Nairobi at a glance
- Nairobi is the most expensive of Kenya's 3 priced cities: $578 a month in essentials, 33% above Mombasa at $435.
- The average net salary of $433 covers that 0.7×.
- 94.1 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at county level.
- PM2.5 averages 15.7 µg/m³ a year, 3× 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 Nairobi 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 | $578 | $455 | 1.27× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $221 | $146 | 1.51× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $431 | $209 | 2.06× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $93 | $88 | $4 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $122 | $108 | $14 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $96 | $96 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $46 | $39 | $7 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $433 | $433 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $527 | $264 | 2.00× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,161 | $552 | 2.10× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Nairobi, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $4.64 | $4.25 | $0.38 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $34.82 | $29.98 | $4.84 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.19 | $6.20 | $0.01 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.69 | $2.59 | $0.10 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.32 | $2.32 | same |
| 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 | $0.88 | $0.71 | $0.17 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.56 | $0.53 | $0.03 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.99 | $1.77 | $0.22 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.64 | $1.65 | $0.01 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $10.24 | $10.25 | $0.01 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $6.24 | $6.24 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.07 | $3.07 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.98 | $0.96 | $0.02 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $0.99 | $0.99 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.00 | $1.00 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.95 | $0.95 | $0.01 |
| 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 | $46.42 | $38.68 | $7.74 |
| 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 | $60.18 | $60.22 | $0.04 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $36.01 | $36.03 | $0.02 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $14.51 | $14.52 | $0.01 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $47.61 | $23.24 | 2.05× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $7.74 | $7.75 | $0.01 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Nairobi has 94.1 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (county level). That is the 3rd-highest of 6 Kenya cities we track. Kenya's national figure is 97.1, so Nairobi runs 3 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Nairobi ranks against every city we track
Nairobi sits ahead of 82% of the 892 cities we track on women aged 20–39. On cost of living it is ahead of 82% of 542. Its weakest measure is safety, ahead of only 14% of 562.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Nairobi sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 4.0.
