SAFARI INFO - THINGS TO DO IN NAIROBI - THE COAST - KENYA ATTRACTIONS - RELOCATING TO KENYA
- TRAVEL ADVICE
contact:
jon@guidetokenya.net
|
Contents
| When we moved to Kenya our
biggest worry was that we didn't really know how much the
money we would need to budget for a month. We were taking a
pay cut to be here and, although we thought things would be
cheaper, we didn't know how much cheaper life would be. With the lifestyle we live we are know worse or better off. Some things are cheaper, some more expensive but certainly more is cheaper on the whole and much simpler. Tax The first thing that you need to know is that if you are being paid into a Kenyan account you will be taxed a third of your wages. There are NSSF payments but they are minimal. General living costs We have fewer outgoings than we did in the UK. Our rent, phone credit and internet credit, petrol, electricity and eating out :-). Rent Rent costs us KSH55000 a month and KSH2000 for electricity. However we do rent a small property for Kenya a two bed bungalow, both on suite with a nice size garden. We don't have access to a pool or gym like some apartments offer. For a very nice three bedroom apartment in a nice area you are looking at between KSH 65000 and KSH90000 a month this will include guard and maintenance costs. For a 3 bed plus house you can pay from KSH80000 to KSH150000, maybe even more. Petrol Petrol is currently priced at around KSH85 per litre for unleaded and KSH72 per litre for Diesel. Phone and Internet We only use mobile phones (cell phones) and mobile broadband. On the phone I spend about KSH500 a month and on the Internet KSH850. Food Shopping If you want to eat the same food that you did, then it will probably cost you more than it did at home due to import tax which the government places on these things. However, vegetables and fruit are pretty cheap and staple such a rice and maize flower are as well. So it depends on what you eat. Here are a few supermarket prices
Electricity and Gas Our electricity costs about KSH3000 a month but we have a small house and don't have a washing machine and of course no heating. Electricity can be expensive and the cost can vary due to rainfall as a lot of Kenya's power is provided by hydro power. There is not any mains gas so you buy a big container from a garage or Nakumatt supermarket. I found a lot of garages would refill your gas but would not have a cylinder to buy in the first place. The only place I found try to charge me KSH15000 for one without any gas! I then found a Nakumatt who had one in and it cost KSH6000 with gas. A car Cars are very expensive. Expect to pay at least KSH400,000 for one which is quite a few years old. If you want a 4 x 4, which are much nicer to drive on the pot holed Kenyan roads, then you will have to pay between 1 and 4million Kenyan Shillings. Eating out Eating out in a very nice restaurant for two people will cost you about KSH4500 depending on how much, and what, you drink. You can eat out for less than KSH800 and get some nice BBQ food and a few beers for two people. What else do you want to know about? - email me jon@guidetokenya.net |
Home l Safari Info l The Coast l Nairobi l Travel Advice l Other Attractions l Relocation Info