Nairobi vs Soweto - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Nairobi Soweto
🚶 Cost of living one person
$811
$984
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2043
$1812
🏠 One person rent
$286
$567
🏘️ Family rent
$478
$581
🍽️ Food expenses
$286
$247
🚐 Transport expenses
$176
$104
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$181
$1672
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
4 km
29 km
🎓 Higher education
68
63
😀 Quality of life
58
45
🏙️ Population
5.55M
1.27M

The cost of living in Nairobi is 18% less expensive than in Soweto. Cities ranked 6622nd and 5704th ($811 vs $984) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 7th in Kenya and South Africa, respectively. Check Kenya vs South Africa comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.2 months in Nairobi compared to 1.7 months in Soweto. Nairobi ranked 1st best city to live in Kenya vs Soweto ranked 9th in South Africa, while ranked 6071st and 7050th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Nairobi vs Soweto infographic

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Prices in Nairobi vs Soweto

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

Nairobi Soweto
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$5.85
$6.53
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$38.8
$28.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$6.96
$4.24
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.33
$2
☕ Cappuccino
$2.45
$2.14
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.7
$1.07
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$399
$867
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$179
$362
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$726
$538
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$322
$415
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$23.4
$69.9
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$35.9
$108
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$39.8
$33.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
15%
11.64%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1979
$907
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1111
$724
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.76
$2.49
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$31.2
$32.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$17
$11.3
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.43
$1.2
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.9
$1.14
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$0.55
$0.96
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.7
$1.33
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.66
$2.62
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.2
$8.24
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.51
$4.25
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.68
$6.66
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.08
$1.71
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.05
$1.56
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.85
$1.63
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.95
$1.55
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.04
$1.31
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.07
$1.2
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.53
$0.66
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.49
$1.21
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$11.5
$7.85
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.2
$1.65
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.29
$2.69
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$2.64
$2.99
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.73
$2.57
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.23
$1.23
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.16
$0.51
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$44.6
$13.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$7.42
$6
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$17.1
$21.9
💇 Haircut, simple
$4.81
$3.1
👖 Brand Jeans
$19.7
$49.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$67.6
$75.1
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$225
$202
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$8707
$3811

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Nairobi

Distance City Cost of living
40 km or 25 mi Thika
$460
56 km or 35 mi Machakos
$420
139 km or 87 mi Nakuru
$503
175 km or 109 mi Meru
$549
232 km or 144 mi Arusha
$612
235 km or 146 mi Moshi
$533
263 km or 164 mi Eldoret
$528
265 km or 165 mi Kisumu
$543
316 km or 196 mi Mumias
$511
367 km or 228 mi Tororo
$623
394 km or 245 mi Mbale
$654
425 km or 264 mi Malindi
$548
441 km or 274 mi Mombasa
$596
444 km or 276 mi Jinja
$582
456 km or 284 mi Mwanza
$656
491 km or 305 mi Tanga
$552
501 km or 311 mi Kira Town
$658
503 km or 313 mi Kampala
$717
507 km or 315 mi Entebbe
$578
564 km or 351 mi Dodoma
$526
603 km or 375 mi Stone Town
$567
604 km or 375 mi Zanzibar
$609
623 km or 387 mi Morogoro
$421
671 km or 417 mi Dar es Salaam
$799
674 km or 419 mi Gulu
$627
741 km or 461 mi Muyinga
$687
751 km or 467 mi Byumba
$597
755 km or 469 mi Kigali
$758
769 km or 478 mi Ruyigi
$687
778 km or 483 mi Kasese
$567
794 km or 494 mi Nyanza
$524
796 km or 495 mi Bunia
$833
798 km or 496 mi Ruhengeri
$499
798 km or 496 mi Ngozi
$686
799 km or 496 mi Butare
$412
801 km or 498 mi Gitega
$689
811 km or 504 mi Rutana
$688
813 km or 505 mi Arua
$617
835 km or 519 mi Kibuye
$491
841 km or 523 mi Beni
$820

Cities near Soweto

Distance City Cost of living
19 km or 12 mi Johannesburg
$1082
24 km or 15 mi Randburg
$890
26 km or 16 mi Sandton
$984
46 km or 28 mi Vereeniging
$706
46 km or 29 mi Benoni
$826
48 km or 30 mi Vanderbijlpark
$799
56 km or 34 mi Centurion
$892
58 km or 36 mi Springs
$740
66 km or 41 mi Pretoria
$975
73 km or 45 mi Brits
$875
91 km or 56 mi Potchefstroom
$731
92 km or 57 mi Rustenburg
$940
137 km or 85 mi Klerksdorp
$762
159 km or 99 mi Bethal
$838
166 km or 103 mi Kroonstad
$808
170 km or 106 mi Middelburg
$830
222 km or 138 mi Welkom
$762
228 km or 142 mi Mmabatho
$833
249 km or 155 mi Lobatse
$637
266 km or 165 mi Gaborone
$668
282 km or 175 mi Butha-Buthe
$570
290 km or 180 mi Kanye
$637
315 km or 196 mi Molepolole
$607
321 km or 199 mi Teyateyaneng
$533
329 km or 204 mi Mbabane
$599
335 km or 208 mi Vryheid
$827
341 km or 212 mi Maseru
$650
350 km or 217 mi Manzini
$469
354 km or 220 mi Bloemfontein
$698
367 km or 228 mi Mahalapye
$577
399 km or 248 mi Mafeteng
$598
412 km or 256 mi Kimberley
$861
420 km or 261 mi Palapye
$514
446 km or 277 mi Pietermaritzburg
$705
447 km or 278 mi Serowe
$536
461 km or 286 mi Matola
$908
472 km or 293 mi Maputo
$915
506 km or 314 mi Durban
$892
567 km or 353 mi Francistown
$587
595 km or 370 mi Xai-Xai
$915