How much does it cost to travel to Nairobi? (2026)
Budget, mid-range and luxury daily estimates for Nairobi, in USD and KES.
Daily and weekly costs
| Tier | Per day (USD) | Per day (KES) | 7 days (USD) | 7 days (KES) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BudgetHostel bed, cheap meals, public transport | $35 | KES 4,500 | $245 | KES 32,000 |
| Mid-rangeThree-star hotel, restaurants, some taxis | $80 | KES 10,000 | $560 | KES 72,000 |
| LuxuryFour- or five-star hotel, dining out | $175 | KES 23,000 | $1,225 | KES 160,000 |
Every amount in this table is an estimateestimate, derived from the World Bank price level for Kenya rather than quoted by any seller.
How this is calculated
A US baseline of 90, 210 and 450 USD a day for the three tiers is multiplied by the price level of Kenya (0.33678485400019603, World Bank 2025) and by a city-size factor of 1.15, then rounded to the nearest 5 dollars. Local amounts use the World Bank exchange rate of 129.302572099377 KES to the dollar, rounded to two significant digits.
These are modeled estimates, not quoted prices. Read the full formula on the methodology page.
Sample prices in Nairobi
Typical prices, every one an estimateestimate rather than a quoted price.
Budget guesthouse room, per night
estimate for a simple private room
$18
Local meal at a casual eatery
estimate for a basic meal
$5
Restaurant meal, mid-range
estimate for a sit-down dinner
$15
Local transport ride
estimate for a short matatu or ride-hailing trip
$3
Coffee at a café
estimate for a standard cup
$3
Attraction entrance fee
estimate for a museum or park-style visit
$25
Prepaid SIM card with data
estimate for a basic data package
$5
Where the money goes
Across the three tiers, the difference in daily spending mostly comes down to lodging quality and how much travelers spend on dining and activities. A budget day near $35 covers basic accommodation, simple meals, and local transport, while a mid-range day around $80 allows for better lodging and restaurant meals, and a luxury day near $175 adds more comfort and flexibility. Over a full week these add up to $245, $560, and $1,225, giving a clear range for planning a trip at different comfort levels.
The cheapest and quietest time to visit falls in April, May, and November, when fewer travelers are in the city and prices tend to soften. All cost figures here are estimates meant to guide planning rather than fixed prices, since actual spending will vary by traveler habits and where money is spent day to day.
Cheapest months by climate demand: Apr, May and Nov.
Keep reading
More on Nairobi
Sources
- GeoNames city database — CC BY 4.0, fetched September 14, 2026
- World Bank price level and exchange rate — CC BY 4.0, data year 2025
AI-written interpretation reviewed against the data above — claude-sonnet-5, generated September 21, 2026. Every number on this page comes from a dataset named here; the formulas are public.