Moving to Kenya from Sweden
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sweden to Kenya — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Sweden to Kenya, you would find that Kenya is 44.6% cheaper than Sweden overall. A SEK723,502 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly KES3,994,213 in Kenya to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Swahili. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Nairobi averages 74°F vs 52°F in Stockholm, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Sweden to Kenya.
What does your salary buy?
SEK723,502 → KES3,994,213
To maintain the same standard of living in Kenya
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 69.3% less
Groceries
pay 56.9% less
Transportation
pay 44.3% less
Housing
pay 59.1% less
Childcare
pay 45.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 56.7% less
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 Sweden 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
Sweden performs better than Kenya across all safety metrics.
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 Sweden leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Sweden generally does better on environment, though Kenya leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Sweden performs better than Kenya across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Sweden generally does better on employment & economy, though Kenya leads in unemployment rate.
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
Sweden performs better than Kenya across all family life metrics.
Data: Skatteverket, 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 | Stockholm | Nairobi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 73°/55°F (23°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) | 72°/50°F (22°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Stockholm | Nairobi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) | 76°/53°F (24.5°/11.5°C) |
| Feb | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) | 78°/53°F (25.6°/11.6°C) |
| Mar | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) | 78°/56°F (25.6°/13.1°C) |
| Apr | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) | 75°/57°F (24.1°/14.0°C) |
| May | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) | 73°/56°F (22.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jun | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) | 71°/52°F (21.5°/11.0°C) |
| Jul | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) | 69°/50°F (20.6°/10.1°C) |
| Aug | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) | 71°/50°F (21.4°/10.2°C) |
| Sep | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.5°C) |
| Oct | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) | 76°/54°F (24.7°/12.5°C) |
| Nov | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.1°C) |
| Dec | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.6°C) |
Data:
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI),
Kenya Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sweden 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.
Sweden passport holder visiting Kenya
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Kenya passport holder visiting Sweden
Visa RequiredData: 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 Sweden?
Generally yes: Kenya runs about 59% cheaper than Sweden 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 SEK723,502 comparable salary, that's around KES998,553 in Kenya for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, 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 Sweden and Kenya.
Is Kenya safe for expats?
Sweden performs better than Kenya across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Kenya is 4.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Sweden.
How is healthcare in Kenya compared to Sweden?
Kenya generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 1.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Kenya, compared to 71.5 in Sweden. Kenya scores 53 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sweden: 85).
What's the weather like in Kenya compared to Sweden?
The average high temperature in Nairobi is 74°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Nairobi receives around 40.3 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.
What language do they speak in Kenya?
The official languages in Kenya are English and Swahili. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.
