Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nakuru and Nairobi

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakuru: $642 a month against $885 in Nairobi, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Nakuru
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Nakuru Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index

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Nakuru

🇰🇪 Kenya

$642

/mo nomad

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nakuru 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 Nakuru and in Nairobi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $642 per month in Nakuru vs $885 in Nairobi, rent included.

Nakuru $642
Nairobi $885

A couple spends around $994 per month in Nakuru vs $1,436 in Nairobi, rent included.

Nakuru $994
Nairobi $1,436

A family of three spends $1,346 per month in Nakuru vs $1,987 in Nairobi, rent included.

Nakuru $1,346
Nairobi $1,987

Nakuru is about 27% cheaper than Nairobi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Nakuru and Nairobi are more affordable than the global median – Nakuru 53% lower, Nairobi 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 KES 499

$6.43 KES 835

-40.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.80 KES 4,519

$34.51 KES 4,482

0.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.54 KES 849

$6.26 KES 813

4.47%

Cappuccino

$1.94 KES 252

$2.60 KES 338

-25.38%

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

$0.39 KES 50.7

$0.64 KES 82.9

-39.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 KES 31.36

$0.67 KES 86.8

-64.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 KES 294

$2.30 KES 299

-1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 KES 340

$2.75 KES 357

-4.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.52 KES 67.4

$0.95 KES 123

-45.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 KES 56.8

$0.59 KES 76.2

-25.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 KES 205

$2.00 KES 260

-21.00%

Eggs

$1.53 KES 199

$1.69 KES 220

-9.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 KES 1,404

$11.01 KES 1,430

-1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 KES 836

$6.41 KES 832

0.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.38 KES 828

$6.41 KES 832

-0.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 KES 437

$3.42 KES 444

-1.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 KES 134

$1.06 KES 138

-2.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 KES 269

$2.03 KES 263

1.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 KES 142

$1.14 KES 147

-4.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$1.10 KES 143

4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 KES 92.2

$0.74 KES 96.0

-4.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 KES 103

$0.76 KES 99.1

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 KES 442

$3.38 KES 438

0.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.38 KES 1,478

$11.65 KES 1,513

-2.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 KES 289

$2.26 KES 293

-1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 KES 352

$2.74 KES 356

-1.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 KES 108

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.81 KES 6,079

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 KES 196

$1.52 KES 197

-0.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 KES 196

$1.52 KES 198

-0.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 KES 381

$2.80 KES 364

5.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 KES 210

$1.55 KES 202

4.52%

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

$19.6K KES 2.5M

$19.4K KES 2.5M

1.10%

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

$21.5K KES 2.8M

$22.2K KES 2.9M

-3.33%

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

$55.5 KES 7,207

$56.7 KES 7,359

-2.06%

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

$15.37 KES 1,996

$15.25 KES 1,981

0.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.48 KES 4,478

$34.78 KES 4,516

-0.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 KES 6,705

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 KES 2,031

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 KES 1,027

$7.60 KES 987

4.08%

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

$279 KES 36.2K

$277 KES 36.0K

0.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

0.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.16 KES 3,657

$27.73 KES 3,601

1.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.49 KES 3,700

$29.36 KES 3,812

-2.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 KES 9,085

$69.3 KES 9,000

0.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 KES 7,537

$59.1 KES 7,671

-1.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$227 KES 29.5K

$441 KES 57.3K

-48.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 KES 17.7K

$235 KES 30.6K

-42.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$536 KES 69.5K

$1,131 KES 146.9K

-52.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 KES 24.7K

$522 KES 67.8K

-63.62%

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 62.9K

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 Nakuru: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nakuru

$200 31.1%

Nairobi

$209 23.7% 4.8% $9.6

Accommodation & Living

Nakuru

$136 21.2%

Nairobi

$235 26.6% 72.6% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nakuru

$105 16.4%

Nairobi

$107 12.1% 1.3% $1.4

Eating Out

Nakuru

$93 14.4%

Nairobi

$124 14% 33.4% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Nakuru

$83 12.9%

Nairobi

$83 9.4% 0.4% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Nakuru

$16 * 2.5%

Nairobi

$67 7.6% 323% $51

Getting Around

Nakuru

$9.1 * 1.4%

Nairobi

$59 6.7% 553% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $227 in Nakuru versus $441 in Nairobi. 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 Nakuru versus $35 in Nairobi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $209 – making Nakuru the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nakuru

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🕒 Local time

02:12 2:12 AM

Same time as Nakuru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

307,990

3,138,295 Capital

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Nakuru Nairobi 140 km

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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

Nakuru vs Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nairobi costs about 38% more than Nakuru, 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 $963 per month in Nakuru and $1,327 in Nairobi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nakuru, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $227 there versus $441 in Nairobi.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $642 in Nakuru and $885 in Nairobi. That makes Nakuru about 27% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Nairobi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $642 in Nakuru and $885 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 $642 in Nakuru to $885 in Nairobi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.