Nairobi vs San Francisco Cost of Living
Nairobi (Kenya) · Overall index 26.9 — San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1
Summary
- Overall, San Francisco is 254% more expensive than Nairobi.
- Rent in San Francisco is 633% more expensive than in Nairobi.
- Transport in San Francisco is 281% more expensive than in Nairobi.
| Item | Nairobi | San Francisco | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +633% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $515 | $3,208 | +523% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $324 | $2,609 | +705% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,038 | $7,487 | +621% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $621 | $4,864 | +683% |
| Groceries | +171% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.48 | $1.31 | +173% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.49 | $4.2 | +182% |
| Rice (1kg) | $1.9 | $5.82 | +206% |
| Eggs (12) | $1.91 | $4.57 | +139% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $5.23 | $16.3 | +212% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $5.13 | $12.6 | +146% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $6.81 | $22.3 | +227% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.1 | $5.88 | +180% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $0.86 | $2.46 | +186% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $1.9 | $4.54 | +139% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.17 | $5.5 | +153% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.24 | $3.06 | +147% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.15 | $2.72 | +137% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $0.98 | $2.75 | +181% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $0.85 | $2.41 | +184% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $5.43 | $15.4 | +184% |
| Transport | +281% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $0.7 | $3.1 | +343% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $36.3 | $139 | +283% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.23 | $4.48 | +264% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.56 | $1.91 | +241% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.26 | $0.99 | +281% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $7,172 | $27,640 | +285% |
| Dining out | +243% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $6.6 | $21.5 | +226% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $37.2 | $115 | +209% |
| Fast food combo meal | $3.59 | $11.6 | +223% |
| Cappuccino | $1.63 | $5.52 | +239% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.9 | $3.04 | +238% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.1 | $8.59 | +309% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.48 | $8.71 | +251% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.66 | $2.32 | +252% |
| Telecom | +128% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $27.7 | $68.5 | +147% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $31.9 | $71.8 | +125% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.17 | $0.37 | +118% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $7.05 | $15.8 | +124% |
| Utilities & household | +206% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $65.8 | $176 | +167% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.08 | $0.23 | +188% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $1.59 | $5.1 | +221% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.5 | $1.47 | +194% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $7.48 | $25.8 | +245% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $29.3 | $94.8 | +224% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $6.08 | $17.5 | +188% |
| Men's haircut | $10.5 | $33.2 | +216% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $9.17 | $29.6 | +223% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $715 | $2,199 | +208% |
3,447 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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