Kigali vs Nairobi - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Kigali Nairobi
🚶 Cost of living one person
$872
$807
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2006
$2035
🏠 One person rent
$489
$305
🏘️ Family rent
$843
$518
🍽️ Food expenses
$217
$276
🚐 Transport expenses
$118
$165
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$137
$228
😷 Air quality
Bad
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
9 km
4 km
🎓 Higher education
30
67
😀 Quality of life
48
59
🏙️ Population
1.75M
5.55M

The cost of living in Kigali is 8% more expensive than in Nairobi. Cities ranked 6419th and 6736th ($872 vs $807) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 1st in Rwanda and Kenya, respectively. Check Rwanda vs Kenya comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.2 months in Kigali compared to 0.3 months in Nairobi. Kigali ranked 1st best city to live in Rwanda vs Nairobi ranked 1st in Kenya, while ranked 6866th and 6034th among best cities to live in the world.

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Prices in Kigali vs Nairobi

Prices for goods and services in Kigali and Nairobi are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Kigali Nairobi
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$2.05
$5.36
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$25.6
$34.7
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$6.79
$6.22
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.04
$2.32
☕ Cappuccino
$2.3
$2.71
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.82
$0.6
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$609
$383
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$381
$205
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1100
$704
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$673
$371
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$40.7
$29.4
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$62.7
$45.2
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$21.8
$35.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
16.09%
14.79%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$10930
$1533
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1245
$900
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.34
$0.77
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$25.8
$35.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$15.9
$13.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.39
$1.48
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.75
$0.87
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.02
$0.55
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.26
$2
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.65
$1.64
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.96
$10.3
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.97
$6.19
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.08
$6.14
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.78
$3.14
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.94
$0.98
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.54
$1.94
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.05
$0.96
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.49
$0.96
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.76
$0.92
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.54
$0.48
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.39
$1.48
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$10.2
$11.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.91
$2.27
🚬 Cigarette pack
$1.96
$3.48
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$3.46
$3
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$2.64
$4.22
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$0.76
$1.32
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$0.91
$1.3
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$29.5
$47.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$3.4
$7.69
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$17
$15.9
💇 Haircut, simple
$3.02
$4.82
👖 Brand Jeans
$17.5
$22.7
👟 Brand Sneakers
$61.3
$54.8
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$139
$255
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$7731
$10471

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Kigali

Distance City Cost of living
42 km or 26 mi Byumba
$671
56 km or 35 mi Nyanza
$583
69 km or 43 mi Ruhengeri
$553
80 km or 50 mi Butare
$447
80 km or 50 mi Kibuye
$533
95 km or 59 mi Gisenyi
$411
104 km or 65 mi Muyinga
$688
109 km or 68 mi Ngozi
$689
142 km or 88 mi Cyangugu
$543
145 km or 90 mi Bubanza
$688
148 km or 92 mi Bukavu
$779
164 km or 102 mi Gitega
$691
170 km or 105 mi Ruyigi
$688
177 km or 110 mi Bujumbura
$750
191 km or 119 mi Uvira
$828
219 km or 136 mi Rutana
$690
243 km or 151 mi Kasese
$541
244 km or 152 mi Makamba
$689
246 km or 153 mi Butembo
$784
281 km or 174 mi Beni
$795
322 km or 200 mi Mwanza
$613
348 km or 216 mi Entebbe
$531
377 km or 234 mi Kampala
$697
388 km or 241 mi Kira Town
$635
392 km or 244 mi Bunia
$810
438 km or 272 mi Jinja
$573
451 km or 280 mi Kalemie
$770
473 km or 294 mi Kindu
$771
544 km or 338 mi Tororo
$603
554 km or 344 mi Mumias
$524
561 km or 348 mi Kisumu
$549
562 km or 349 mi Arua
$577
568 km or 353 mi Mbale
$624
581 km or 361 mi Gulu
$591
593 km or 368 mi Isiro
$860
607 km or 377 mi Kisangani
$946
642 km or 399 mi Eldoret
$513
693 km or 431 mi Nakuru
$532
748 km or 465 mi Yambio
$494
752 km or 467 mi Arusha
$618

Cities near Nairobi

Distance City Cost of living
40 km or 25 mi Thika
$448
56 km or 35 mi Machakos
$415
139 km or 87 mi Nakuru
$532
175 km or 109 mi Meru
$543
232 km or 144 mi Arusha
$618
235 km or 146 mi Moshi
$540
263 km or 164 mi Eldoret
$513
265 km or 165 mi Kisumu
$549
316 km or 196 mi Mumias
$524
367 km or 228 mi Tororo
$603
394 km or 245 mi Mbale
$624
425 km or 264 mi Malindi
$563
441 km or 274 mi Mombasa
$611
444 km or 276 mi Jinja
$573
456 km or 284 mi Mwanza
$613
491 km or 305 mi Tanga
$533
501 km or 311 mi Kira Town
$635
503 km or 313 mi Kampala
$697
507 km or 315 mi Entebbe
$531
564 km or 351 mi Dodoma
$495
603 km or 375 mi Stone Town
$546
604 km or 375 mi Zanzibar
$586
623 km or 387 mi Morogoro
$417
671 km or 417 mi Dar es Salaam
$735
674 km or 419 mi Gulu
$591
741 km or 461 mi Muyinga
$688
751 km or 467 mi Byumba
$671
755 km or 469 mi Kigali
$872
769 km or 478 mi Ruyigi
$688
778 km or 483 mi Kasese
$541
794 km or 494 mi Nyanza
$583
796 km or 495 mi Bunia
$810
798 km or 496 mi Ruhengeri
$553
798 km or 496 mi Ngozi
$689
799 km or 496 mi Butare
$447
801 km or 498 mi Gitega
$691
811 km or 504 mi Rutana
$690
813 km or 505 mi Arua
$577
835 km or 519 mi Kibuye
$533
841 km or 523 mi Beni
$795