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: $765 in Nairobi versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,299 in Nairobi versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,832 in Nairobi versus $3,266 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 43% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 KES 717

$13.07 MX$228

-57.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.48 KES 4,973

$53.8 MX$936

-28.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.64 KES 858

$9.68 MX$169

-31.40%

Cappuccino

$2.49 KES 322

$3.74 MX$65.1

-33.42%

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

$0.70 KES 91.1

$1.62 MX$28.13

-56.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 KES 65.0

$1.16 MX$20.23

-56.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 KES 306

$3.23 MX$56.2

-26.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 KES 366

$4.74 MX$82.5

-40.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 KES 111

$1.65 MX$28.68

-47.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 KES 72.6

$2.75 MX$47.95

-79.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 KES 207

$1.87 MX$32.63

-14.44%

Eggs

$1.68 KES 216

$2.50 MX$43.54

-32.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 KES 1,513

$10.20 MX$178

14.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 KES 894

$8.25 MX$144

-16.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.64 KES 729

$11.82 MX$206

-52.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 KES 398

$3.01 MX$52.4

2.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 KES 139

$1.81 MX$31.54

-40.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 KES 266

$2.00 MX$34.81

3.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$2.00 MX$34.74

-48.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 KES 138

$2.08 MX$36.30

-48.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$2.27 MX$39.56

-49.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 KES 84.5

$1.46 MX$25.36

-55.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 KES 96.6

$1.08 MX$18.74

-30.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 KES 409

$4.35 MX$75.7

-27.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.79 KES 1,524

$16.99 MX$296

-30.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 KES 285

$1.73 MX$30.18

27.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 KES 365

$3.58 MX$62.3

-20.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 KES 97.4

$0.39 MX$6.74

92.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.90 KES 3,993

$18.69 MX$325

65.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 KES 198

$1.33 MX$23.08

15.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 KES 193

$0.28 MX$4.87

435.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 KES 382

$5.25 MX$91.5

-43.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 KES 198

$1.34 MX$23.27

14.18%

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

$22.1K KES 2.9M

$19.4K MX$338.0K

13.73%

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

$19.8K KES 2.6M

$23.8K MX$415.0K

-17.07%

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

$33.74 KES 4,360

$40.69 MX$709

-17.08%

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

$16.72 KES 2,160

$26.87 MX$468

-37.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.94 KES 5,032

$30.51 MX$531

27.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.13 KES 5,574

$52.8 MX$919

-18.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.62 KES 2,665

$26.65 MX$464

-22.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.36 KES 822

$6.51 MX$113

-2.30%

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

$205 KES 26.5K

$428 MX$7,454

-52.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,113 KES 1.0M

$10.5K MX$182.8K

-22.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.49 KES 2,389

$57.3 MX$997

-67.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.69 KES 3,062

$45.50 MX$792

-47.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.3 KES 8,310

$104 MX$1,812

-38.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 KES 7,185

$108 MX$1,878

-48.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 KES 56.7K

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-56.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 KES 24.1K

$623 MX$10.8K

-70.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 KES 147.5K

$2,109 MX$36.7K

-45.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 KES 55.8K

$1,218 MX$21.2K

-64.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,526 KES 197.2K

$3,885 MX$67.6K

-60.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$909 KES 117.5K

$2,033 MX$35.4K

-55.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$431 KES 55.7K

$1,038 MX$18.1K

-58.46%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Nairobi and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 141% 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 $292 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 90% in total monthly costs ($765 vs $1,456 including rent). Nairobi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 141% 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: $438 in Nairobi versus $1,003 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 65% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $205 in Nairobi versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $765 in Nairobi versus $1,456 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 90% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.