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 $443 in Kenya, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,598 per month in South Africa vs $736 in Kenya, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,175 per month in South Africa vs $1,028 in Kenya, rent included.

South Africa costs about 130% more than 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

$9.05 R 147

$3.86 KES 500

134.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$34.60 KES 4,482

14.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$6.94 KES 899

-28.82%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$2.29 KES 296

-10.04%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$0.71 KES 91.5

33.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$0.54 KES 69.5

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$2.27 KES 294

-2.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$2.75 KES 357

-9.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$0.76 KES 98.1

46.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$0.50 KES 64.7

104.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$1.39 KES 181

12.23%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$1.55 KES 201

50.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$10.41 KES 1,349

-25.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$6.28 KES 813

-28.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$5.12 KES 663

31.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$2.82 KES 365

-44.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$1.03 KES 133

38.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$1.82 KES 236

-20.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$0.82 KES 107

84.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$0.81 KES 104

50.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$0.96 KES 125

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$0.63 KES 81.5

65.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$0.70 KES 90.6

34.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$3.15 KES 407

-5.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$9.05 KES 1,173

-42.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$2.07 KES 268

-32.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

$2.61 KES 338

-36.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$0.79 KES 102

106.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$29.95 KES 3,881

50.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

$1.58 KES 204

-28.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

$1.53 KES 198

-28.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

$3.05 KES 395

59.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$1.54 KES 199

-19.48%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

$19.0K KES 2.5M

6.92%

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$18.0K KES 2.3M

30.25%

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

$113 R 1,843

$32.85 KES 4,256

245.30%

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

$32.36 R 526

$15.09 KES 1,956

114.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$38.04 KES 4,928

8.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$37.28 KES 4,829

-15.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$19.75 KES 2,558

-51.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$6.36 KES 824

7.39%

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

$187 R 3,039

$166 KES 21.5K

12.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

$7,439 KES 963.7K

-41.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$14.03 KES 1,817

252.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

$21.33 KES 2,764

42.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$48.61 KES 6,298

88.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$47.00 KES 6,089

67.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$305 KES 39.5K

44.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$150 KES 19.5K

144.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$855 KES 110.8K

3.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$354 KES 45.8K

104.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$1,411 KES 182.8K

-22.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$911 KES 118.0K

-14.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$342 KES 44.4K

354.91%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kenya: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $83.0 in Kenya. For reference, capital cities sit at $765 in Cape Town and $450 in Nairobi.

Average salary: $1,520 in South Africa vs $327 in Kenya. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 343% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 25% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 129% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 365% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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 176% 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 176% 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.