Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Kenya 
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| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Kenya is 11.7% lower than in South Africa (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Kenya is 16.4% lower than in South Africa | |
| Rent Prices in Kenya are 32.9% lower than in South Africa | |
| Restaurant Prices in Kenya are 19.1% lower than in South Africa | |
| Groceries Prices in Kenya are 3.6% higher than in South Africa | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Kenya is 69.1% lower than in South Africa | |
Restaurants | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
160.00 R (1,158.86 KSh) |
69.03 R (500.00 KSh) |
-56.9 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
700.00 R (5,070.00 KSh) |
552.27 R (4,000.00 KSh) |
-21.1 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
90.00 R (651.86 KSh) |
124.26 R (900.00 KSh) |
+38.1 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
40.00 R (289.71 KSh) |
41.42 R (300.00 KSh) |
+3.6 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
45.00 R (325.93 KSh) |
48.32 R (350.00 KSh) |
+7.4 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
35.85 R (259.67 KSh) |
39.77 R (288.08 KSh) |
+10.9 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
17.63 R (127.73 KSh) |
12.39 R (89.76 KSh) |
-29.7 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
13.81 R (100.02 KSh) |
9.07 R (65.66 KSh) |
-34.4 % |
Markets | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
73.59 R (533.02 KSh) |
53.47 R (387.29 KSh) |
-27.3 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
16.03 R (116.12 KSh) |
8.38 R (60.72 KSh) |
-47.7 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
12.85 R (93.04 KSh) |
11.36 R (82.28 KSh) |
-11.6 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
40.94 R (296.52 KSh) |
28.23 R (204.46 KSh) |
-31.0 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
62.19 R (450.44 KSh) |
84.09 R (609.06 KSh) |
+35.2 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
37.03 R (268.21 KSh) |
50.60 R (366.52 KSh) |
+36.7 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
54.59 R (395.38 KSh) |
40.79 R (295.44 KSh) |
-25.3 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
12.47 R (90.29 KSh) |
22.07 R (159.82 KSh) |
+77.0 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
11.60 R (84.03 KSh) |
8.29 R (60.04 KSh) |
-28.5 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
12.04 R (87.24 KSh) |
14.83 R (107.40 KSh) |
+23.1 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
12.35 R (89.47 KSh) |
6.93 R (50.21 KSh) |
-43.9 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
9.89 R (71.60 KSh) |
6.78 R (49.08 KSh) |
-31.5 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
10.54 R (76.34 KSh) |
8.29 R (60.06 KSh) |
-21.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
18.76 R (135.86 KSh) |
12.24 R (88.68 KSh) |
-34.7 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
17.04 R (123.42 KSh) |
12.01 R (86.99 KSh) |
-29.5 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
85.00 R (615.64 KSh) |
200.20 R (1,450.00 KSh) |
+135.5 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
24.00 R (173.83 KSh) |
36.49 R (264.29 KSh) |
+52.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
30.49 R (220.80 KSh) |
46.13 R (334.09 KSh) |
+51.3 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
52.00 R (376.63 KSh) |
55.23 R (400.00 KSh) |
+6.2 % |
Transportation | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
30.00 R (217.29 KSh) |
13.81 R (100.00 KSh) |
-54.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
800.00 R (5,794.29 KSh) |
497.04 R (3,600.00 KSh) |
-37.9 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
20.00 R (144.86 KSh) |
27.61 R (200.00 KSh) |
+38.1 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
32.19 R (233.13 KSh) |
44.44 R (321.87 KSh) |
+38.1 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
85.00 R (615.64 KSh) |
51.78 R (375.00 KSh) |
-39.1 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
86.56 R (626.91 KSh) |
101.99 R (738.67 KSh) |
+17.8 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
370,000.00 R (2,679,858.29 KSh) |
338,264.15 R (2,450,000.00 KSh) |
-8.6 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
423,078.06 R (3,064,295.29 KSh) |
318,540.30 R (2,307,142.86 KSh) |
-24.7 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
2,009.15 R (14,552.01 KSh) |
585.23 R (4,238.72 KSh) |
-70.9 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
572.89 R (4,149.35 KSh) |
258.38 R (1,871.43 KSh) |
-54.9 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
730.84 R (5,293.38 KSh) |
674.67 R (4,886.56 KSh) |
-7.7 % |
Sports And Leisure | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
557.60 R (4,038.65 KSh) |
676.77 R (4,901.79 KSh) |
+21.4 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
174.01 R (1,260.36 KSh) |
323.59 R (2,343.75 KSh) |
+86.0 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
120.00 R (869.14 KSh) |
110.45 R (800.00 KSh) |
-8.0 % |
Childcare | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
3,405.44 R (24,665.12 KSh) |
2,975.80 R (21,553.33 KSh) |
-12.6 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
80,257.76 R (581,295.73 KSh) |
134,543.29 R (974,478.26 KSh) |
+67.6 % |
Clothing And Shoes | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
874.70 R (6,335.33 KSh) |
268.80 R (1,946.91 KSh) |
-69.3 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
551.45 R (3,994.07 KSh) |
367.60 R (2,662.50 KSh) |
-33.3 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
1,644.83 R (11,913.25 KSh) |
888.54 R (6,435.58 KSh) |
-46.0 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
1,422.72 R (10,304.54 KSh) |
828.40 R (5,999.97 KSh) |
-41.8 % |
Rent Per Month | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
7,984.86 R (57,833.25 KSh) |
5,347.24 R (38,729.35 KSh) |
-33.0 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
6,539.28 R (47,363.08 KSh) |
2,540.43 R (18,400.00 KSh) |
-61.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
15,973.94 R (115,697.04 KSh) |
14,931.02 R (108,143.29 KSh) |
-6.5 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
12,778.57 R (92,553.41 KSh) |
6,225.86 R (45,093.02 KSh) |
-51.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
1,658.95 R (12,015.57 KSh) |
2,520.65 R (18,256.71 KSh) |
+51.9 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
1,278.84 R (9,262.47 KSh) |
2,286.85 R (16,563.31 KSh) |
+78.8 % |
Salaries And Financing | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
23,540.58 R (170,501.16 KSh) |
6,074.95 R (44,000.00 KSh) |
-74.2 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 11.55 | 13.66 | +18.2 % |
| Last update: | 24 May 2025 | 22 May 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 710 | 162 |
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