Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Narok

For one person, living is cheaper in Narok: $608 a month against $885 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Nairobi, Kenya
Narok, Kenya
Nairobi
🇰🇪 Kenya
$885
/mo nomad
Narok
🇰🇪 Kenya
$608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nairobi and in Narok

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

A single person spends $885 per month in Nairobi vs $608 in Narok, rent included.

  • Nairobi $885
  • Narok $608

A couple spends around $1,436 per month in Nairobi vs $922 in Narok, rent included.

  • Nairobi $1,436
  • Narok $922

A family of three spends $1,987 per month in Nairobi vs $1,235 in Narok, rent included.

  • Nairobi $1,987
  • Narok $1,235

Nairobi costs about 45% more than Narok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nairobi and Narok are more affordable than the global median – Nairobi 35% lower, Narok 55% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nairobi
Narok
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.43 KES 835
$2.29 KES 297
180.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.51 KES 4,480
$22.64 KES 2,939
52.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.26 KES 813
$4.75 KES 617
31.79%
Cappuccino
$2.60 KES 337
$1.93 KES 251
34.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 KES 82.8
$0.37 KES 47.87
72.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 KES 86.8
$0.24 KES 31.18
179.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.30 KES 298
$1.97 KES 256
16.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 KES 356
$2.25 KES 292
22.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nairobi
Narok
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.95 KES 123
$0.76 KES 98.6
25.00%
White Bread (500g)
$0.59 KES 76.1
$0.48 KES 62.0
22.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.00 KES 260
$1.43 KES 186
39.86%
Eggs
$1.69 KES 220
$1.21 KES 157
39.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.01 KES 1,430
$6.03 KES 783
82.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.41 KES 832
$6.25 KES 812
2.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.41 KES 832
$6.21 KES 806
3.22%
Apples (1kg)
$3.42 KES 444
$2.99 KES 388
14.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.06 KES 138
$1.07 KES 139
-0.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 KES 263
$2.04 KES 264
-0.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.14 KES 147
$0.79 KES 103
44.30%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 KES 143
$0.79 KES 103
39.24%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 KES 143
$0.75 KES 97.8
46.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.74 KES 96.0
$0.75 KES 97.4
-1.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 KES 99.1
$0.52 KES 67.2
46.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.38 KES 438
$1.50 KES 195
125.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.65 KES 1,512
$7.10 KES 921
64.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 KES 293
$1.90 KES 246
18.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 KES 356
$2.26 KES 294
21.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Nairobi
Narok
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.83 KES 108
$1.12 KES 146
-25.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$46.81 KES 6,076
$38.58 KES 5,008
21.33%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.52 KES 197
$1.51 KES 195
0.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.52 KES 198
$1.37 KES 178
10.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.80 KES 364
$1.14 KES 148
145.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 KES 201
$1.39 KES 180
11.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.4K KES 2.5M
$19.2K KES 2.5M
1.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.2K KES 2.9M
$21.3K KES 2.8M
4.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nairobi
Narok
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$56.7 KES 7,356
$55.2 KES 7,170
2.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.25 KES 1,980
$7.56 KES 981
101.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.78 KES 4,514
$23.01 KES 2,987
51.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nairobi
Narok
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.6 KES 6,702
$23.43 KES 3,041
120.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.64 KES 2,031
$2.35 KES 305
565.53%
Cinema Ticket
$7.60 KES 987
$7.84 KES 1,017
-3.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nairobi
Narok
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$277 KES 36.0K
$58.4 KES 7,583
374.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K KES 1.6M
$7,728 KES 1.0M
59.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nairobi
Narok
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$27.73 KES 3,600
$15.58 KES 2,022
77.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.36 KES 3,811
$15.58 KES 2,023
88.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$69.3 KES 8,996
$23.13 KES 3,003
199.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.1 KES 7,667
$38.05 KES 4,938
55.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nairobi
Narok
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$441 KES 57.3K
$234 KES 30.4K
88.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$235 KES 30.6K
$152 KES 19.7K
54.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,131 KES 146.8K
$305 KES 39.6K
270.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$522 KES 67.8K
$235 KES 30.5K
122.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,234 KES 160.2K
$1,522 KES 197.5K
-18.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$805 KES 104.5K
$1,140 KES 147.9K
-29.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nairobi
Narok
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$484 KES 62.8K
$310 KES 40.2K
56.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
14.71
13
13.15%

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

Last update for Nairobi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Narok: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nairobi
$235
Narok
$152 35.4% $83
Groceries & Markets
Nairobi
$209
Narok
$166 20.9% $44
Eating Out
Nairobi
$124
Narok
$73 41.3% $51
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nairobi
$107
Narok
$86 19.6% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Nairobi
$83
Narok
$42 50.2% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Nairobi
$67
Narok
$39 41.5% $28
Getting Around
Nairobi
$59
Narok
$51 13.2% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $441 in Nairobi versus $234 in Narok. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 56% higher in Nairobi. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Nairobi versus $23 in Narok. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $166 – making Narok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇪 Nairobi
🇰🇪 Narok
🕒 Local time
18:04 6:04 PM
18:04 6:04 PM
Same time as Nairobi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,138,295 Capital
40,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nairobi Narok 110 km
From you
  • Nairobi
  • Narok

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 Narok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nairobi or Narok?
Nairobi costs about 45% more than Narok, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Nairobi and in Narok?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,327 per month in Nairobi and $912 in Narok. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Nairobi or Narok?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Narok, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $234 there versus $441 in Nairobi.
How expensive is transport in Nairobi compared to Narok?
Public transport costs about 18% less in Narok. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Nairobi and in Narok?
Kindergarten costs $277 per month in Nairobi and $58 in Narok. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Nairobi or in Narok?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $885 in Nairobi and $608 in Narok, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Narok – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Nairobi or to Narok?
If budget matters most, go with Narok. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nairobi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Nairobi vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?