Moving to Kenya from Nigeria
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Nigeria to Kenya — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Nigeria to Kenya, you would find that Kenya is 37.0% more expensive than Nigeria overall. A NGN102,877,500 salary in Nigeria would need to be roughly KES6,868,824 in Kenya to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Nairobi averages 74°F vs 91°F in Abuja, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Nigeria to Kenya.
What does your salary buy?
NGN102,877,500 → KES6,868,824
To maintain the same standard of living in Kenya
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 33.3% more
Groceries
pay 31.1% less
Transportation
pay 22.9% more
Housing
pay 32.0% less
Childcare
pay 3.6 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 40.6% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Nigeria and Kenya stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Nigeria generally does better on safety, though Kenya leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Nigeria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kenya leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Kenya performs significantly better than Nigeria across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Kenya generally does better on infrastructure, though Nigeria leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Nigeria performs better than Kenya across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Kenya performs significantly better than Nigeria across all family life metrics.
Data: Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Abuja | Nairobi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 97°/74°F (36°/23°C) | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/69°F (33°/21°C) | 73°/55°F (23°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/66°F (29°/19°C) | 72°/50°F (22°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 93°/64°F (34°/18°C) | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Abuja | Nairobi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 94°/69°F (34.7°/20.4°C) | 76°/53°F (24.5°/11.5°C) |
| Feb | 98°/78°F (36.8°/25.5°C) | 78°/53°F (25.6°/11.6°C) |
| Mar | 98°/76°F (36.9°/24.3°C) | 78°/56°F (25.6°/13.1°C) |
| Apr | 96°/76°F (35.6°/24.7°C) | 75°/57°F (24.1°/14.0°C) |
| May | 91°/67°F (32.7°/19.5°C) | 73°/56°F (22.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jun | 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) | 71°/52°F (21.5°/11.0°C) |
| Jul | 84°/71°F (29.1°/21.9°C) | 69°/50°F (20.6°/10.1°C) |
| Aug | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) | 71°/50°F (21.4°/10.2°C) |
| Sep | 86°/64°F (30.0°/17.5°C) | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.5°C) |
| Oct | 90°/71°F (32.0°/21.4°C) | 76°/54°F (24.7°/12.5°C) |
| Nov | 94°/60°F (34.4°/15.7°C) | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.1°C) |
| Dec | 94°/60°F (34.6°/15.5°C) | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.6°C) |
Data:
Nigerian Meteorological Agency,
Kenya Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Nigeria and Kenya. To live, work, or study long-term in Kenya, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Kenya's immigration authority.
Nigeria passport holder visiting Kenya
Visa Free
Kenya passport holder visiting Nigeria
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Kenya than Nigeria?
Generally yes: Kenya runs about 29% cheaper than Nigeria on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Kenya?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a NGN102,877,500 comparable salary, that's around KES1,717,206 in Kenya for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Kenya?
With 1.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Kenya can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Nigeria and Kenya.
Is Kenya safe for expats?
Nigeria generally does better on safety, though Kenya leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Kenya is 4.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 21.7 in Nigeria.
How is healthcare in Kenya compared to Nigeria?
Nigeria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kenya leads in health coverage index. There are 1.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Kenya, compared to 3.9 in Nigeria. Kenya scores 53 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Nigeria: 38).
What's the weather like in Kenya compared to Nigeria?
The average high temperature in Nairobi is 74°F, compared to 91°F in Abuja. Nairobi receives around 40.3 in of rainfall per year, while Abuja gets 48.1 in.
What language do they speak in Kenya?
The official languages in Kenya are English and Swahili. In Nigeria, the official language is English.
