San Francisco vs Nairobi Cost of Living

San Francisco (United States) · Overall index 95.1Nairobi (Kenya) · Overall index 26.9

Summary

  • Overall, Nairobi is 72% cheaper than San Francisco.
  • Rent in Nairobi is 86% cheaper than in San Francisco.
  • Transport in Nairobi is 74% cheaper than in San Francisco.
ItemSan FranciscoNairobiDiff
Rent-86%
1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$3,208$515-84%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$2,609$324-88%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$7,487$1,038-86%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$4,864$621-87%
Groceries-63%
Milk (1L)$1.31$0.48-63%
White bread (500g)$4.2$1.49-65%
Rice (1kg)$5.82$1.9-67%
Eggs (12)$4.57$1.91-58%
Local cheese (1kg)$16.3$5.23-68%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$12.6$5.13-59%
Beef round (1kg)$22.3$6.81-69%
Apples (1kg)$5.88$2.1-64%
Bananas (1kg)$2.46$0.86-65%
Oranges (1kg)$4.54$1.9-58%
Tomatoes (1kg)$5.5$2.17-61%
Potatoes (1kg)$3.06$1.24-59%
Onions (1kg)$2.72$1.15-58%
Lettuce (1 head)$2.75$0.98-64%
Water (1.5L bottle)$2.41$0.85-65%
Bottle of wine (mid-range)$15.4$5.43-65%
Transport-74%
Public transport, one-way ticket$3.1$0.7-77%
Public transport, monthly pass$139$36.3-74%
Taxi, base fare$4.48$1.23-73%
Taxi, per km$1.91$0.56-71%
Gasoline (1L)$0.99$0.26-74%
New compact car (e.g., VW Golf)$27,640$7,172-74%
Dining out-71%
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$21.5$6.6-69%
Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses)$115$37.2-68%
Fast food combo meal$11.6$3.59-69%
Cappuccino$5.52$1.63-70%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant)$3.04$0.9-70%
Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant)$8.59$2.1-76%
Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant)$8.71$2.48-72%
Water (0.33L, restaurant)$2.32$0.66-72%
Telecom-56%
Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly)$68.5$27.7-60%
Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly)$71.8$31.9-56%
Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min)$0.37$0.17-54%
Video streaming subscription (monthly)$15.8$7.05-55%
Utilities & household-67%
Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly)$176$65.8-63%
Electricity (1 kWh)$0.23$0.08-65%
Tap water (1m³)$5.1$1.59-69%
Natural gas (1m³)$1.47$0.5-66%
Waste collection (monthly)$25.8$7.48-71%
Fitness club (monthly)$94.8$29.3-69%
Cinema ticket (1 seat)$17.5$6.08-65%
Men's haircut$33.2$10.5-68%
Domestic cleaning (1 hour)$29.6$9.17-69%
Private kindergarten (monthly)$2,199$715-67%

3,447 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15

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