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 $1,020 per month in South Africa vs $444 in Kenya, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,587 per month in South Africa vs $740 in Kenya, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,154 per month in South Africa vs $1,036 in Kenya, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 130% 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 24% lower, Kenya 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

$3.82 KES 493

139.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

$35.22 KES 4,551

11.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

$6.76 KES 873

-23.22%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.73

$2.29 KES 295

-13.54%

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

$1.00 R 16.57

$0.67 KES 86.8

49.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$0.54 KES 69.8

46.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

$2.35 KES 304

-5.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

$2.68 KES 347

-4.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.56

$0.77 KES 100

45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$0.54 KES 69.5

79.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$1.35 KES 175

14.07%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$1.60 KES 207

40.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$10.31 KES 1,332

-23.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$6.54 KES 844

-29.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$5.05 KES 653

32.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

$2.83 KES 366

-44.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

$1.03 KES 133

42.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$1.89 KES 244

-19.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$0.89 KES 115

69.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$0.82 KES 106

53.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$0.95 KES 123

33.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$0.63 KES 81.7

73.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$0.66 KES 84.9

46.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.95

$3.14 KES 406

-9.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

$9.46 KES 1,222

-45.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

$2.10 KES 272

-34.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

$2.64 KES 341

-34.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.50

$0.76 KES 97.8

126.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

$29.62 KES 3,827

49.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

$1.51 KES 196

-23.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$1.50 KES 193

-28.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

$3.17 KES 409

49.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$1.49 KES 192

-14.09%

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

$20.4K R 337.1K

$18.7K KES 2.4M

9.17%

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

$24.0K R 397.0K

$17.8K KES 2.3M

34.49%

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

$113 R 1,869

$32.91 KES 4,252

243.15%

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

$32.35 R 536

$15.18 KES 1,961

113.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

$38.95 KES 5,033

6.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

$37.36 KES 4,827

-16.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

$19.95 KES 2,578

-51.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$6.22 KES 804

7.23%

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

$186 R 3,072

$162 KES 20.9K

14.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

$7,355 KES 950.3K

-40.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

$14.03 KES 1,813

257.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

$20.82 KES 2,690

45.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

$48.77 KES 6,301

91.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

$46.84 KES 6,052

71.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$299 KES 38.6K

46.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

$147 KES 19.0K

153.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$868 KES 112.1K

4.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

$351 KES 45.3K

101.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

$1,408 KES 181.9K

-20.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$937 KES 121.1K

-15.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$338 KES 43.7K

345.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

13.57

-14.89%

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

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kenya: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $82.0 in Kenya. For reference, capital cities sit at $292 in Bloemfontein and $438 in Nairobi.

Average salary: $1,513 in South Africa vs $329 in Kenya. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 349% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 25% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 129% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 360% 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 183% 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 183% 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.