Living in Nairobi, Kenya
Nairobi is a large inland city in Kenya (1 to 5 million people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 19°C over the year with about 900 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,159 a month to live centrally, and Kenya sits in our low to medium tax tier. For citizens from outside the East African Community, long-term residency in Kenya is possible, with conditions, with a self-funded route from about $2,000 a month in income.
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- Est. cost
- €2,159
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 19°C
- 900 mm rain a year
- Size
- Large
- 1 to 5 million people
- Safety
- 42/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~20 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Possible, with conditions
- outside free-movement blocs
What stands out about Nairobi
- More affordable than 84% of the cities we compare
Healthcare
Kenya scores 45 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 4% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Kenya.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Kenya runs at about 20 Mbps, faster than 5% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Safety and stability
Kenya scores 42 out of 100 on safety, safer than 6% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 5.0 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Kenya. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,159 a month to live centrally in Nairobi, 21% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 84% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Residency and visas
Possible, with conditions, for people from outside the East African Community. Long-term residence is realistic via the Class K ordinary-residents permit for self-funded retirees with assured passive income, the Class G investor permit for those starting or buying into a business, or employer-sponsored work permits, with permanent residence available after several years.
Citizens of the East African Community have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Kenya:
- Income: about $2,000 a month (Class K (Ordinary Residents) permit, assured income USD 24,000/year (USD 2,000/mo), applicant must be 35+; as of June 2026)
- Investment: about $100k (Class G (Investor) permit, minimum capital USD 100,000 invested in a registered Kenyan business; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 7 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 191 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Language and culture
Main languages: Swahili, English. English proficiency: some. Social openness scores 50 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Taxes
Kenya sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Nairobi in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Climate
Nairobi averages 19°C across the year with about 900 mm of rain, which makes it mild and moderately wet. It is warmer than 50% of the 1225 cities we track.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Questions couples ask about Nairobi
Is Nairobi a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Nairobi scores well on affordability. It is weaker on safety, healthcare, internet speed and social openness. Expect a mild, moderately wet climate (19°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Nairobi and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Nairobi?
We estimate about €2,159 a month for a couple living centrally, 21% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Nairobi?
Kenya is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Nairobi in their results.
Can foreigners live in Kenya long term?
Citizens of the East African Community have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: possible, with conditions. Long-term residence is realistic via the Class K ordinary-residents permit for self-funded retirees with assured passive income, the Class G investor permit for those starting or buying into a business, or employer-sponsored work permits, with permanent residence available after several years. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $2,000 a month (as of 2026-06); investment, about $100k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Nairobi?
Nairobi averages 19°C across the year with about 900 mm of rain, which makes it mild and moderately wet. It is warmer than 50% of the cities we track.
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