Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Kenya Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Kenya

Name: Kenya
Address: KE

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,144 per month in South Africa vs $463 in Kenya, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,780 per month in South Africa vs $762 in Kenya, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,415 per month in South Africa vs $1,060 in Kenya, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 147% higher than in Kenya on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Kenya are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 17% lower, Kenya 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 R 176

$3.36 KES 434

226.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.98 R 707

$30.88 KES 3,995

42.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 R 96.7

$6.27 KES 811

-3.99%

Cappuccino

$2.46 R 39.47

$2.40 KES 310

2.50%

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

$1.15 R 18.40

$0.58 KES 74.7

98.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.08

$0.53 KES 68.9

77.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 R 40.31

$2.31 KES 299

8.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 R 50.7

$2.76 KES 357

14.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 R 20.17

$0.74 KES 95.2

70.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 R 18.53

$0.53 KES 69.1

116.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.65

$1.50 KES 194

18.67%

Eggs

$2.63 R 42.26

$1.66 KES 215

58.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 R 133

$9.40 KES 1,216

-11.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 R 85.7

$6.13 KES 793

-12.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 R 125

$5.54 KES 717

40.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.48

$2.77 KES 358

-31.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.28

$1.00 KES 129

70.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 R 27.61

$1.66 KES 214

3.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.01

$0.83 KES 107

125.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 R 24.47

$0.81 KES 105

87.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.10

$0.87 KES 113

72.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R 20.13

$0.73 KES 94.0

71.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 18.70

$0.58 KES 74.4

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 R 53.4

$3.14 KES 407

6.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 R 83.2

$10.40 KES 1,345

-50.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 R 25.04

$2.18 KES 282

-28.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 R 32.49

$2.63 KES 340

-23.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 R 29.55

$0.73 KES 94.8

152.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 R 985

$38.47 KES 4,977

59.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.20

$1.52 KES 196

-25.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.39

$1.53 KES 198

-41.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 R 123

$2.86 KES 370

168.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 R 23.19

$1.46 KES 189

-1.37%

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

$36.5K R 587.1K

$19.0K KES 2.5M

92.81%

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

$32.1K R 515.2K

$18.3K KES 2.4M

75.53%

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

$132 R 2,118

$53.0 KES 6,851

148.92%

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

$35.05 R 563

$13.71 KES 1,773

155.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.77 R 655

$37.36 KES 4,834

9.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.05 R 547

$39.43 KES 5,101

-13.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.06 R 194

$14.96 KES 1,935

-19.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 R 119

$7.64 KES 988

-2.62%

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

$232 R 3,727

$171 KES 22.1K

35.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,509 R 88.5K

$9,316 KES 1.2M

-40.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 R 867

$17.37 KES 2,247

210.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.03 R 563

$19.56 KES 2,531

79.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 R 1,674

$38.26 KES 4,950

172.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 R 1,430

$41.93 KES 5,425

112.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 R 8,003

$291 KES 37.7K

71.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,718

$153 KES 19.8K

172.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$991 R 15.9K

$807 KES 104.4K

22.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 R 13.3K

$389 KES 50.3K

113.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,136 R 18.3K

$1,264 KES 163.6K

-10.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$815 R 13.1K

$931 KES 120.5K

-12.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,548 R 24.9K

$350 KES 45.2K

342.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

13.64

-17.67%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for South Africa: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kenya: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $432 in South Africa vs $97.0 in Kenya. For reference, capital cities sit at $333 in Bloemfontein and $458 in Nairobi.

Average salary: $1,547 in South Africa vs $331 in Kenya. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 345% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 38% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 143% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 367% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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

South Africa vs Kenya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kenya is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 192% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Kenya, contributing to the overall 192% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Kenya, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Kenya is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.