Kenya for Digital Nomads: A Quick Guide

Kenya has quickly become the top destination for digital nomads in Africa for its unique blend of white sand beaches, abundant national parks, and vibrant capital city – Nairobi.

Of course, it helps that Kenya has the best Wi-Fi in East Africa. You’ll never struggle to stay connected while you’re here. 

But Kenya a few things about traveling here might surprise you – like the cost of living. 

So, in this quick guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about working remotely and traveling Kenya as a digital nomad.

Quick Tips About Kenya

There is no Visa-On-Arrival in Kenya. You have to apply for a visa online in advance. Do so at least two weeks before your arrival date in case of delays.  

Kenya is part of the East Africa Tourist Visa, a combined 90-day visa for Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Kenya has over 40 National Parks (including marine parks). The Masai Mara is the most famous for hosting the Big 5 animals and the annual wildebeest migration, but Amboseli is probably the best.

Nairobi National Park is the only national park located within a city. You can visit it from Nairobi for a half-day.

Get a SIM card from Safaricom to use M-Pesa mobile money – a convenient payment technology on your phone used by every business in Kenya.

Crime is an issue in Kenyan cities at night – especially Nairobi. Don’t walk alone, and use Uber whenever possible.

Kenya is huge, so if you’re traveling far, fly or use the train (where available). Driving is dangerous, long, and can be exhausting.

Kenya is not a budget travel destination. Safaris are expensive if you’re traveling alone and paying tourist rates. The cost of living for digital nomads in Nairobi is equivalent to many European cities. The coast is cheaper and much better value.

Tours and Activities

Coliving Spaces and Digital Nomad Retreats

Kenya is home to a growing number of coliving spaces and retreats occurring throughout the year. Most of them are located on the coast, and offer a fantastic opportunity to explore its best beaches, kite surfing, and Swahili heritage in the company of fellow nomads. 

Skippers coliving, Diani – Coliving and kitesurfing in Kenya’s top beach destination! Comfortable rooms, a private pool, fantastic hosts, endless activities, motorbike rentals, and much more. 

Remote Year coliving, Nairobi – The Kenya chapter of the global retreats brand offers month-long stays in the heart of Nairobi. You’ll be walking distance to the best nightlife and restaurants, staying with amazing nomads from across the globe, and spending your weekends exploring Kenya together. 

Africa Nomads retreats, Lamu – Month-long retreats on the oldest Swahili settlement in East Africa. Lamu is a tiny island at the Northern tip of Kenya and feels like a completely different country to the mainland. There’s no cars, no nightlife, just an idyllic slice of island life.

Coworking Spaces

Read More >>> The Best Coworking Spaces in Nairobi.

Destinations

Diani

With its white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters, Diani Beach is a perfect spot for relaxation, water sports, and dolphin watching

Lamu

A UNESCO World Heritage site, Lamu has a unique blend of Swahili, Arabic, Persian, and Indian influences, evident in its architecture and culture.

• Watamu – Pristine white sand beaches dotted with dramatic coral features, a marine park, and the nearby Gede ruins.
• Nanyuki – Sits at the foot of Mt. Kenya, so it’s popular with trekkers and mountain climbers. There are also plenty of ranches and forest reserves set in beautiful landscapes that are great for an escape.
• Mombasa & Nyali – Kenya’s main port is mostly over-hyped. It’s a busy, congested city with unimpressive beaches and little character. Nyali, to the north, is a slightly nicer suburb.

Laptop-friendly cafes

Nairobi has thousands of laptop-friendly cafes, with plug sockets, comfortable chairs, and reliable internet. You can’t walk into a Java, Artcaffe, or CJ’s and miss seeing someone typing away on their laptops. 

On the coast, it’s hit and miss. Diani, Mombasa, Nyali have plenty of places to work. Kilifi and Watamu very few. Lamu basically has none (another reason we love it!).

Internet in Kenya

Kenya wouldn’t be the start-up and tech hub of East Africa if you struggled to find good internet here. 

Generally speaking, you’ll enjoy reliable and fast Wi-Fi connections in most towns and hotels. In more remote areas, your phone’s 4G+ will back you up. 

If you can’t find either reliable Wi-Fi or solid 4G+ coverage, you’re probably somewhere that you shouldn’t be working anyway, like a national park or secluded island. 

Embrace it, switch off, and relax. (But also plan ahead for this possibility)

4G+ Providers

Safaricom has the most reliable and fastest 4G+ in Kenya, strong enough to manage a WordPress website by hot-spotting your phone while on a train journey across the countryside. (Yes, I’ve done this)

• Safaricom – 5G in Nairobi, and the country’s most widespread 4G+ and 4G network, including the expansive and remote north.
• Airtel – No 5G yet, but Airtel has the second-best 4G+ and 4G coverage. Concentrated mainly around Nairobi but branching out to major towns across the country.
• Telkom – 4G+ is isolated to Nairobi and Mombasa, but 4G connection can be found in various regions. It often works better in Diani than Safaricom.

All three networks offer 4G+ mobile Wi-Fi routers, which are handy backups if you’re stuck or your phone dies.

But generally speaking, hot-spotting Safaricom and using public Wi-Fi is sufficient in most parts of Kenya. 

When to Visit Kenya

Given its size and the diversity of its climates and attractions, Kenya can be a year-round destination. Even during the rainy seasons, there’ll still be plenty of live music, festivals, parties, and opportunities to travel. 

November to February	Even though this is the ‘short rains’ season in Kenya, it’s also the most laid-back and fun. The weather becomes more unpredictable, with possible flooding. But there’ll still be plenty of beautiful, clear blue sunshiny days.  The end of December is one of the busiest periods for tourism in Kenya, especially on the coast, as Nairobians make the most of the Christmas holidays, and foreign tourists escape Winter.  In Nairobi, there’s a distinct feeling of ‘Summer’ as the city comes alive with festivals and events – many outdoors. The areas around the city also enjoy crisp, breezy weather that’s great for day trips and weekend getaways. This is also the best time to visit Northern Kenya destinations like the Chalbi Desert and Lake Turkana.
March to May	March usually marks the beginning of Kenya’s long wet season. However, these days it may not start until April. The months leading up to the long wet season are the most unpredictable. One day it’s stiflingly hot and humid. The next, it’s overcast and chilly. The long rains at the coast start a bit later, running from April to June. May is the wettest month. Coastal towns start getting very quiet, with many hotels, guesthouses, and restaurants shutting for a couple of months.  Not much happens in these months, but there are still low-key festivals, underground concerts, and plenty to do in Nairob . But the weather might spoil a lot of outdoor travel plans.
June to July	Kenya’s ‘winter’ is in full bloom. It gets really cold, misty, and generally miserable. However, the coast is warm all year round, so even though there might be some rain in June, it’s probably the best place to escape the cold.
August to October	This is peak tourist season in Kenya’s national parks, but still, a great time to visit. By November, crowds grow smaller, and prices drop once more. On the Masai Mara, the spectacular Great Migration will be in full swing, winding down towards the end of October. It’s generally hot in Nairobi during this period, with little to no rain. The coast experiences brief spells of rain and a very slightly cooler temperature.

Kenya Tourist Visas 

Since 2021, Kenya no longer offers visas on arrival for any nationality. You must apply for your Kenya visa online at the e-Visa website. 

But here’s a quick summary of the tourist visas available.

Visa	Cost	Important Info
90-Day Visa Exemption	N/A	Citizens of 42 countries in Africa and the Caribbean can travel to Kenya visa-free for 90 days.
90-Day Single Entry	$50	You can extend this visa up to 90 additional days once you’re in the country. However, these days, most immigration officers will only give you an extension of 1-2 months. You can only extend 2 single-entry visas in a row.
12-Month Multiple Entry Visa	$100	Once you’ve traveled to Kenya on two single entry visas, you might be eligible for a 12-month visa, there are a few conditions, and you’ll need the help of a visa agent.

The Best VPNs in Kenya

I’m not gonna waste your time with the usual sales pitch about military-grade encryption, split tunneling, DNS, blah blah blah. You know how a VPN works. It keeps you safe on public Wi-Fi, lets you access geo-blocked content, and keeps your internet speeds consistent. 

After testing the most popular VPNs in Kenya, our choices are always:

• ExpressVPN – The fastest VPN and an in-house favorite with lots of servers in Africa, including Kenya. However, it’s expensive.
• NordVPN – The best overall VPN worldwide but slow in Africa due to a lack of servers on the continent.
• Surfshark – The best budget VPN for Africa, with reliable servers that are faster than NordVPN and cheaper than ExpressVPN
• CyberGhost – A good option with affordable plans, but we have the least experience using it.

Read More >>> The best VPNs for digital nomads in Africa.

Top Things to Do in Kenya

Safaris and National Parks

You probably know this already, but Kenya’s National Parks spoil you for choice of safari adventures. A trip to the Kenyan countryside will leave you in awe, from the many big game animals to the beautiful sunsets.
For more, check out this guide to the Great Wildebeest Migration in Kenya.

Beach Getaways

Kenya’s long coastline is home to countless spectacular white sandy beaches, charming coastal towns, and relaxing islands. They offer stunning beauty, tranquility, a unique mix of cultures, and plenty of fast Wi-Fi.

Diani offers the best mix of beach life and real-world convenience, with plenty to do, and an abundance of cafes to work from. Kilifi is a smaller, hipper, more creative, and stunningly beautiful beach town, popular with young Nairobians looking to let loose and party. 

Lamu is the absolute best place to switch off – mostly because the internet there sucks, and the slow island pace of life is spoiled every time you open your laptop!

Hiking

Mt. Kenya is the second-highest peak in Africa, offering breathtaking landscapes for experienced hikers. However, there are also plenty of smaller, more accessible mountains and hiking trails in many national parks. Some, such as Ngong Hills and Karura Forest, can be accessed without leaving Nairobi.

Money in Kenya 

Currency	Kenyan Shilling (KES)
Approx. Exchange rate	10 KES = $0.80-1.00 USD
Free ATM Withdrawals	I&M and DTB Bank ATMs
Card Payment Acceptance	High
USD Bills Accepted?	No; only tour companies accept USD

Cost of Living in Kenya

The following outline relates mostly to living expenses in Nairobi. This is for a few reasons:

• It’s the city with which we have the most experience
• It’s the most expensive city to live in Kenya
• It’s the most popular place to live, outside of Diani or Kilifi 

If you plan to live somewhere in Kenya other than Nairobi, expect your costs to be roughly 30% less.

Living expenses in Kenya for an expat or digital nomad in Kenya can be compared to that of many European cities. The five main reasons for this are:

1. Overpriced rent for ‘expat’ apartments in nice neighborhoods.
2. Lack of good public transport means you’ll be taking lots of Ubers, Bolts, flights, and private car hires.
3. Many groceries are imported with high import duty taxes.
4. Entrance fees to national parks for non-citizens are very high ($30+ per person per day). So, if you plan on exploring Kenya on the weekends, it can get expensive. 
5. Nairobi doesn’t have much of a street food culture. Eating out usually means restaurants, averaging $8-15 per meal. On the coast and in smaller cities, it’s easier to find cheap, tasty local food. 

But don’t worry, Kenyans complain just as much about the cost of living in Nairobi – so you’re not alone.

Based on our experience, we suggest budgeting $2,000-2,500 per month to cover all your living, working, and travel expenses in Kenya.

This cost of living in Nairobi guide will help you budget and compare it to your usual expenses. TLDR: the table below is a quick summary.

M-PESA Mobile Money

M-PESA mobile money is a technology that allows you to make transactions from your phone’s SIM card. Using your Kenyan phone number, you can add cash to a virtual wallet and use this to send and receive money, as well as pay for goods and services. 

M-PESA was invented in Kenya and launched in 2007 to help ‘unbanked’ people access financial services and better engage in the economy. 

You can (and will) use M-PESA for virtually everything in Kenya: 

• Shopping in physical stores
• Shopping online
• Buying fruit and veg o the side of the road
• Paying for transport and accommodation
• Tipping service staff
• Paying rent and utility bills in apartments
• And much more

In fact, M-PESA has made physical cash almost redundant in daily life in Kenya. 

It’s perfectly safe, convenient, and easy to set up. However, you must buy a SIM card from Safaricom to use M-PESA (it’s their technology). But, as explained before, Safaricom is the best phone network in Kenya for digital nomads anyway. Other telcos’ mobile money systems like Airtel Money and Telkom’s T-Kash work well enough with M-PESA but using Safaricom is most convenient.

If you sign up to Wise, you can also top up any personal M-PESA wallet directly from your account (as explained below). 

Travel Debit Cards for Kenya

Card payments are widely accepted in Kenya, and generally perfectly safe. I’ve never had a card cloned here, nor have I heard of it happening to anyone else. And with all the safety features available on modern travel debit cards, you can easily monitor your account for any suspicious activity or just freeze your card when you’re not using it. 

If you’re still worried about paying with a debit card, then just stick to using it in hotels, highend restaurants, and shopping malls. 

I brought 3 travel debit cards with me when I moved to Kenya full-time:

1. Wise: The best all-round, with free ATM withdrawals up to $200 per month, M-Pesa top-ups, and many other great features.
2. N26: a good backup in case there’s an issue with your Wise card, but their customer service sucks!
3. Revolut: I don’t think I’ve ever actually used my Revolut card in Kenya, but it’s handy to keep just in case. 

The best thing about using Wise in Kenya is the ability to directly top up your M-PESA account from your Wise balance or debit card. It usually takes less than a minute, and you can send $100s in one go. 

This makes using M-PESA even easier. If I’m out and about, and my M-PESA wallet is too low to pay for something, as long as I have an internet connection, I can simply open my Wise app and top it up on the spot. It usually only takes 1 minute.

Withdrawing Money From ATMs

Nairobi’s many shopping malls are the best place to withdraw cash, and you’ll find plenty in every neighbourhood. ATMs are generally safe to use, and tampering is rare. If you’re using an ATM outside a shopping mall, there will probably be a security guard nearby watching very closely. 

Just make sure you keep any cash very safe and put it away before you leave the ATM in case of pickpockets. 

I&M Bank and Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) don’t charge you for using a foreign bank card. Other banks can charge up to $5 per transaction. Most I&M Bank ATMs also allow you to withdraw USD. 

Travel Insurance for Digital Nomads in Kenya

Trust me, traveling in Kenya without medical insurance is not worth it. The only adequate healthcare in the country is from private hospitals and clinics, which are often exorbitantly expensive. If you have an emergency, it could bankrupt you. 

Don’t risk having to pay for medical care out of your pocket. Invest in some decent travel health insurance and keep your documents somewhere they’re easy to access. 

SafetyWing: my go-to provider. I’ve never had to make a claim with SafetyWing, but they’re good value and cover almost every country in Africa. 

True Traveller: I used them for years before SafetyWing, made a couple of big claims, and never had an issue. However, they’re only available to residents of the UK and Europe. 

World Nomads: The #1 recommendation from most travel bloggers. I’ve never signed up to World Nomads, so I can’t say whether they live up to all the hype.

Cost of Travel in Kenya

Kenya is not a budget travel destination. But that doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot to enjoy it. 

The biggest expenses for people visiting the country are usually safaris. Skip these or join group tours, and your costs are drastically reduced. 

But what are you supposed to do in Kenya, if you’re not on safari?

You can visit plenty of smaller, stunningly beautiful national parks dotted around the country, relax on the beach, and soak up the amazing atmosphere and hustle of this vibrant, exciting country.

Your other big expense will be accommodation. There are only a handful of backpacker hostels dotted throughout Kenya – and they’re often not suitable for digital nomads. But if you can afford to pay $60-70 per night, you can usually find some great deals on Booking.com (especially if you join its “Genius” loyalty program).

Bed in a hostel dorm	$15
Budget hotel room incl. breakfast	$25+
Mid-range Hotel room	$50+
Room in a nice, central Airbnb	$40+
Budget 3-day safari	$450+ (pp)
Mid-range 3-day safari	$650+ (pp)
Entrance to museums in Nairobi	$5+
One way flight Nairobi – the coast	$30-70

Cost of Living in Kenya

Monthly groceries	$150-200
Monthly Uber	~$150
Meal at street vendor/local restaurant	$4-7
Meal at a Western restaurant	$8-15
Monthly 4G+ data & calls package	$20+
Monthly rent for a room in a shared apartment	$300+
Monthly rent for a studio or 1 BR apartment	$800+

The following outline relates mostly to living expenses in Nairobi. This is for a few reasons:

• It’s the city with which we have the most experience
• It’s the most expensive city to live in Kenya
• It’s the most popular place to live, outside of Diani or Kilifi 

If you plan to live somewhere in Kenya other than Nairobi, expect your costs to be roughly 30% less.

Living expenses in Kenya for an expat or digital nomad in Kenya can be compared to that of many European cities. The five main reasons for this are:

1. Overpriced rent for ‘expat’ apartments in nice neighborhoods.
2. Lack of good public transport means you’ll be taking lots of Ubers, Bolts, flights, and private car hires.
3. Many groceries are imported with high import duty taxes.
4. Entrance fees to national parks for non-citizens are very high ($30+ per person per day). So, if you plan on exploring Kenya on the weekends, it can get expensive. 
5. Nairobi doesn’t have much of a street food culture. Eating out usually means restaurants, averaging $8-15 per meal. On the coast and in smaller cities, it’s easier to find cheap, tasty local food. 

But don’t worry, Kenyans complain just as much about the cost of living in Nairobi – so you’re not alone.

Based on our experience, we suggest budgeting $2,000-2,500 per month to cover all your living, working, and travel expenses in Kenya.

This cost of living in Nairobi guide will help you budget and compare it to your usual expenses. TLDR: the table below is a quick summary.

Widespread and safe card acceptance, and Kenya’s MPESA mobile money means you’ll rarely need physical cash while in Kenya.

This makes using money while traveling in Kenya safer and more convenient than in most countries around the world. 

When you do need cash, don’t carry large amounts – due to the risk of pickpocketing or theft. When withdrawing cash from ATMs, they’re generally safe, with a security guard often close by. If in doubt, visit a bank or shopping mall.

Travel Etiquette

1. Try not to be too flashy. A lot of people in Kenya live below the poverty line. It could be considered crude and might be dangerous.
2. Kenya is mainly conservative. While Nairobi could be considered progressive, a lot of the rest of the country isn’t. Take this into consideration in how you dress and behave when in public. 
3. The LGBTQ+ community is still not widely accepted here. There are spots where you can be yourself, but in most areas, even at the coast and especially in Kilifi, you have to be careful about how open you are.
4. Kenyans are really sensitive about racism. You may not realize it when you say or do something that’s interpreted that way, but just be aware the issue can come up.
5. Tipping is generally accepted. Outlets that don’t allow tipping will likely not accept cash as well. So add a little extra to the bill. It helps people out more than you may realize, as wages for service staff in Kenya are incredibly low, ranging from $100 – $200 per month.

Listen >>> What’s going wrong with Kenyan-Expat relationships? (Podcast)

Safety in Kenya

Despite its media portrayal and reputation, Kenya is generally a very safe country to visit. Violence against tourists is rare. However, there are some precautions to take.

Safety in Nairobi

Petty crime has increased over the last few years. Lots of jobs were lost during the Covid lockdown, and crime saw a spike after the lockdown was lifted. Generally, avoid the CBD on foot if you can, and be mindful of your surroundings everywhere else. 

Here are a few more things you can do to keep yourself a bit safer in Kenya:

• Use cab-hailing apps instead of hailing a taxi yourself. You can easily follow up if anything happens.
• Keep away sparsely populated streets in the CBD. Attacks are more likely to happen when people aren’t around to help.
• Don’t flash your jewelry or technology on the streets. If you have to receive a call, look for an open building and duck inside. Snatchings are pretty common in Nairobi.
• Even in a private car, keep your windows closed and doors locked. Even slightly ajar, snatchers can pry it open and grab your belongings in a flash.
• Do not chase after attackers. If anything happens, stay in your car or look for somewhere safe immediately to regroup.
• Avoid visiting new areas alone. Find a local friend, guide, or do it in a group.

Theft & Pickpocketing

For most people visiting Kenya, this is probably the biggest danger. Most thefts occur as pickpocketing in crowded areas, snatch-and-grabs in Nairobi’s CBD and public transport (which you probably won’t be using), or at night. Mombasa’s old town has developed a reputation for being unsafe and is best avoided unless in a group or on a walking tour.

To avoid theft during the day, don’t walk around with your phone out, and make sure your wallet is either in a bag or away from easy reach.

Don’t keep valuables in your car if you park in the open. It could be broken into.

Safety at Night

Even if you’re familiar with an area, avoid walking around at night. Motorbike drivers will often see an opportunity for a quick theft as they pass you, and most cities and towns in Kenya are poorly lit. 

Use ride-hailing apps, or ask your hotel to find you a boda driver or taxi.

Terrorism

Despite being highly publicized, Kenya experiences very few terrorist attacks. In the last 5 years, Nairobi has experienced fewer attacks than Paris, London, Berlin, and many other European capital cities. 

Even so, there is armed security in all major towns, with every hotel and shopping mall well protected. 

There is no way of predicting when a country will next experience a terrorist attack, so don’t waste time worrying about it.

Kenya Digital Nomads FAQs

Does Kenya have a digital nomad visa?

Kenya doesn’t have a digital nomad visa. You can apply online for the 90-day Visa if it’s your first visit or the 12-month Multiple Entry Visa if you frequent the country.

Can I work remotely in Kenya?

Yes, you can work remotely in Kenya. There are excellent 5G, 4G+, and 4G networks in most towns, widespread access to WiFi, laptop friendly cafes, and a few coworking spaces.

Is WeWork in Kenya?

No, WeWork is not in Kenya, but there are alternative coworking spaces like Workify.