Nairobi vs Soweto - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Nairobi Soweto
🚶 Cost of living one person
$760
$923
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2089
$1686
🏠 One person rent
$262
$540
🏘️ Family rent
$619
$553
🍽️ Food expenses
$281
$231
🚐 Transport expenses
$160
$88.6
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$399
$1598
😷 Air quality
Good
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
4 km
29 km
🎓 Higher education
68
63
😀 Quality of life
59
38
🏙️ Population
5.55M
1.27M

The cost of living in Nairobi is 18% less expensive than in Soweto. Cities ranked 6622nd and 5917th ($760 vs $923) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 6th in Kenya and South Africa, respectively. Check Kenya vs South Africa comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.5 months in Nairobi compared to 1.7 months in Soweto. Nairobi ranked 1st best city to live in Kenya vs Soweto ranked 10th in South Africa, while ranked 5369th and 7204th 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
$5.45
$6.16
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$38.6
$26.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$6.64
$3.92
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.34
$2
☕ Cappuccino
$2.28
$2.01
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.73
$0.98
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$395
$827
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$156
$346
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1080
$511
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$418
$396
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$20
$64.8
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$31.1
$100
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$37.8
$33.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
14.8%
11.66%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1743
$850
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$998
$691
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.77
$1.98
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$31
$31
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$13.9
$8.52
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.56
$1.16
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.92
$1.02
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$0.56
$0.93
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.65
$1.31
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.63
$2.45
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11
$7.54
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.33
$4.06
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.36
$6.2
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.97
$1.62
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.1
$1.47
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.01
$1.41
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.03
$1.46
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.07
$1.23
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.18
$1.23
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.52
$0.59
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.45
$1.17
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$12.1
$7.06
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.13
$1.43
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.08
$2.68
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$2.6
$2.86
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.72
$2.46
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.23
$1.17
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.14
$0.49
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$42
$12.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$6.17
$5.71
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$15.9
$21.2
💇 Haircut, simple
$4.79
$3
👖 Brand Jeans
$19.3
$45.4
👟 Brand Sneakers
$59.2
$70.7
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$187
$200
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$7984
$3805

Cost of living in other countries

NairobiSoweto

Cost of living

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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
$589
56 km or 35 mi Machakos
$408
139 km or 87 mi Nakuru
$500
175 km or 109 mi Meru
$541
232 km or 144 mi Arusha
$638
235 km or 146 mi Moshi
$561
263 km or 164 mi Eldoret
$483
265 km or 165 mi Kisumu
$522
316 km or 196 mi Mumias
$490
367 km or 228 mi Tororo
$602
394 km or 245 mi Mbale
$605
425 km or 264 mi Malindi
$498
441 km or 274 mi Mombasa
$580
444 km or 276 mi Jinja
$562
456 km or 284 mi Mwanza
$625
491 km or 305 mi Tanga
$545
501 km or 311 mi Kira Town
$646
503 km or 313 mi Kampala
$698
507 km or 315 mi Entebbe
$558
564 km or 351 mi Dodoma
$502
603 km or 375 mi Stone Town
$523
604 km or 375 mi Zanzibar
$552
623 km or 387 mi Morogoro
$486
671 km or 417 mi Dar es Salaam
$811
674 km or 419 mi Gulu
$594
741 km or 461 mi Muyinga
$650
751 km or 467 mi Byumba
$613
755 km or 469 mi Kigali
$771
769 km or 478 mi Ruyigi
$648
778 km or 483 mi Kasese
$573
794 km or 494 mi Nyanza
$518
796 km or 495 mi Bunia
$801
798 km or 496 mi Ruhengeri
$492
798 km or 496 mi Ngozi
$648
799 km or 496 mi Butare
$413
801 km or 498 mi Gitega
$651
811 km or 504 mi Rutana
$648
813 km or 505 mi Arua
$585
835 km or 519 mi Kibuye
$479
841 km or 523 mi Beni
$785

Cities near Soweto

Distance City Cost of living
19 km or 12 mi Johannesburg
$993
24 km or 15 mi Randburg
$837
26 km or 16 mi Sandton
$953
46 km or 28 mi Vereeniging
$672
46 km or 29 mi Benoni
$785
48 km or 30 mi Vanderbijlpark
$773
56 km or 34 mi Centurion
$807
58 km or 36 mi Springs
$678
66 km or 41 mi Pretoria
$906
73 km or 45 mi Brits
$820
91 km or 56 mi Potchefstroom
$695
92 km or 57 mi Rustenburg
$889
137 km or 85 mi Klerksdorp
$722
159 km or 99 mi Bethal
$784
166 km or 103 mi Kroonstad
$768
170 km or 106 mi Middelburg
$795
222 km or 138 mi Welkom
$748
228 km or 142 mi Mmabatho
$780
249 km or 155 mi Lobatse
$665
266 km or 165 mi Gaborone
$691
282 km or 175 mi Butha-Buthe
$535
290 km or 180 mi Kanye
$664
315 km or 196 mi Molepolole
$628
321 km or 199 mi Teyateyaneng
$500
329 km or 204 mi Mbabane
$562
335 km or 208 mi Vryheid
$763
341 km or 212 mi Maseru
$621
350 km or 217 mi Manzini
$442
354 km or 220 mi Bloemfontein
$657
367 km or 228 mi Mahalapye
$631
399 km or 248 mi Mafeteng
$567
412 km or 256 mi Kimberley
$814
420 km or 261 mi Palapye
$540
446 km or 277 mi Pietermaritzburg
$640
447 km or 278 mi Serowe
$583
461 km or 286 mi Matola
$964
472 km or 293 mi Maputo
$1068
506 km or 314 mi Durban
$809
567 km or 353 mi Francistown
$624
595 km or 370 mi Xai-Xai
$1003