Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Naivasha and Nairobi

For one person, living is cheaper in Naivasha: $546 a month against $881 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Naivasha
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Naivasha Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index

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Naivasha

🇰🇪 Kenya

$546

/mo nomad

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$881

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Naivasha and in Nairobi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Naivasha and in Nairobi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $546 per month in Naivasha vs $881 in Nairobi, rent included.

Naivasha $546
Nairobi $881

A couple spends around $893 per month in Naivasha vs $1,446 in Nairobi, rent included.

Naivasha $893
Nairobi $1,446

A family of three spends $1,240 per month in Naivasha vs $2,010 in Nairobi, rent included.

Naivasha $1,240
Nairobi $2,010

Naivasha is about 38% cheaper than Nairobi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Naivasha and Nairobi are more affordable than the global median – Naivasha 60% lower, Nairobi 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.39 KES 830

$6.70 KES 870

-4.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.37 KES 4,463

$34.91 KES 4,533

-1.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 KES 804

$6.26 KES 813

-1.12%

Cappuccino

$2.65 KES 344

$2.60 KES 337

1.92%

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

$0.66 KES 85.3

$0.64 KES 83.4

3.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 KES 80.8

$0.67 KES 86.9

-7.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 KES 294

$2.25 KES 293

0.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 KES 358

$2.72 KES 353

1.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 KES 113

$0.93 KES 121

-6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 KES 74.8

$0.58 KES 75.3

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 KES 254

$2.04 KES 265

-3.92%

Eggs

$1.70 KES 220

$1.74 KES 226

-2.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.94 KES 1,420

$10.79 KES 1,401

1.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 KES 833

$6.46 KES 839

-0.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.26 KES 813

$6.29 KES 817

-0.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 KES 438

$3.52 KES 457

-3.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$1.02 KES 132

3.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 KES 273

$2.09 KES 271

0.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 KES 148

$1.10 KES 143

3.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 KES 145

$1.11 KES 145

0.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 KES 139

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KES 95.4

$0.75 KES 96.9

-1.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 KES 104

$0.75 KES 97.8

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 KES 454

$3.60 KES 468

-2.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 KES 1,517

$11.71 KES 1,521

-0.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 KES 285

$2.26 KES 293

-3.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 KES 362

$2.80 KES 364

-0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 KES 107

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.80 KES 5,947

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 KES 205

$1.53 KES 199

3.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 KES 203

$1.51 KES 196

3.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 KES 372

$2.88 KES 374

-0.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 201

$1.54 KES 200

0.65%

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

$19.6K KES 2.5M

$19.3K KES 2.5M

1.66%

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

$22.1K KES 2.9M

$21.9K KES 2.8M

0.96%

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

$55.4 KES 7,189

$56.8 KES 7,375

-2.52%

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

$15.36 KES 1,994

$15.49 KES 2,011

-0.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.83 KES 4,523

$34.75 KES 4,513

0.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 KES 6,615

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.40 KES 2,000

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 KES 1,005

$7.62 KES 989

1.57%

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

$276 KES 35.8K

$280 KES 36.4K

-1.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

3.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.73 KES 3,601

$28.39 KES 3,687

-2.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.30 KES 3,805

$29.86 KES 3,878

-1.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 KES 9,096

$68.6 KES 8,909

2.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 KES 7,690

$58.3 KES 7,568

1.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 KES 58.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 KES 30.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 KES 144.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 KES 70.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$780 KES 101.2K

$1,200 KES 155.8K

-35.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$782 KES 101.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$470 KES 61.0K

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 Naivasha: November 2, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Naivasha

$208 38.1%

Nairobi

$209 23.8% 0.6% $1.2

Eating Out

Naivasha

$123 22.6%

Nairobi

$126 14.3% 1.7% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Naivasha

$106 19.3%

Nairobi

$107 12.2% 1.4% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Naivasha

$84 15.4%

Nairobi

$83 9.5% 0.6% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Naivasha

$15 * 2.8%

Nairobi

$66 7.5% 327% $51

Getting Around

Naivasha

$9.4 * 1.7%

Nairobi

$58 6.6% 520% $49

Accommodation & Living

Naivasha

- * 0%

Nairobi

$232 26.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Naivasha versus $35 in Nairobi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $209 – making Naivasha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Naivasha

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🕒 Local time

07:47 7:47 AM

Same time as Naivasha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,563

3,138,295 Capital

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.89 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.89 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

Naivasha vs Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nairobi costs about 61% more than Naivasha, 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 $819 per month in Naivasha and $1,321 in Nairobi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $546 in Naivasha and $881 in Nairobi. That makes Naivasha about 38% cheaper.

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

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $546 in Naivasha and $881 in Nairobi, 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 $546 in Naivasha to $881 in Nairobi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.