How much does a trip to Kenya cost?
Kenya can be done on a shoestring or splurged on with luxury safaris. The currency is the Kenyan shilling (KES), and roughly 1 USD is about 130 KES (check the live rate before you go).
Your single biggest variable is safari. Beach and city travel is affordable; a Maasai Mara or Amboseli trip is where budgets balloon.
Daily budgets
- Backpacker: 4,000-7,000 KES (about 30-55 USD) per day using dorms, matatus and local cafes.
- Mid-range: 10,000-20,000 KES (about 75-155 USD) per day with hotels, taxis and some tours.
- Comfort/safari: 25,000 KES and up (200 USD plus) per day once organised game drives and lodges are added.
Sample prices
- Plate of nyama choma or ugali with stew: 300-600 KES
- Tusker beer in a bar: 250-400 KES
- Matatu ride across Nairobi: 50-150 KES
- Airport taxi or Bolt into central Nairobi: 1,500-2,500 KES
- Hostel dorm bed: 1,200-2,500 KES; mid-range hotel double: 6,000-12,000 KES
- Maasai Mara park entry: about 100 USD per adult per day
- Budget group safari (3 days, Mara): 350-600 USD all in
Money and cards
Kenya is largely cashless thanks to M-Pesa, the mobile-money system tied to a local SIM. Visa and Mastercard work at hotels, malls and big restaurants, but markets, matatus and small cafes want cash or M-Pesa. Withdraw shillings from Equity or KCB ATMs, and tell your bank you are travelling. Keep small notes for tips and bodaboda (motorbike) rides.
Smart ways to save
- Eat where locals eat: a local kibanda meal costs a fraction of a hotel buffet.
- Ride matatus and the SGR train (Nairobi to Mombasa) instead of flying.
- Book safaris from Nairobi agencies rather than abroad, and join a group to split the vehicle.
- Travel in the low season (April-May, November) for cheaper lodges.
- Use Bolt or Little for fair taxi fares instead of hailing on the street.
Stay connected in Kenya
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