Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Kenya

Name: Kenya
Address: KE

For one person, living is cheaper in Kenya: $715 a month against $1,209 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Kenya
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Kenya Living Index

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🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,209

/mo nomad

🇰🇪 Kenya

$715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Africa and in Kenya

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

A single person spends $1,209 per month in South Africa vs $715 in Kenya, rent included.

South Africa $1,209
Kenya $715

A couple spends around $1,900 per month in South Africa vs $1,180 in Kenya, rent included.

South Africa $1,900
Kenya $1,180

A family of three spends $2,590 per month in South Africa vs $1,644 in Kenya, rent included.

South Africa $2,590
Kenya $1,644

The cost of living in South Africa is about 69% higher than in Kenya on average.

Both South Africa and Kenya are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 10% lower, Kenya 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.95 R 180

$3.83 KES 496

185.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.96 R 708

$30.75 KES 3,986

39.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 R 94.9

$6.59 KES 854

-12.59%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R 39.20

$2.52 KES 326

-5.56%

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

$1.16 R 19.15

$0.61 KES 78.5

90.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.33

$0.53 KES 69.0

64.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R 40.21

$2.38 KES 308

2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 R 49.14

$2.68 KES 347

11.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.38

$0.75 KES 97.9

57.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 R 18.30

$0.55 KES 70.8

101.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.71

$1.51 KES 196

15.23%

Eggs

$2.49 R 40.95

$1.60 KES 208

55.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 R 140

$9.60 KES 1,245

-11.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 R 85.0

$6.29 KES 816

-17.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 R 124

$5.52 KES 715

35.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R 31.00

$2.86 KES 371

-34.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.71

$0.96 KES 125

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.39

$1.74 KES 225

2.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.21

$0.85 KES 110

115.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.51

$0.81 KES 104

83.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.77

$0.94 KES 122

59.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R 20.99

$0.70 KES 91.2

81.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 18.09

$0.62 KES 80.2

77.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 R 53.9

$3.49 KES 453

-6.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 R 82.9

$11.62 KES 1,507

-56.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 25.10

$2.06 KES 268

-26.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 R 32.16

$2.61 KES 338

-25.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 R 26.08

$0.80 KES 103

97.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.4 R 1,011

$47.14 KES 6,112

30.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R 18.34

$1.51 KES 195

-26.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.64

$1.56 KES 202

-39.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.46 R 123

$3.35 KES 434

122.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.98

$1.56 KES 202

-6.41%

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

$35.4K R 583.7K

$19.4K KES 2.5M

82.23%

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

$30.9K R 509.0K

$18.5K KES 2.4M

67.12%

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

$134 R 2,201

$52.6 KES 6,818

153.98%

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

$34.44 R 567

$12.90 KES 1,673

166.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.37 R 665

$37.14 KES 4,815

8.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.11 R 562

$37.31 KES 4,837

-8.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.59 R 191

$15.36 KES 1,991

-24.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.17 R 118

$7.78 KES 1,008

-7.84%

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

$227 R 3,746

$170 KES 22.1K

33.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,487 R 90.4K

$9,510 KES 1.2M

-42.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 R 885

$18.36 KES 2,381

192.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.60 R 554

$21.64 KES 2,805

55.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 R 1,645

$43.80 KES 5,678

127.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.4 R 1,440

$40.70 KES 5,276

114.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 R 7,943

$295 KES 38.2K

63.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 R 6,568

$155 KES 20.1K

157.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$935 R 15.4K

$766 KES 99.3K

22.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 R 13.5K

$393 KES 51.0K

107.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,096 R 18.1K

$1,237 KES 160.4K

-11.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$785 R 12.9K

$919 KES 119.2K

-14.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,515 R 25.0K

$352 KES 45.7K

330.12%

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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kenya: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Africa

$399 33%

Kenya

$155 21.7% 61.1% $244

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Africa

$208 17.2%

Kenya

$103 14.4% 50.8% $106

Groceries & Markets

South Africa

$197 16.3%

Kenya

$187 26.1% 5% $9.8

Eating Out

South Africa

$160 13.2%

Kenya

$102 14.3% 35.9% $57

Clothing & Footwear

South Africa

$124 10.2%

Kenya

$56 7.8% 54.7% $68

Getting Around

South Africa

$74 6.1%

Kenya

$60 8.3% 18.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

South Africa

$48 4%

Kenya

$53 7.4% 9.1% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $421 in South Africa vs $96.0 in Kenya. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,021 in Cape Town and $440 in Nairobi.

Average salary: $1,487 in South Africa vs $332 in Kenya. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 339% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 31% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 143% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 348% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇿🇦 South Africa

🇰🇪 Kenya

🕒 Local time

11:16 11:16 AM

12:16 12:16 PM

1 h ahead of South Africa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,027,503

48,468,138

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Africa Kenya 3,290 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

South Africa
Kenya

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

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

Kenya is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 69% lower on average.

Housing costs more in South Africa: a central one-bedroom averages $421 versus $96.0 in Kenya.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Kenya, adding to the overall 69% price gap.

$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.