Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ongata Rongai and Nairobi

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.

28

Cost of Living Index in Ongata Rongai
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Ongata Rongai Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
Learn more

Nairobi Living Index

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Ongata Rongai

🇰🇪 Kenya

$572

/mo nomad

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Ongata Rongai $572
Nairobi $885

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

Ongata Rongai $881
Nairobi $1,436

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

Ongata Rongai $1,190
Nairobi $1,987

Ongata Rongai is about 35% cheaper than Nairobi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.56 KES 851

$6.43 KES 835

2.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.07 KES 2,475

$34.51 KES 4,480

-44.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 KES 805

$6.26 KES 813

-0.96%

Cappuccino

$1.95 KES 253

$2.60 KES 337

-25.00%

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

$0.29 KES 38.27

$0.64 KES 82.8

-54.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 KES 50.9

$0.67 KES 86.8

-41.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 297

$2.30 KES 298

-0.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 KES 352

$2.75 KES 356

-1.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.44 KES 57.7

$0.95 KES 123

-53.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 KES 61.9

$0.59 KES 76.1

-18.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 KES 205

$2.00 KES 260

-21.00%

Eggs

$1.37 KES 178

$1.69 KES 220

-18.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 KES 565

$11.01 KES 1,430

-60.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.51 KES 456

$6.41 KES 832

-45.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.37 KES 438

$6.41 KES 832

-47.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.25 KES 162

$3.42 KES 444

-63.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 KES 140

$1.06 KES 138

1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 KES 153

$2.03 KES 263

-41.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.2

$1.14 KES 147

-42.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 KES 95.2

$1.10 KES 143

-33.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 KES 62.4

$1.10 KES 143

-56.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 KES 91.9

$0.74 KES 96.0

-4.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 KES 62.7

$0.76 KES 99.1

-36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 KES 297

$3.38 KES 438

-32.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.03 KES 1,173

$11.65 KES 1,512

-22.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 KES 285

$2.26 KES 293

-2.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 KES 363

$2.74 KES 356

2.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 KES 108

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.81 KES 6,076

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 KES 205

$1.52 KES 197

3.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 KES 196

$1.52 KES 198

-0.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 KES 381

$2.80 KES 364

4.64%

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)

$22.1K KES 2.9M

$22.2K KES 2.9M

-0.51%

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

$54.8 KES 7,115

$56.7 KES 7,356

-3.28%

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

$14.99 KES 1,946

$15.25 KES 1,980

-1.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.02 KES 4,546

$34.78 KES 4,514

0.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 KES 6,702

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 KES 2,031

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 KES 998

$7.60 KES 987

1.18%

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

$273 KES 35.4K

$277 KES 36.0K

-1.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K KES 1.6M

$12.3K KES 1.6M

0.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.87 KES 3,617

$27.73 KES 3,600

0.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.51 KES 3,830

$29.36 KES 3,811

0.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 KES 9,052

$69.3 KES 8,996

0.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.5 KES 7,725

$59.1 KES 7,667

0.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 KES 20.3K

$441 KES 57.3K

-64.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 KES 15.0K

$235 KES 30.6K

-50.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 KES 30.2K

$1,131 KES 146.8K

-79.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 KES 30.3K

$522 KES 67.8K

-55.34%

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 Ongata Rongai: 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

Ongata Rongai

$129 22.5%

Nairobi

$209 23.7% 62.5% $81

Accommodation & Living

Ongata Rongai

$116 20.2%

Nairobi

$235 26.6% 104% $120

Eating Out

Ongata Rongai

$114 20%

Nairobi

$124 14% 8.4% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ongata Rongai

$105 18.3%

Nairobi

$107 12.1% 1.8% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Ongata Rongai

$84 14.7%

Nairobi

$83 9.4% 0.6% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Ongata Rongai

$15 * 2.7%

Nairobi

$67 7.6% 335% $51

Getting Around

Ongata Rongai

$9.1 * 1.6%

Nairobi

$59 6.7% 551% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $156 in Ongata Rongai 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 $19 in Ongata Rongai versus $35 in Nairobi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $129 vs $209 – making Ongata Rongai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Ongata Rongai

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🕒 Local time

19:50 7:50 PM

Same time as Ongata Rongai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

172,569

3,138,295 Capital

💱 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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Ongata Rongai Nairobi 14 km

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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

Ongata Rongai vs Nairobi: 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 $858 per month in Ongata Rongai 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 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 $19 in Ongata Rongai and $35 in Nairobi. 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 $572 in Ongata Rongai 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 $572 in Ongata Rongai to $885 in Nairobi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.