$28.53

-64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 KES 73.0

$1.39 MX$23.55

-59.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 KES 309

$3.33 MX$56.5

-28.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 KES 358

$5.88 MX$99.7

-52.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 KES 109

$1.85 MX$31.41

-54.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 KES 67.8

$3.17 MX$53.8

-83.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 KES 243

$2.07 MX$35.13

-9.18%

Eggs

$1.63 KES 211

$2.93 MX$49.67

-44.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 KES 1,366

$12.59 MX$214

-16.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.27 KES 810

$10.11 MX$172

-37.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.13 KES 792

$16.09 MX$273

-61.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 KES 428

$3.39 MX$57.5

-2.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$2.08 MX$35.26

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 KES 266

$2.12 MX$35.97

-2.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 KES 139

$2.41 MX$40.95

-55.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 KES 143

$2.13 MX$36.11

-47.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 KES 139

$2.01 MX$34.02

-46.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 KES 93.6

$1.55 MX$26.21

-53.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 KES 94.3

$1.36 MX$23.15

-46.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.49 KES 452

$5.77 MX$97.8

-39.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.54 KES 1,492

$17.74 MX$301

-34.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 KES 288

$2.07 MX$35.11

7.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 KES 371

$4.61 MX$78.3

-37.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KES 102

$0.37 MX$6.21

113.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.54 KES 5,889

$21.18 MX$359

115.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 KES 206

$2.05 MX$34.84

-22.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 KES 195

$0.58 MX$9.79

160.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 KES 380

$6.07 MX$103

-51.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 KES 197

$1.55 MX$26.34

-1.94%

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

$20.2K KES 2.6M

$22.9K MX$388.1K

-11.51%

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

$19.4K KES 2.5M

$27.2K MX$462.0K

-28.73%

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

$60.5 KES 7,816

$67.4 MX$1,144

-10.32%

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

$15.08 KES 1,950

$30.62 MX$520

-50.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.24 KES 4,557

$37.24 MX$632

-5.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 KES 6,598

$61.5 MX$1,043

-16.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.83 KES 1,918

$27.12 MX$460

-45.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 KES 990

$7.11 MX$121

7.74%

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

$242 KES 31.3K

$456 MX$7,739

-46.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K KES 1.5M

$13.7K MX$232.3K

-14.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.74 KES 3,458

$74.2 MX$1,259

-63.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.62 KES 3,313

$57.0 MX$967

-55.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.3 KES 8,051

$115 MX$1,958

-46.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.1 KES 7,905

$122 MX$2,061

-49.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 KES 58.5K

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-60.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$215 KES 27.8K

$709 MX$12.0K

-69.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 KES 146.8K

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-55.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$508 KES 65.7K

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-60.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,302 KES 168.4K

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-67.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$917 KES 118.5K

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-56.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$484 KES 62.6K

$1,082 MX$18.4K

-55.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

11.3

30.18%

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

Last update for Nairobi: September 8, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $452 in Nairobi and $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 123% 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: $34.00 in Nairobi vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $345 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 101% in total monthly costs ($836 vs $1,677 including rent). Nairobi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 123% lower in Mexico City. 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: $452 in Nairobi versus $1,148 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 115% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $242 in Nairobi versus $456 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $836 in Nairobi versus $1,677 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 101% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.