Nairobi
Safari gateway with a good restaurant scene.
A day in Nairobi
$118
- Lean
- $47
- Comfort
- $307
Real change, 12 months
−1.6%
Slightly pricier. Tracks Kenya as a whole.
Against the rest of Kenya
+10%
Pricier than the national figure of $107 a day.
The short answerIn US dollars, as of November 12, 2026
As of November 12, 2026, a mid-range day in Nairobi costs about $118 per person, excluding flights: about 10% more than the average for Kenya. For US-dollar travelers it is 1.6% more expensive than a year ago after inflation, in line with Kenya as a whole. Safari gateway with a good restaurant scene.
What your money buys in Kenya
Exchange rates and inflation are national, so the city follows this line. The dashed line is the exchange rate alone; the solid line is after inflation.
Nov 12, 2026After inflation 92.2Exchange rate only 96.3
Nairobi, in five questions
City costs are the national model scaled by a premium of +10% that we set by hand. To cite: “Trip Arbitrage (triparbitrage.com), reading of November 12, 2026.”
- How much does a day in Nairobi cost?
- About $47 on a lean budget, $118 mid-range and $307 in comfort, per person per day as of November 12, 2026, excluding international flights. These are modeled estimates: the national figure for Kenya, updated daily, scaled by a city premium.
- Is Nairobi expensive compared with the rest of Kenya?
- Nairobi costs about 10% more than the national average for Kenya, which is $107 a day mid-range. Safari gateway with a good restaurant scene.
- Is Nairobi cheaper to visit than last year?
- The exchange rate moved +0.6% for US-dollar holders over twelve months while prices in Kenya rose +5.7%, a real change of −1.6%. City prices broadly follow the country.
- When is the best time to visit Nairobi for lower prices?
- For Kenya the shoulder months, with workable weather and lower prices, are June, November. Peak season is January, February, July, August, September, October.
- Is Nairobi safe?
- The US State Department rates Kenya at Level 3: Reconsider travel. Country-wide levels can hide large differences between cities and regions, so read the full advisory.