Factors That Ranked Nairobi Among The Top 100 Expensive Cities

According to Mercer’s Cost of Living survey 2019 released Wednesday, Kenya’s Nairobi City rose 26 places to position 97 on the ranking for the most costly cities.

Generally, according to the report, the cost of living in Nairobi is moderate compared to other expat destinations. Last year, the Mercer Cost of Living report ranked it as a mid-range expense location (123rd out of 209 cities).

The city last appeared in the list of top 100 most expensive cities in 2010 when the global consultancy firm placed it at number 88.

A sustained climb in the prices of goods and services has pushed Nairobi back into the list of 100 most expensive cities in the world, making it a more costly location for expatriate workers.

The ranking is based on changes in prices of some 200 goods and services that are commonly purchased by expatriates.

The items are grouped as food, alcohol and tobacco, domestic supplies, housing, utilities, clothing and footwear, recreation and entertainment, home services, personal care and transportation.

This year’s survey conducted in March 2019 reviewed prices of items such as a single cinema ticket for the latest international release, men’s blue jeans, a cup of expresso coffee at a popular café, a litre of petrol and fast food meal for one person in each of the 209 cities.