Which place is cheaper, Seattle or Nairobi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Nairobi or Seattle?
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 Seattle 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 Seattle?
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.
Seattle
Situated on the Puget Sound in the state of Washington, Seattle is the largest city in the United States Pacific Northwest. It's a beautiful city surrounded by the water and mountains and filled with evergreen trees. It's also the home of some famous American institutions including Starbucks Coffee, Amazon, and Microsoft. The population of almost 700,000 continues to grow. As of 2014, the city was considered the fastest growing major city in the United States. The entire metropolitan area has about 3.6 million residents, making it the 15th largest metro area in the US. The natural beauty, growing economy, and educational base give Seattle a youthful vibe that keep the city young and energetic.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Kenya, The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Polar Tours & Cruises in United States of America, and The Best Walking Tours in United States of America.
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Nairobi Prices
Kenya PricesSeattle Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayNairobi $67Seattle $242
The average daily cost (per person) in Nairobi is $67, while the average daily cost in Seattle is $242. 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 Seattle in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personNairobi $12Seattle $120
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomNairobi $24Seattle $240
Compare Hotels in Nairobi and Seattle
Looking for a hotel in Nairobi or Seattle? 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.
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 Seattle Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Nairobi $11Seattle $30
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Nairobi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Nairobi:
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Taxi from Airport$9.26
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Nairobi
Also for Nairobi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Nairobi Airport Transfer, Hotel Pick up and Drop Off: $20
- Private Airport Transfer and Service in Nairobi: $20
- Safe and Private Airport transfer in Nairobi: $20
- Nairobi Airport Transfers to City Hotels or Wilson Airport: $24
- Airport transfer; NBO to nairobi hotels: $27
- Nairobi Airport Transfers to Wilson Airport or City Hotels: $28
- Airport Transfers in Nairobi: $28
- Private One-Way Nairobi Airport Transfer: $29
- From Wilson Airport: Nairobi private transfer in a car (3 pax): $30
- Airport Transfer in Nairobi- JKIA: $30
- Professional Airport Transfer Service in Nairobi: $33
- From JKIA Airport: Nairobi private transfer in a car (3 pax max): $35
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Seattle
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Seattle:
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Lightrail from Airport (for 2)$5.50
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Roundtrip Ferry to Bainbridge Island (for 2)$15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Seattle
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Seattle:
- Transfer Pier 91 to International SeaTac Airport One Way: $27
- Smith Cove Terminal to Seattle hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $167
- Smith Cove Terminal to Seattle Tacoma Airport (SEA) - Departure Private Transfer: $128
- SEA Airport Private Transfer to/from City Center: $37
- One Way Airport Transfer Service: $112
- Seattle to Seattle Tacoma Airport (SEA) - Departure Private Transfer: $63
- Seattle Tacoma Airport (SEA) to Smith Cove Terminal - RoundTrip Private Transfer: $256
- Seattle Tacoma Airport (SEA) to Seattle - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $126
- Seattle Round Trip Chauffeur Driven Airport Transfer by Sedan: $167
- Seattle Departure Chauffeur Driven Airport Transfer by Sedan: $83
- Seattle Departure Chauffeur Driven Airport Transfer by SUV: $117
- Seattle Departure Chauffeur Driven Airport Transfer by Executive Sedan: $83
Is it cheaper to fly into Nairobi or Seattle?
Prices for flights to both Seattle 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
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Food Meals for one dayNairobi $13Seattle $88
Typical Food Prices in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner for Two$5.02
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Kenyan Cooking Class & Authentic Dining Experience with a Local: $40
- Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class & Local Market Tour: $55
- Private Interactive Cooking Class and Market Tour in Kinoo: $65
- Dinner/Lunch Eating Experience Carnivore Restaurant & Transport: $75
- Safari Park dinner with live band music and cat dance show.: $90
- Nairobi Nightlife and Safari Park Hotel Dinner Experience: $90
- Safari Cat Dancers Show And Dinner: $100
- Barbecue Lunch/ Dinner At The Carnivore Restaurant - Nairobi: $100
- Nairobi National Park Afternoon Game Drive/ Dinner Carnivore Restaurant: $100
- Nairobi dinner and safari cat dancers: $100
- Authentic home dinner with a local Family in Nairobi: $108
- Authentic Local Kenyan Food Tour: $108
Typical Food Prices in Seattle
Some typical examples of dining costs in Seattle are as follows:
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Expresso & cookie at Pier 70$7.00
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Cashews at Pike Place Market$6.00
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6 Mini Donuts at Pike Place Market$3.25
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Chinese Lunch in International District (for 2)$21
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Breakfast at Lowel's in Pike Place Market (for 2)$32
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Breakfast at French Cafe (for 2)$37
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Seattle
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Seattle.
- Plant-Based in Pike Place Food Tour: $50
- Delicious Donuts & Holiday Cheer: Seattle Food Tour: $70
- Pike Place Market Food Tour with 9+ Tastings: $73
- Seattle : Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $73
- Chef Guided Food Tour of Pike Place Market: $75
- Fun Taco Cooking Class With a Local Chef in Seattle: $75
- Pike Place Market Chef-Guided Food Tour: $75
- Japanese Ramen Cooking Class With Local Chef: $75
- Fun Taco Cooking Class With a Local Chef in Seattle: $75
- Chef Food Tour of Seattle Space Needle and Seattle Center: $85
- Seattle Buffet Dinner Cruise: $95
- Pike Place Market: Original Food Tour - Tips Included!: $112
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Nairobi $46Seattle $16
Typical Entertainment Prices in Nairobi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Nairobi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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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:
- Fashion African Fabric & Souvenir Market Tour: $12
- Private Tour in Kibera the Largest Slum: $15
- Kibera Slum Tour with a Local: $15
- Nairobi Matatu Culture Experience: $18
- Nairobi Walking City Tour +pick-up: $20
- Nairobi City Tour and Pickup: $20
- Kibera Chocolate City Tour: $22
- Nairobi History and Modern Culture Walking Tour: $22
- Nairobi City Walk Tour +pickup: $22
- Cultural Discovery Tour of Unfiltered Mathare: $23
- Experience Nairobi Night Life Partying in the City and Beyond: $25
- Giraffe Center Karen Blixen and Kobe Beads Day Tour: $25
Tours and Activities in Seattle
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Seattle are as follows:
- 2 Hour Sound Tour: $118
- Bainbridge Island Discovery Tour: $135
- Bainbridge Island Discovery and Bloedel Reserve Tour: $235
- Bald Eagles Nesting Area Tour at Skagit River: $135
- Beneath The Streets Underground History Tour: $32
- Bite-Sized Seattle History & Food by Go West Tours: $26
- Boeing Factory Tour & Seattle City Tours Combo: $199
- Boeing Factory Tour with Guided Transport from Seattle: $135
- Boeing Factoy Tour from Downtown Seattle with guide: $135
- Bruce Lee Heritage Tour Seattle’s Martial Arts Legend: $375
- California-Oregon Coast Highlights, 5 day adventure: $2,295
- Capitol Hill Nightlife Tour: Seattle’s Bars & Local Hangouts: $50
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayNairobi $16Seattle $16
Sample the Local Flavors in Nairobi
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Nairobi:
- Food and Wine Tasting Experience at Five Senses Restaurant: $155
Sample the Local Flavors in Seattle
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Seattle:
- Astonishing Bar Crawl in Seattle Belltown Bar Blitz: $15
- Wine Tasting at Samā Cellars a Boutique Washington Winery: $25
- Seattle Terrors Spirits & Spirits Haunted Pub Crawl: $30
- Fun Pasta Making Class at a Trendy Brewery in Seattle: $60
- Seattle Beer Wander - Ballard Brewery District: $65
- Diverse Wine Tasting Experience Near Pike Place Market: $75
- Diverse Wine Tasting Experience with Bites: $75
- Pike Place Market Tour with Wine Tasting: $77
- Craft Beer Tasting Tour in Ballard Brewery District with Food: $99
- Chauffeured Self Guided Wine Tour in SODO: $102
- Woodinville Guided Wine Tour with Optional Tastings: $109
- Private Wine Tour on Whidbey Island, WA 7hrs: $169
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Nairobi and Seattle, we can see that Seattle 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 Seattle is in North America, 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 Seattle would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Seattle 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 Seattle Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Nairobi or Seattle?
Nairobi has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Seattle. When comparing the sizes of Nairobi and Seattle, 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.