Kenya for Americans: visa, cost of living and safety

Getting in on a US passport

You need an eTA from etakenya.go.ke before you fly. It costs $30 at standard speed (about 3 business days), or $100 more for expedited, and you must enter within 90 days of approval. The visitor pass runs up to 90 days and can be extended inside Kenya to 180 days total. In May 2025 most African nationals were exempted from the eTA, but US citizens still need one.

Staying longer

The Class K permit is for retirees and others with at least $24,000 a year in income from outside Kenya. The Class N digital nomad permit is for people working remotely for employers or clients abroad.

What a month costs

Lean: about $800 a month. Comfortable: about $1,010 a month. One person, rent included.

Nairobi. Numbeo (updated Sep 13, 2026): $583 a month single-person costs without rent, plus a 1-bed outside the centre at $217 (low) or in the centre at $429 (comfortable). Expat areas like Westlands and Kilimani cost more.

Where to base yourself

Nairobi (Westlands/Kilimani)

JKIA is East Africa's main hub, Kenya Airways flies nonstop to New York, and these two areas have most of the expat rentals, coworking spaces and hospitals.

Mombasa / Diani Beach

This is the Indian Ocean coast with its own airport, and rent is cheaper than in Nairobi; Diani, south of Mombasa, is outside the State Dept's do-not-travel coastal zone.

Kisumu

It's a smaller, cheaper city on Lake Victoria, with an airport and a one-hour flight to Nairobi.

Heads up

Apply for the eTA only on etakenya.go.ke, not on a lookalike site. Use app taxis instead of street cabs, which the embassy links to robbery and kidnapping. Expect some traffic stops where officials ask for a bribe, and know that same-sex activity is a crime in Kenya.

Emergency numbers

Police: 999, 112 or 911
Ambulance: 999, 112 or 911
Anti-trafficking: Counter-Trafficking in Persons Secretariat 0733 721 566; Child Helpline 116 for cases involving children
US Embassy: +254-20-363-6000

Level 2 – Exercise increased caution (reissued July 28, 2026). Do not travel to Eastleigh and Kibera in Nairobi; Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Lamu and Tana River counties (except Tsavo NP); Kilifi north of highway C103 and the coast north of Malindi; West Pokot and western Turkana; or within 50 km of the Ethiopia border in Marsabit and Turkana.

Practical

Currency: Kenyan shilling (KES)
Plugs: G (240 V, 50 Hz)
Nonstop flight from the US: Yes
Typical door-to-door from LAX: about 21 hours

18+ only. If you see anyone who looks underage, or anyone being forced to work, call the anti-trafficking number above or the police. Rules change: check the embassy and immigration sites before you book.