Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Ongata Rongai

For one person, living is cheaper in Ongata Rongai: $572 a month against $885 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Ongata Rongai
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Ongata Rongai Living Index

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Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$885

/mo nomad

Ongata Rongai

🇰🇪 Kenya

$572

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nairobi and in Ongata Rongai

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

A single person spends $885 per month in Nairobi vs $572 in Ongata Rongai, rent included.

Nairobi $885
Ongata Rongai $572

A couple spends around $1,436 per month in Nairobi vs $881 in Ongata Rongai, rent included.

Nairobi $1,436
Ongata Rongai $881

A family of three spends $1,987 per month in Nairobi vs $1,190 in Ongata Rongai, rent included.

Nairobi $1,987
Ongata Rongai $1,190

Nairobi costs about 55% more than Ongata Rongai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nairobi and Ongata Rongai are more affordable than the global median – Nairobi 35% lower, Ongata Rongai 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.43 KES 835

$6.56 KES 851

-1.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.51 KES 4,480

$19.07 KES 2,475

80.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 KES 813

$6.20 KES 805

0.97%

Cappuccino

$2.60 KES 337

$1.95 KES 253

33.33%

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

$0.64 KES 82.8

$0.29 KES 38.27

120.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 KES 86.8

$0.39 KES 50.9

71.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 KES 298

$2.29 KES 297

0.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 KES 356

$2.71 KES 352

1.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 KES 123

$0.44 KES 57.7

115.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 KES 76.1

$0.48 KES 61.9

22.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 KES 260

$1.58 KES 205

26.58%

Eggs

$1.69 KES 220

$1.37 KES 178

23.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 KES 1,430

$4.35 KES 565

153.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 KES 832

$3.51 KES 456

82.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 KES 832

$3.37 KES 438

90.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 KES 444

$1.25 KES 162

173.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$1.08 KES 140

-1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 KES 263

$1.18 KES 153

72.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 KES 147

$0.65 KES 84.2

75.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$0.73 KES 95.2

50.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$0.48 KES 62.4

129.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KES 96.0

$0.71 KES 91.9

4.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 KES 99.1

$0.48 KES 62.7

58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 KES 438

$2.29 KES 297

47.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.65 KES 1,512

$9.03 KES 1,173

29.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 KES 293

$2.20 KES 285

2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 KES 356

$2.80 KES 363

-2.14%

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

$1.58 KES 205

-3.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 198

$1.51 KES 196

0.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 KES 364

$2.93 KES 381

-4.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 201

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

$19.4K KES 2.5M

0.03%

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

$22.2K KES 2.9M

$22.1K KES 2.9M

0.51%

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

$56.7 KES 7,356

$54.8 KES 7,115

3.39%

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

$15.25 KES 1,980

$14.99 KES 1,946

1.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.78 KES 4,514

$35.02 KES 4,546

-0.69%

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

$7.69 KES 998

-1.17%

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

$277 KES 36.0K

$273 KES 35.4K

1.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$12.4K KES 1.6M

-0.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.73 KES 3,600

$27.87 KES 3,617

-0.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.36 KES 3,811

$29.51 KES 3,830

-0.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 KES 8,996

$69.7 KES 9,052

-0.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 KES 7,667

$59.5 KES 7,725

-0.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 KES 57.3K

$156 KES 20.3K

182.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 KES 30.6K

$116 KES 15.0K

103.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 KES 146.8K

$233 KES 30.2K

385.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 KES 67.8K

$233 KES 30.3K

123.91%

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 Ongata Rongai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nairobi

$235 26.6%

Ongata Rongai

$116 20.2% 50.9% $120

Groceries & Markets

Nairobi

$209 23.7%

Ongata Rongai

$129 22.5% 38.5% $81

Eating Out

Nairobi

$124 14%

Ongata Rongai

$114 20% 7.8% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nairobi

$107 12.1%

Ongata Rongai

$105 18.3% 1.8% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Nairobi

$83 9.4%

Ongata Rongai

$84 14.7% 0.6% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Nairobi

$67 7.6%

Ongata Rongai

$15 * 2.7% 77% $51

Getting Around

Nairobi

$59 6.7%

Ongata Rongai

$9.1 * 1.6% 84.6% $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 $156 in Ongata Rongai. 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 $19 in Ongata Rongai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $129 – making Ongata Rongai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🇰🇪 Ongata Rongai

🕒 Local time

20:36 8:36 PM

Same time as Nairobi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,138,295 Capital

172,569

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Nairobi vs Ongata Rongai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nairobi costs about 55% more than Ongata Rongai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $858 in Ongata Rongai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ongata Rongai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $156 there versus $441 in Nairobi.

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

Groceries cost about 63% more in Nairobi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $885 in Nairobi and $572 in Ongata Rongai, 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 $572 in Ongata Rongai to $885 in Nairobi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.