Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Naivasha

For one person, living is cheaper in Naivasha: $546 a month against $881 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Naivasha
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Naivasha Living Index

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Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$881

/mo nomad

Naivasha

🇰🇪 Kenya

$546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nairobi and in Naivasha

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

A single person spends $881 per month in Nairobi vs $546 in Naivasha, rent included.

Nairobi $881
Naivasha $546

A couple spends around $1,446 per month in Nairobi vs $893 in Naivasha, rent included.

Nairobi $1,446
Naivasha $893

A family of three spends $2,010 per month in Nairobi vs $1,240 in Naivasha, rent included.

Nairobi $2,010
Naivasha $1,240

Nairobi costs about 61% more than Naivasha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Nairobi and Naivasha are more affordable than the global median – Nairobi 35% lower, Naivasha 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.70 KES 870

$6.39 KES 830

4.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.91 KES 4,534

$34.37 KES 4,465

1.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 KES 813

$6.19 KES 805

1.13%

Cappuccino

$2.60 KES 338

$2.65 KES 344

-1.89%

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

$0.64 KES 83.4

$0.66 KES 85.3

-3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 KES 87.0

$0.62 KES 80.8

8.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 KES 293

$2.26 KES 294

-0.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 KES 354

$2.76 KES 358

-1.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 KES 121

$0.87 KES 113

6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 KES 75.4

$0.58 KES 74.8

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 KES 265

$1.96 KES 254

4.08%

Eggs

$1.74 KES 226

$1.70 KES 220

2.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.79 KES 1,402

$10.94 KES 1,421

-1.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 KES 839

$6.41 KES 833

0.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.29 KES 817

$6.26 KES 813

0.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 KES 457

$3.38 KES 439

4.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 KES 132

$1.06 KES 138

-3.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 KES 271

$2.10 KES 273

-0.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$1.14 KES 148

-3.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 KES 145

$1.12 KES 145

-0.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 KES 139

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 KES 97.0

$0.74 KES 95.5

1.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 KES 97.8

$0.80 KES 104

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 KES 468

$3.50 KES 454

2.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 KES 1,521

$11.68 KES 1,517

0.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 KES 294

$2.19 KES 285

3.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 KES 364

$2.79 KES 363

0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 KES 107

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.80 KES 5,950

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 KES 199

$1.58 KES 205

-3.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 KES 196

$1.56 KES 203

-3.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 KES 374

$2.87 KES 372

0.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 KES 200

$1.55 KES 201

-0.65%

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

$19.3K KES 2.5M

$19.6K KES 2.5M

-1.63%

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

$21.9K KES 2.8M

$22.1K KES 2.9M

-0.95%

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

$56.8 KES 7,377

$55.4 KES 7,192

2.58%

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

$15.49 KES 2,012

$15.36 KES 1,995

0.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.75 KES 4,514

$34.83 KES 4,525

-0.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 KES 6,618

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.40 KES 2,001

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 KES 990

$7.74 KES 1,006

-1.55%

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

$280 KES 36.4K

$276 KES 35.9K

1.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-3.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.39 KES 3,688

$27.73 KES 3,602

2.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.86 KES 3,879

$29.30 KES 3,806

1.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 KES 8,913

$70.1 KES 9,100

-2.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 KES 7,571

$59.2 KES 7,693

-1.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 KES 58.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 KES 30.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 KES 144.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 KES 70.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,200 KES 155.8K

$780 KES 101.3K

53.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$782 KES 101.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$470 KES 61.0K

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Naivasha: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nairobi

$232 26.3%

Naivasha

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Nairobi

$209 23.8%

Naivasha

$208 38.1% 0.5% $1.2

Eating Out

Nairobi

$126 14.3%

Naivasha

$123 22.6% 1.6% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nairobi

$107 12.2%

Naivasha

$106 19.3% 1.4% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Nairobi

$83 9.5%

Naivasha

$84 15.4% 0.6% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nairobi

$66 7.5%

Naivasha

$15 * 2.8% 76.6% $51

Getting Around

Nairobi

$58 6.6%

Naivasha

$9.4 * 1.7% 83.9% $49

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Nairobi versus $34 in Naivasha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $208 – making Naivasha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🇰🇪 Naivasha

🕒 Local time

07:47 7:47 AM

Same time as Nairobi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,138,295 Capital

14,563

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.88 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.88 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 Naivasha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nairobi costs about 61% more than Naivasha, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,321 per month in Nairobi and $819 in Naivasha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $881 in Nairobi and $546 in Naivasha. That makes Naivasha about 38% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Nairobi and $34 in Naivasha. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $881 in Nairobi and $546 in Naivasha, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Nairobi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $546 in Naivasha to $881 in Nairobi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.