Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Nyahururu

For one person, living is cheaper in Nyahururu: $624 a month against $881 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Nyahururu
Learn more

Nyahururu Living Index

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Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$881

/mo nomad

Nyahururu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$624

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nairobi and in Nyahururu

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

A single person spends $881 per month in Nairobi vs $624 in Nyahururu, rent included.

Nairobi $881
Nyahururu $624

A couple spends around $1,446 per month in Nairobi vs $985 in Nyahururu, rent included.

Nairobi $1,446
Nyahururu $985

A family of three spends $2,010 per month in Nairobi vs $1,347 in Nyahururu, rent included.

Nairobi $2,010
Nyahururu $1,347

Nairobi costs about 41% more than Nyahururu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nairobi and Nyahururu are more affordable than the global median – Nairobi 35% lower, Nyahururu 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.70 KES 870

$3.88 KES 504

72.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.91 KES 4,533

$18.93 KES 2,458

84.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 KES 813

$6.38 KES 828

-1.88%

Cappuccino

$2.60 KES 337

$2.60 KES 338

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

$0.64 KES 83.4

$0.64 KES 82.8

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 KES 86.9

$0.56 KES 72.1

19.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 KES 293

$2.33 KES 303

-3.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 KES 353

$2.61 KES 339

4.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 KES 121

$0.74 KES 96.6

25.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 KES 75.3

$0.54 KES 70.4

7.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 KES 265

$2.02 KES 262

0.99%

Eggs

$1.74 KES 226

$1.68 KES 218

3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.79 KES 1,401

$11.09 KES 1,440

-2.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 KES 839

$6.48 KES 841

-0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.29 KES 817

$6.24 KES 811

0.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 KES 457

$3.38 KES 439

4.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 KES 132

$1.07 KES 139

-4.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 KES 271

$2.11 KES 274

-0.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 KES 145

$1.16 KES 150

-4.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 KES 139

$1.11 KES 144

-3.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 KES 96.9

$0.73 KES 94.8

2.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 KES 97.8

$0.79 KES 103

-5.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 KES 468

$3.48 KES 452

3.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.71 KES 1,521

$11.41 KES 1,481

2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 KES 293

$2.25 KES 292

0.44%

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

$0.39 KES 51.1

112.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.80 KES 5,947

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 KES 199

$1.56 KES 203

-1.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 KES 196

$1.52 KES 198

-0.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 KES 374

$2.87 KES 373

0.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 KES 200

$1.43 KES 185

7.69%

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

$19.3K KES 2.5M

$19.0K KES 2.5M

1.43%

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

$21.9K KES 2.8M

$22.2K KES 2.9M

-1.56%

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

$56.8 KES 7,375

$56.4 KES 7,323

0.69%

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

$15.49 KES 2,011

$15.39 KES 1,998

0.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.75 KES 4,513

$34.81 KES 4,520

-0.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 KES 6,615

$38.25 KES 4,967

33.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.40 KES 2,000

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 KES 989

$7.52 KES 977

1.33%

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

$280 KES 36.4K

-0.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

-2.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.39 KES 3,687

$28.41 KES 3,689

-0.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.86 KES 3,878

$29.30 KES 3,804

1.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 KES 8,909

$70.1 KES 9,102

-2.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 KES 7,568

$59.0 KES 7,655

-1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 KES 58.6K

$85.4 KES 11.1K

428.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 KES 30.1K

$58.9 KES 7,642

293.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 KES 144.9K

$348 KES 45.2K

220.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 KES 70.5K

$152 KES 19.7K

258.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,200 KES 155.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$782 KES 101.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$470 KES 61.0K

$117 KES 15.2K

302.61%

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 Nyahururu: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nairobi

$232 26.3%

Nyahururu

$59 9.4% 74.6% $173

Groceries & Markets

Nairobi

$209 23.8%

Nyahururu

$207 33.2% 1% $2.1

Eating Out

Nairobi

$126 14.3%

Nyahururu

$103 16.5% 17.9% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nairobi

$107 12.2%

Nyahururu

$107 17.1% 0.4% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

Nairobi

$83 9.5%

Nyahururu

$84 13.5% 0.9% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nairobi

$66 7.5%

Nyahururu

$53 8.6% 19.5% $13

Getting Around

Nairobi

$58 6.6%

Nyahururu

$11 * 1.7% 81.5% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $452 in Nairobi versus $85 in Nyahururu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Nairobi are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Nairobi versus $19 in Nyahururu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $207 – making Nyahururu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🇰🇪 Nyahururu

🕒 Local time

12:13 12:13 PM

Same time as Nairobi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,138,295 Capital

37,650

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 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 Nyahururu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nairobi costs about 41% more than Nyahururu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $935 in Nyahururu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nyahururu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $85 there versus $452 in Nairobi.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $881 in Nairobi and $624 in Nyahururu. That makes Nyahururu about 29% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Nairobi and $19 in Nyahururu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $881 in Nairobi and $624 in Nyahururu, 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 $624 in Nyahururu to $881 in Nairobi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Nyahururu. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nairobi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.