Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Kenya 
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| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Kenya is 6.7% lower than in South Africa (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Kenya is 12.1% lower than in South Africa | |
| Rent Prices in Kenya are 30.9% lower than in South Africa | |
| Restaurant Prices in Kenya are 15.9% lower than in South Africa | |
| Groceries Prices in Kenya are 9.9% higher than in South Africa | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Kenya is 67.8% lower than in South Africa | |
Restaurants | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
160.00 R (1,096.47 KSh) |
72.96 R (500.00 KSh) |
-54.4 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
700.00 R (4,797.05 KSh) |
583.69 R (4,000.00 KSh) |
-16.6 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
89.99 R (616.70 KSh) |
121.12 R (830.00 KSh) |
+34.6 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
40.00 R (274.12 KSh) |
43.78 R (300.00 KSh) |
+9.4 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
45.00 R (308.38 KSh) |
51.07 R (350.00 KSh) |
+13.5 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
35.56 R (243.67 KSh) |
41.91 R (287.23 KSh) |
+17.9 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
17.46 R (119.64 KSh) |
12.83 R (87.92 KSh) |
-26.5 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
13.58 R (93.09 KSh) |
9.47 R (64.87 KSh) |
-30.3 % |
Markets | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
73.61 R (504.44 KSh) |
58.18 R (398.72 KSh) |
-21.0 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
16.04 R (109.95 KSh) |
9.03 R (61.89 KSh) |
-43.7 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
12.74 R (87.28 KSh) |
12.29 R (84.23 KSh) |
-3.5 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
40.49 R (277.45 KSh) |
29.88 R (204.77 KSh) |
-26.2 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
61.62 R (422.28 KSh) |
88.34 R (605.36 KSh) |
+43.4 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
36.99 R (253.50 KSh) |
53.14 R (364.19 KSh) |
+43.7 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
54.36 R (372.53 KSh) |
42.84 R (293.60 KSh) |
-21.2 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
12.35 R (84.63 KSh) |
23.40 R (160.34 KSh) |
+89.5 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
11.54 R (79.06 KSh) |
8.76 R (60.04 KSh) |
-24.1 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
11.98 R (82.12 KSh) |
15.43 R (105.73 KSh) |
+28.7 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
12.28 R (84.18 KSh) |
7.36 R (50.41 KSh) |
-40.1 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
9.90 R (67.84 KSh) |
7.23 R (49.55 KSh) |
-27.0 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
10.52 R (72.11 KSh) |
8.84 R (60.57 KSh) |
-16.0 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
18.60 R (127.45 KSh) |
13.66 R (93.63 KSh) |
-26.5 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
16.93 R (116.04 KSh) |
12.91 R (88.44 KSh) |
-23.8 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
85.00 R (582.50 KSh) |
204.29 R (1,400.00 KSh) |
+140.3 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
23.97 R (164.29 KSh) |
38.94 R (266.85 KSh) |
+62.4 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
30.70 R (210.37 KSh) |
49.23 R (337.40 KSh) |
+60.4 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
52.00 R (356.35 KSh) |
58.37 R (400.00 KSh) |
+12.2 % |
Transportation | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
30.00 R (205.59 KSh) |
14.59 R (100.00 KSh) |
-51.4 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
800.00 R (5,482.34 KSh) |
525.32 R (3,600.00 KSh) |
-34.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
20.00 R (137.06 KSh) |
29.18 R (200.00 KSh) |
+45.9 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
32.19 R (220.57 KSh) |
46.97 R (321.87 KSh) |
+45.9 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
85.00 R (582.50 KSh) |
58.37 R (400.00 KSh) |
-31.3 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
86.78 R (594.68 KSh) |
107.93 R (739.64 KSh) |
+24.4 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
370,000.00 R (2,535,584.37 KSh) |
364,807.42 R (2,500,000.00 KSh) |
-1.4 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
420,796.63 R (2,883,690.16 KSh) |
334,710.81 R (2,293,750.00 KSh) |
-20.5 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
2,005.99 R (13,746.91 KSh) |
600.23 R (4,113.35 KSh) |
-70.1 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
564.47 R (3,868.25 KSh) |
273.69 R (1,875.61 KSh) |
-51.5 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
735.09 R (5,037.51 KSh) |
716.37 R (4,909.26 KSh) |
-2.5 % |
Sports And Leisure | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
561.62 R (3,848.71 KSh) |
710.56 R (4,869.45 KSh) |
+26.5 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
180.96 R (1,240.10 KSh) |
373.39 R (2,558.82 KSh) |
+106.3 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
120.00 R (822.35 KSh) |
116.74 R (800.00 KSh) |
-2.7 % |
Childcare | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
3,428.30 R (23,493.92 KSh) |
3,042.87 R (20,852.56 KSh) |
-11.2 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
81,293.82 R (557,100.90 KSh) |
142,494.25 R (976,503.20 KSh) |
+75.3 % |
Clothing And Shoes | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
872.05 R (5,976.11 KSh) |
280.15 R (1,919.86 KSh) |
-67.9 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
551.94 R (3,782.41 KSh) |
406.34 R (2,784.62 KSh) |
-26.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
1,635.55 R (11,208.32 KSh) |
884.67 R (6,062.59 KSh) |
-45.9 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
1,412.01 R (9,676.43 KSh) |
873.51 R (5,986.08 KSh) |
-38.1 % |
Rent Per Month | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
8,058.38 R (55,223.52 KSh) |
5,436.55 R (37,256.32 KSh) |
-32.5 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
6,555.53 R (44,924.61 KSh) |
2,613.35 R (17,909.09 KSh) |
-60.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
16,175.35 R (110,848.57 KSh) |
15,467.22 R (105,995.79 KSh) |
-4.4 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
12,769.83 R (87,510.78 KSh) |
6,597.80 R (45,214.29 KSh) |
-48.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
1,692.38 R (11,597.73 KSh) |
2,663.98 R (18,256.04 KSh) |
+57.4 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
1,279.19 R (8,766.23 KSh) |
2,416.87 R (16,562.62 KSh) |
+88.9 % |
Salaries And Financing | South Africa Edit |
Kenya Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
23,488.73 R (160,966.66 KSh) |
6,656.33 R (45,615.38 KSh) |
-71.7 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 11.56 | 13.78 | +19.2 % |
| Last update: | April 2025 | April 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 663 | 157 |
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