Cost of Living
#8
of 124 cities
23/100
Current value (lower is better)
#109 of 124
Africa
Nairobi
Kenya
Salary & Cost of Living
How do salaries and expenses in Nairobi compare to San Francisco?
Purchasing Power Comparison
An engineer in Nairobi is 70% worse off vs in San Francisco
This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Nairobi compared to San Francisco, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.
Net Salary
$13,328
-$159K (-92%) vs San Francisco
Tax Rate: 28%
Community Insights
NewNairobi, dubbed the Silicon Savannah, offers a unique and high-energy environment for software engineers. It is a city of contrasts: a booming fintech hub with a vibrant expat scene and comfortable climate, juxtaposed against infrastructural challenges like severe traffic and safety concerns. For those earning foreign currency, the cost of living provides an exceptionally high quality of life, allowing for spacious housing and domestic help. However, those relying on the local job market may find salaries competitive regionally but low globally. It is a dynamic launchpad for African tech but requires patience with logistics and safety precautions.
Resident Sentiment
Expats and digital nomads generally love the lifestyle, citing the friendly people, great weather, and social opportunities as major draws. They often feel they can live 'like royalty' on a Western salary.
However, there is a common thread of frustration regarding traffic, which dictates much of their daily schedule. Long-term residents have learned to navigate the safety risks by adhering to specific unwritten rules (e.g., not using phones in open traffic windows, avoiding certain areas at night), viewing them as manageable trade-offs for the vibrancy and opportunity the city offers.
Rankings
Top 6%
Comfortable Weather
#11
of 124 cities
87/100 weather score
Current value
Tax Rate
#33
of 124 cities
28%
Current value (lower is better)
Housing Affordability
How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Nairobi compared to San Francisco?
Salary Converter
Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Nairobi to maintain the same standard of living.
$
