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 2.8% cheaper than Nigeria overall. A NGN100,000,000 salary in Nigeria would need to be roughly KES9,480,000 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 87°F in Lagos, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Kenya cheaper than Nigeria?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 58.3% more
Groceries
pay 18.0% less
Transportation
pay 61.0% more
Housing
pay 39.0% less
Childcare
pay 38.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 86.9% 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.
What salary do you need in Kenya?
What does your salary buy?
NGN100,000,000 → KES9,480,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Kenya
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Kenya
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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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Kenya generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nigeria leads in healthcare spending per person.
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
share of households with internet
Nigeria generally does better on infrastructure, though Kenya leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
share of people below the poverty line
Nigeria generally does better on employment & economy, though Kenya leads in gdp per capita.
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.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria (2016), Revenue Authority (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Weather in Kenya vs Nigeria
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lagos | Nairobi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/74°F (33°/23°C) | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) | 73°/55°F (23°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/71°F (28°/22°C) | 72°/50°F (22°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 88°/72°F (31°/22°C) | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lagos | Nairobi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.2°/22.3°C) | 76°/53°F (24.5°/11.5°C) |
| Feb | 92°/74°F (33.1°/23.5°C) | 78°/53°F (25.6°/11.6°C) |
| Mar | 91°/75°F (32.7°/23.8°C) | 78°/56°F (25.6°/13.1°C) |
| Apr | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.6°C) | 75°/57°F (24.1°/14.0°C) |
| May | 88°/74°F (30.9°/23.1°C) | 73°/56°F (22.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jun | 85°/73°F (29.2°/22.6°C) | 71°/52°F (21.5°/11.0°C) |
| Jul | 83°/72°F (28.1°/22.1°C) | 69°/50°F (20.6°/10.1°C) |
| Aug | 83°/71°F (28.1°/21.7°C) | 71°/50°F (21.4°/10.2°C) |
| Sep | 84°/71°F (28.9°/21.9°C) | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.5°C) |
| Oct | 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.3°C) | 76°/54°F (24.7°/12.5°C) |
| Nov | 88°/73°F (31.0°/22.6°C) | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.1°C) |
| Dec | 89°/72°F (31.9°/22.4°C) | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.6°C) |
Data:
Nigerian Meteorological Agency,
Kenya Meteorological Department
Can you move from Nigeria to Kenya?
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 3% 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 NGN100,000,000 comparable salary, that's around KES2,370,000 in Kenya for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Kenya?
With 3.0 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 15.8 in Nigeria.
How is healthcare in Kenya compared to Nigeria?
Kenya generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nigeria leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 2.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Kenya, compared to 3.8 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 87°F in Lagos. Nairobi receives around 40.3 in of rainfall per year, while Lagos gets 60.6 in.
What language do they speak in Kenya?
The official languages in Kenya are English and Swahili. In Nigeria, the official language is English.
