Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Wote

For one person, living is cheaper in Wote: $601 a month against $885 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Wote
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Wote Living Index

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Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$885

/mo nomad

Wote

🇰🇪 Kenya

$601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nairobi and in Wote

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

A single person spends $885 per month in Nairobi vs $601 in Wote, rent included.

Nairobi $885
Wote $601

A couple spends around $1,436 per month in Nairobi vs $1,062 in Wote, rent included.

Nairobi $1,436
Wote $1,062

A family of three spends $1,987 per month in Nairobi vs $1,523 in Wote, rent included.

Nairobi $1,987
Wote $1,523

Nairobi costs about 47% more than Wote, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Nairobi and Wote are more affordable than the global median – Nairobi 35% lower, Wote 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.43 KES 835

$3.01 KES 391

113.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.51 KES 4,480

$34.42 KES 4,468

0.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 KES 813

$6.48 KES 841

-3.40%

Cappuccino

$2.60 KES 337

$1.50 KES 195

73.33%

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

$0.22 KES 28.50

204.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 KES 298

$2.13 KES 277

7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 KES 356

$2.33 KES 303

18.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 KES 123

$0.75 KES 97.3

26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 KES 76.1

$0.58 KES 74.9

1.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 KES 260

$1.47 KES 191

36.05%

Eggs

$1.69 KES 220

$1.35 KES 175

25.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 KES 1,430

$4.74 KES 615

132.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 KES 832

$5.99 KES 777

7.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 KES 832

$5.63 KES 730

13.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 KES 444

$3.33 KES 433

2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$1.07 KES 139

-0.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 KES 263

$2.00 KES 260

1.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 KES 147

$0.61 KES 78.6

86.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$0.56 KES 72.6

96.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$1.09 KES 142

0.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KES 96.0

$0.75 KES 97.6

-1.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 KES 99.1

$0.55 KES 72.0

38.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 KES 438

$3.44 KES 447

-1.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.65 KES 1,512

$11.40 KES 1,480

2.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 KES 293

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 KES 356

$2.75 KES 357

-0.36%

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

$2.81 KES 364

-0.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 201

$1.53 KES 199

1.31%

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

$19.4K KES 2.5M

$19.1K KES 2.5M

1.68%

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

$22.2K KES 2.9M

$21.8K KES 2.8M

1.71%

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

$56.7 KES 7,356

$54.8 KES 7,116

3.37%

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

$15.25 KES 1,980

$15.02 KES 1,950

1.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.78 KES 4,514

$35.15 KES 4,563

-1.05%

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

$7.58 KES 984

0.26%

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

$277 KES 36.0K

$154 KES 20.0K

79.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$12.2K KES 1.6M

0.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.73 KES 3,600

$11.68 KES 1,516

137.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.36 KES 3,811

$7.59 KES 985

286.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 KES 8,996

$19.48 KES 2,529

255.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 KES 7,667

$22.94 KES 2,978

157.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 KES 57.3K

$377 KES 49.0K

16.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 KES 30.6K

$191 KES 24.9K

22.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 KES 146.8K

$772 KES 100.2K

46.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 KES 67.8K

$584 KES 75.8K

-10.64%

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 Wote: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nairobi

$235 26.6%

Wote

$191 31.9% 18.7% $44

Groceries & Markets

Nairobi

$209 23.7%

Wote

$173 28.8% 17.5% $37

Eating Out

Nairobi

$124 14%

Wote

$79 13.2% 35.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nairobi

$107 12.1%

Wote

$105 17.5% 1.6% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Nairobi

$83 9.4%

Wote

$28 4.6% 66.7% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Nairobi

$67 7.6%

Wote

$15 * 2.5% 77.3% $52

Getting Around

Nairobi

$59 6.7%

Wote

$9.1 * 1.5% 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 $377 in Wote. 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 $34 in Wote. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $173 – making Wote the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🇰🇪 Wote

🕒 Local time

22:07 10:07 PM

Same time as Nairobi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,138,295 Capital

19,725

💱 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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Nairobi vs Wote: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nairobi costs about 47% more than Wote, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $901 in Wote. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wote, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $377 there versus $441 in Nairobi.

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

Groceries cost about 21% more in Nairobi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Wote, where all-in costs run around $601, than in Nairobi at $885. In Wote it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nairobi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wote – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.