A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Nairobi vs. London for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Jump to  down-arrow

Should you visit Nairobi or London?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Nairobi and London can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Nairobi or London?

Nairobi

Nairobi is Kenya's capital as well as the country's largest city. With a population of about 3 million, it is also one of the largest cities in Africa. It is a prominent city both politically and financially within the region. There are many international companies that are located in Nairobi and the Nairobi Securities and Exchange is one of the largest in Africa.

London

The capital of the United Kingdom is a thriving multicultural metropolis. Steeped in iconic landmarks, world-class museums and royal parks, London is energetic, majestic, ambitious and one of the world's greatest cities. London is a cultural and fashion capital, a great place to go out, an amazing place to eat and one of those cities that is constantly changing with new and exciting things sprouting up almost every day. History and tradition greet you at every turn in the UK's capital. London is also a city with an edgy underbelly, delighting in neon pink dive bars, cheeky graffiti and mind-blowing street food. When you need a break from the action, pop into a pub or relax in one of the city's many parks. Blow through the city on a double-decker bus, and take a pinch-me-I'm-in-London walk through the West End. As one of the most visited cities in the world, London is busy, vibrant and very tourist friendly. The only problem with London is that it's very expensive; it can eat away at your budget if you aren't careful. Luckily, there are also tons of free or cheap things to do in London that can fill your time.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Kenya, The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Coach Bus Tours in United Kingdom, and The Best Adventure Tours to United Kingdom.


Which place is cheaper, London or Nairobi?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

  • Nairobi Prices
    Kenya Prices
    London Prices
    UK Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Nairobi $67
    London $295

The average daily cost (per person) in Nairobi is $67, while the average daily cost in London is $295. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Nairobi and London in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Nairobi $12
    London $171
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Nairobi $24
    London $342
Compare Hotels in Nairobi and London

Looking for a hotel in Nairobi or London? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Nairobi


Hotels in London


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Nairobi Hotel Prices and London Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Nairobi $11
    London $35
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Nairobi

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Nairobi:


  • Taxi from Airport
    $9.23

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Nairobi

Also for Nairobi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Road Transfer from Nairobi to Amboseli national park: $197
  • Private Transfer from Nairobi Airport or city To Maasai Mara By Road: $135
  • Private Transfers from Nairobi Airport to Hotels: $100
  • Nairobi National Park Game Drive and Transfer: $95
  • Airport/hotel/transfers In Van/bus/sedan Car Within Nairobi: $80
  • Private Transfer from Nairobi to Naivasha: $70
  • Airport Transfers In Nairobi City: $67
  • Nairobi - Maasai Mara Shuttle Transfers. : $61
  • Airport and Hotel Private Transfers.: $59
  • Airport VIP Transfers - Nairobi Hotels : $55
  • Private Luxury airport Taxi transfer Services Nairobi JKIA to City Hotels: $50
  • Private Transfer from Jomo Kenyatta Airport (NBO) to Nairobi: $42

Typical Local Transportation Prices in London

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in London:


  • Taxi Ride
    $20
  • Heathrow Express
    $25
  • Luggage Storage
    $11
  • London Map
    $1.76
  • Oyster Card
    $49
  • Train to Gatwick Airport (2)
    $29
  • Oyster Card
    $37

Hired Cars and Shuttles in London

Also for London, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Windsor Castle to/from Central London | Private Transfers: $74
  • Warner Bros. Studio Tour London The Making of Harry Potter with return transfers: $139
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in London HTL-APT (STN,LCY): $90
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in London HTL - APT (LGW,STN): $135
  • Transfer to/from London Gatwick Airport to Dover Cruise Port: $489
  • Transfer to/ from London Heathrow Airport to Central London: $199
  • Transfer to/ from Dover Cruise port to Central London: $507
  • Transfer to the Cruise ports from your London accommodation: $110
  • Transfer to or from London Luton Airport to Central London: $221
  • Transfer from London to Stratford upon Avon: $108
  • Transfer from London City Center to London Airport (LCY): $63
  • Transfer from London City Airport to Central London: $162

Is it cheaper to fly into Nairobi or London?

Prices for flights to both London and Nairobi change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Nairobi $13
    London $81
Typical Food Prices in Nairobi

For Nairobi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Dinner for Two
    $5.00

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Nairobi

For Nairobi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Carnivore Restaurant: Lunch or Dinner Experience in Nairobi: $21
  • Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class and Dining Experience: $40
  • Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class & Local Market Tour : $55
  • Private Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class with Lunch in Nairobi: $60
  • Carnivore restaurant Dinner or lunch from Nairobi: $65
  • Safari Park Dinner with Safari Cats Dance Show: $97
  • Safari Cat Dancers Show And Dinner: $100
  • Nairobi dinner and safari cat dancers : $100
  • Authentic Local Kenyan Food Tour: $108
  • Carnivore Restaurant Dinner Experience in Nairobi: $125
  • Nairobi Carnivore Restaurant Lunch / Dinner Experience: $125
  • Barbecue Dinner & Entertainment in Nairobi : $135

Typical Food Prices in London

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to London:


  • Lunch at Starbucks
    $18
  • Tea
    $8.18
  • Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason
    $53
  • Morning Tea
    $8.66
  • Pastry
    $6.82
  • Sushi Dinner for One
    $25

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in London

For London, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Borough Market Food Tour - Self Guided: $7.00
  • Ultimate London Cheese Crawl : Guided Food Tour: $41
  • Hard Rock Cafe London Old Park Lane with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $41
  • Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $43
  • Pizza and Beer Bus Experience: $67
  • Pizza Express Dinner and Comedy Show Experience in Covent Garden: $75
  • International Stand Up Show & Monmouth K. Dinner in Covent Garden: $89
  • International Stand Up Show & Flesh & Buns Dinner, Covent Garden: $89
  • Authentic Japanese Cooking Class in North London Home : $94
  • Borough Market Christmas Food Tour with Tea and Doughnuts: $96
  • Tea and Doughnuts: Small-Group Borough Market Walking Food Tour : $96
  • Traditional English Walking Food Tour With London Food Tours: $103

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Nairobi $46
    London $44
Typical Entertainment Prices in Nairobi

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Nairobi's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Village Visit
    $15

Tours and Activities in Nairobi

For Nairobi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Day Tour Amboseli Park From Nairobi: $180
  • Elephant Orphanage & Giraffe Centre Tour: $95
  • Lake Naivasha Full day Tour With Boat Rides: $156
  • Local Lunch and Beer Tasting Experience: $90
  • Nairobi National Park Morning Or Evening Game Drive 4x4 Tour Van: $50
  • Nairobi park Tour 6.A.M-11.AM: $70
  • Private 4WD Lake Nakuru Day Tour from Nairobi: $190
  • 1 Day Bike Tour to Hell’s Gate And Lake Naivasha : $139
  • 1 Day Tour Hiking Mt. Longonot and lake Naivasha Boat ride : $75
  • 1 Day Tour Nairobi National Park,Giraffe Center&Karen Blixen: $46
  • 1-Day Hiking Adventure at Mount Longonot from Nairobi: $170
  • 2 Days Group Safari to Amboseli using a Landcruiser 4x4 Jeep: $260

Typical Entertainment Prices in London

For London, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:


  • Two Tickets to a Concert
    $113
  • London Symphony Orchestra
    $47
  • London Pass
    $64
  • Comedy Show
    $11

Tours and Activities in London

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for London.

  • Changing of the Guard Walking Tour in London: $22
  • Courtauld Gallery London Private Guided Tour 2 Hour: $267
  • Greenwich, Real-world Adventure Game: $21
  • London King's Cross Walking Tour: Homelessness Revisited: $30
  • London Natural Marvels Museum Expedition Tour: $209
  • Madame Tussauds London Admission Ticket: $40
  • Rock 'n' Roll Soho - a Walking Tour: $29
  • Silent Disco Walking Tours West End Boogie Shoes: $40
  • The Kinks Private Walking Tour of North Finchley: $260
  • 'Cutty Sark' Entrance Ticket: $32
  • 1 Hour Guided AI Walking Tour from Big Ben London in Any Language: $31
  • 10 Craft Beer Tasting Experience: $48

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Nairobi $16
    London $21

Sample the Local Flavors in London

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in London:

  • London Pub Crawl: $29
  • Small Group Covent Garden Historic Pub Tour in London: $34
  • London Calling Pub Crawl Shots Pints Pubs & Good Times: $34
  • The Great East London Pub Crawl!: $34
  • Camden Pub Crawl in London: $34
  • Pub Crawl of Central London: $35
  • Sipsmith Distillery Tour and Complimentary Tasting: $41
  • Potter Pub Tour for Muggles: London: $44
  • Beer Babe Bar Crawl in London: $52
  • Historic London Pub Tour: $55
  • London Soho Rock and Roll Pub Tour with Guide: $65
  • East End Craft Brewery Tour: $67

How are these travel costs calculated?

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Nairobi and London, we can see that London is more expensive. And not only is Nairobi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Nairobi is in Africa and London is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Nairobi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Nairobi and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in London would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in London than you might in Nairobi.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Nairobi Expensive? and Is London Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Nairobi or London?

London has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Nairobi. When comparing the sizes of Nairobi and London, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.

Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.
About BudgetYourTrip.com
Lake Nakuru vs. Nairobi
Tsavo National Park vs. Nairobi
Nairobi vs. Masai Mara
Nairobi vs. Mombasa
Nairobi vs. Diani
Nairobi vs. Antananarivo
Nairobi vs. Budapest
Nairobi vs. Port Elizabeth
Lake Nakuru vs. Masai Mara
Los Angeles vs. San Diego
Marrakech vs. Fez
Tsavo National Park vs. Lake Nakuru
Masai Mara vs. Diani
Mombasa vs. Diani
Tsavo National Park vs. Diani
London vs. Edinburgh
London vs. Liverpool
Manchester vs. London
London vs. Lake District National Park
Windsor vs. London
London vs. Bath
London vs. Cambridge
York vs. London
Istanbul vs. London
London vs. Rome
London vs. Barcelona
London vs. Paris
London vs. Loch Lomond National Park
Newcastle upon Tyne vs. London
Oxford vs. London

Some of the links on this website are sponsored or affiliate links which help to financially support this site. By clicking the link and making a purchase, we may receive a small commission, but this does not affect the price of your purchase.