Cost of Living Comparison Between Thika and Nairobi Cost of Living Comparison Between Thika and Nairobi

🙂 Solo nomad: Thika is 13.2% cheaper than Nairobi without rent, and 37.2% cheaper with rent.
🙂 Family of 3: Thika is 27.5% cheaper than Nairobi without rent, and 36.7% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Thika
Nairobi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.40 KES 697
$5.31 KES 685
1.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.16 KES 5,054
$37.93 KES 4,895
3.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.63 KES 856
$6.65 KES 858
-0.30%
Cappuccino
$2.49 KES 321
$2.44 KES 314
2.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.71 KES 91.2
$0.70 KES 90.7
1.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 KES 64.4
$0.55 KES 70.4
-9.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.73 KES 223
$2.31 KES 298
-25.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 KES 253
$2.95 KES 380
-33.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Thika
Nairobi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.93 KES 121
$0.88 KES 114
5.68%
White Bread (500g)
$0.47 KES 60.8
$0.57 KES 73.4
-17.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 KES 171
$1.59 KES 205
-16.35%
Eggs
$1.43 KES 185
$1.68 KES 217
-14.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.55 KES 1,491
$11.40 KES 1,471
1.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.63 KES 855
$6.64 KES 857
-0.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$1.89 KES 244
$5.57 KES 718
-66.07%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 KES 394
$3.15 KES 407
-3.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.07 KES 139
$1.04 KES 135
2.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.09 KES 270
$2.17 KES 280
-3.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.02 KES 131
$1.02 KES 131
-
Potato (1kg)
$1.07 KES 138
$1.02 KES 132
4.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 KES 151
$1.13 KES 145
3.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.69 KES 88.4
$0.70 KES 90.5
-1.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 KES 104
$0.81 KES 104
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 KES 301
$3.14 KES 405
-25.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.63 KES 726
$11.65 KES 1,504
-51.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 KES 214
$2.18 KES 281
-23.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 KES 244
$2.75 KES 355
-31.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Thika
Nairobi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.76 KES 98.0
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$31.27 KES 4,035
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.54 KES 199
$1.52 KES 196
1.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 KES 202
$1.50 KES 194
4.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.93 KES 378
$2.85 KES 367
2.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 KES 130
$1.54 KES 198
-34.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.3K KES 2.7M
$21.9K KES 2.8M
-2.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.8K KES 2.6M
$20.3K KES 2.6M
-2.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thika
Nairobi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$33.94 KES 4,380
$34.60 KES 4,465
-1.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.70 KES 2,155
$16.64 KES 2,148
0.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.57 KES 5,107
$39.82 KES 5,139
-0.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Thika
Nairobi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$42.27 KES 5,454
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$20.64 KES 2,663
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.17 KES 796
$6.26 KES 807
-1.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Thika
Nairobi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$205 KES 26.5K
$204 KES 26.3K
0.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,025 KES 1.0M
$7,885 KES 1.0M
1.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Thika
Nairobi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.13 KES 2,340
$18.29 KES 2,360
-0.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.95 KES 3,091
$23.62 KES 3,048
1.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.5 KES 8,580
$66.2 KES 8,541
0.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$56.9 KES 7,340
$56.7 KES 7,310
0.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Thika
Nairobi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$449 KES 57.9K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$184 KES 23.7K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,129 KES 145.6K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$433 KES 55.9K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$615 KES 79.4K
$1,566 KES 202.0K
-60.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$903 KES 116.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Thika
Nairobi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$406 KES 52.4K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.5
14.84
-22.51%

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

Last update for Thika: April 12, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: April 12, 2026

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

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