Kisumu at a glance
- Kisumu ranks 2nd of 3 priced cities in Kenya on cost: $455 a month in essentials, 5% above Mombasa, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $775 covers that 1.7×.
- 89.2 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at county level.
- PM2.5 averages 22.9 µg/m³ a year, 5× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 4 Kenya cities we track, so every row says whether Kisumu is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $455 | $455 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $139 | $146 | $7 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $155 | $209 | 1.35× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $90 | $88 | $2 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $107 | $108 | $2 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $96 | $96 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $23 | $39 | 1.70× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $775 | $433 | 1.79× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $217 | $264 | $47 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $562 | $552 | $10 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Kisumu, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $4.65 | $4.25 | $0.40 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $25.15 | $29.98 | $4.84 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.20 | $6.20 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.70 | $2.59 | $0.11 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.94 | $2.32 | $0.38 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $2.71 | $2.71 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.59 | $0.59 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.54 | $0.47 | $0.07 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $0.54 | $0.71 | 1.31× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.54 | $0.53 | $0.01 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.99 | $1.77 | $0.22 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.65 | $1.65 | $0.00 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $10.26 | $10.25 | $0.01 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $6.24 | $6.24 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.07 | $3.07 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.93 | $0.96 | $0.03 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $0.99 | $0.99 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.00 | $1.00 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.93 | $0.95 | $0.02 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.73 | $0.73 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.77 | $0.77 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $23.24 | $38.68 | 1.66× as much |
| Taxi start | $1.55 | $1.55 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.55 | $1.55 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.53 | $1.53 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $60.25 | $60.22 | $0.03 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $36.05 | $36.03 | $0.02 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $14.53 | $14.52 | $0.01 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $23.24 | $23.24 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $7.75 | $7.75 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Kisumu has 89.2 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (county level). That is the 4th-highest of 6 Kenya cities we track. Kenya's national figure is 97.1, so Kisumu runs 8 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Kisumu ranks against every city we track
Kisumu sits ahead of 99% of the 562 cities we track on safety. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 95% of 553. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 14% of 898.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Kisumu sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Leo Hempstone, CC0.
