Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Nakuru

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakuru: $642 a month against $885 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Nakuru
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Nakuru Living Index

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Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$885

/mo nomad

Nakuru

🇰🇪 Kenya

$642

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nairobi and in Nakuru

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

A single person spends $885 per month in Nairobi vs $642 in Nakuru, rent included.

Nairobi $885
Nakuru $642

A couple spends around $1,436 per month in Nairobi vs $994 in Nakuru, rent included.

Nairobi $1,436
Nakuru $994

A family of three spends $1,987 per month in Nairobi vs $1,346 in Nakuru, rent included.

Nairobi $1,987
Nakuru $1,346

Nairobi costs about 38% more than Nakuru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Nairobi and Nakuru are more affordable than the global median – Nairobi 35% lower, Nakuru 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.43 KES 835

$3.84 KES 498

67.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.51 KES 4,480

$34.80 KES 4,517

-0.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 KES 813

$6.54 KES 848

-4.28%

Cappuccino

$2.60 KES 337

$1.94 KES 252

34.02%

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

$0.64 KES 82.8

$0.39 KES 50.7

64.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 KES 86.8

$0.24 KES 31.35

179.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 KES 298

$2.26 KES 294

1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 KES 356

$2.62 KES 340

4.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 KES 123

$0.52 KES 67.4

82.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 KES 76.1

$0.44 KES 56.8

34.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 KES 260

$1.58 KES 205

26.58%

Eggs

$1.69 KES 220

$1.53 KES 199

10.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 KES 1,430

$10.81 KES 1,404

1.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 KES 832

$6.44 KES 835

-0.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 KES 832

$6.38 KES 828

0.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 KES 444

$3.36 KES 436

1.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$1.03 KES 133

2.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 KES 263

$2.07 KES 269

-1.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 KES 147

$1.09 KES 142

4.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$1.15 KES 149

-4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KES 96.0

$0.71 KES 92.1

4.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 KES 99.1

$0.80 KES 103

-5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 KES 438

$3.40 KES 442

-0.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.65 KES 1,512

$11.38 KES 1,477

2.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 KES 293

$2.22 KES 289

1.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 KES 356

$2.71 KES 352

1.11%

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

$1.51 KES 196

0.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 198

$1.51 KES 196

0.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 KES 364

$2.94 KES 381

-4.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 201

$1.62 KES 210

-4.32%

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

$19.4K KES 2.5M

$19.6K KES 2.5M

-1.08%

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

$22.2K KES 2.9M

$21.5K KES 2.8M

3.44%

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

$56.7 KES 7,356

$55.5 KES 7,204

2.11%

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

$15.25 KES 1,980

$15.37 KES 1,995

-0.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.78 KES 4,514

$34.48 KES 4,476

0.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 KES 6,702

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 KES 2,031

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 KES 987

$7.91 KES 1,026

-3.92%

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

$277 KES 36.0K

$279 KES 36.2K

-0.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-0.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.73 KES 3,600

$28.16 KES 3,656

-1.53%

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

$70.0 KES 9,081

-0.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 KES 7,667

$58.0 KES 7,534

1.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 KES 57.3K

$227 KES 29.5K

94.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 KES 30.6K

$136 KES 17.7K

72.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 KES 146.8K

$536 KES 69.5K

111.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 KES 67.8K

$190 KES 24.7K

174.86%

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

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 Nakuru: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nairobi

$235 26.6%

Nakuru

$136 21.2% 42.1% $99

Groceries & Markets

Nairobi

$209 23.7%

Nakuru

$200 31.1% 4.6% $9.6

Eating Out

Nairobi

$124 14%

Nakuru

$93 14.4% 25% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nairobi

$107 12.1%

Nakuru

$105 16.4% 1.3% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Nairobi

$83 9.4%

Nakuru

$83 12.9% 0.4% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Nairobi

$67 7.6%

Nakuru

$16 * 2.5% 76.3% $51

Getting Around

Nairobi

$59 6.7%

Nakuru

$9.1 * 1.4% 84.7% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $441 in Nairobi versus $227 in Nakuru. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Nairobi versus $35 in Nakuru. Groceries tell a different story – $209 in Nairobi vs $200 in Nakuru – so Nakuru wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🇰🇪 Nakuru

🕒 Local time

03:13 3:13 AM

Same time as Nairobi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,138,295 Capital

307,990

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Nairobi Nakuru 140 km

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Nairobi
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Nakuru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nairobi costs about 38% more than Nakuru, 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 $1,327 per month in Nairobi and $963 in Nakuru. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nakuru, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $227 there versus $441 in Nairobi.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $885 in Nairobi and $642 in Nakuru. That makes Nakuru about 27% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Nairobi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $885 in Nairobi and $642 in Nakuru, 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 $642 in Nakuru to $885 in Nairobi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.