Kigali vs Nairobi - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Kigali Nairobi
🚶 Cost of living one person
$723
$745
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1694
$2030
🏠 One person rent
$355
$269
🏘️ Family rent
$551
$619
🍽️ Food expenses
$234
$254
🚐 Transport expenses
$88.4
$161
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$243
$394
😷 Air quality
Bad
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
9 km
4 km
🎓 Higher education
28
67
😀 Quality of life
44
57
🏙️ Population
1.16M
5.55M

The cost of living in Kigali is 3% less expensive than in Nairobi. Cities ranked 6804th and 6689th ($723 vs $745) 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 0.3 months in Kigali compared to 0.5 months in Nairobi. Kigali ranked 1st best city to live in Rwanda vs Nairobi ranked 1st in Kenya, while ranked 6601st and 5632nd among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Kigali vs Nairobi infographic

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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
$3.67
$3.67
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$29.5
$26.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$6.56
$5.77
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.11
$2.2
 Cappuccino
$2.3
$2.41
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.76
$0.65
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$443
$366
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$273
$164
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$824
$1021
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$408
$420
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$22.8
$25.1
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$35
$38.8
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$24.9
$39.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
16.09%
14.58%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$14030
$1536
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$868
$1125
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.37
$0.78
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$25.1
$34.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$12.6
$13
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.18
$1.62
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.77
$0.91
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.05
$0.48
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.29
$1.28
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.68
$1.84
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.33
$12.9
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.62
$6.43
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.54
$5.2
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.36
$2.83
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.15
$1.05
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.92
$1.81
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.11
$0.98
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.5
$1.08
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.71
$1.16
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.46
$0.47
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.58
$1.45
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$8.77
$12.3
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.81
$2.1
🚬 Cigarette pack
$2.96
$2.93
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$4.84
$3.2
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$2.88
$3.94
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$0.71
$0.95
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1
$1.2
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$31.4
$40.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$2.94
$6.09
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$15.9
$23.2
💇 Haircut, simple
$1.88
$5.57
👖 Brand Jeans
$17.4
$19.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$61.7
$58.6
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$152
$168
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$9712
$8325

Cost of living in other countries

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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
$622
56 km or 35 mi Nyanza
$545
69 km or 43 mi Ruhengeri
$598
80 km or 50 mi Butare
$441
80 km or 50 mi Kibuye
$579
95 km or 59 mi Gisenyi
$587
104 km or 65 mi Muyinga
$509
109 km or 68 mi Ngozi
$509
142 km or 88 mi Cyangugu
$559
145 km or 90 mi Bubanza
$508
148 km or 92 mi Bukavu
$723
164 km or 102 mi Gitega
$510
170 km or 105 mi Ruyigi
$509
177 km or 110 mi Bujumbura
$546
191 km or 119 mi Uvira
$763
219 km or 136 mi Rutana
$509
243 km or 151 mi Kasese
$568
244 km or 152 mi Makamba
$509
246 km or 153 mi Butembo
$760
281 km or 174 mi Beni
$768
322 km or 200 mi Mwanza
$466
348 km or 216 mi Entebbe
$559
377 km or 234 mi Kampala
$707
388 km or 241 mi Kira Town
$643
392 km or 244 mi Bunia
$784
438 km or 272 mi Jinja
$511
451 km or 280 mi Kalemie
$730
473 km or 294 mi Kindu
$728
544 km or 338 mi Tororo
$581
554 km or 344 mi Mumias
$483
561 km or 348 mi Kisumu
$518
562 km or 349 mi Arua
$576
568 km or 353 mi Mbale
$583
581 km or 361 mi Gulu
$579
593 km or 368 mi Isiro
$826
607 km or 377 mi Kisangani
$855
642 km or 399 mi Eldoret
$460
693 km or 431 mi Nakuru
$493
748 km or 465 mi Yambio
$500
752 km or 467 mi Arusha
$543

Cities near Nairobi

Distance City Cost of living
40 km or 25 mi Thika
$571
56 km or 35 mi Machakos
$482
139 km or 87 mi Nakuru
$493
175 km or 109 mi Meru
$535
232 km or 144 mi Arusha
$543
235 km or 146 mi Moshi
$548
263 km or 164 mi Eldoret
$460
265 km or 165 mi Kisumu
$518
316 km or 196 mi Mumias
$483
367 km or 228 mi Tororo
$581
394 km or 245 mi Mbale
$583
425 km or 264 mi Malindi
$502
441 km or 274 mi Mombasa
$560
444 km or 276 mi Jinja
$511
456 km or 284 mi Mwanza
$466
491 km or 305 mi Tanga
$601
501 km or 311 mi Kira Town
$643
503 km or 313 mi Kampala
$707
507 km or 315 mi Entebbe
$559
564 km or 351 mi Dodoma
$564
603 km or 375 mi Stone Town
$675
604 km or 375 mi Zanzibar
$736
623 km or 387 mi Morogoro
$639
671 km or 417 mi Dar es Salaam
$722
674 km or 419 mi Gulu
$579
741 km or 461 mi Muyinga
$509
751 km or 467 mi Byumba
$622
755 km or 469 mi Kigali
$723
769 km or 478 mi Ruyigi
$509
778 km or 483 mi Kasese
$568
794 km or 494 mi Nyanza
$545
796 km or 495 mi Bunia
$784
798 km or 496 mi Ruhengeri
$598
798 km or 496 mi Ngozi
$509
799 km or 496 mi Butare
$441
801 km or 498 mi Gitega
$510
811 km or 504 mi Rutana
$509
813 km or 505 mi Arua
$576
835 km or 519 mi Kibuye
$579
841 km or 523 mi Beni
$768