How much does it cost to build a house in Kenya?

Ranges per m² by finish level and by city, and what they come to on a 120 m² house, from the surveys in the Kenya pack.

Updated August 25, 2026

Economy (self-build): $250 – $420 /m²
Standard: $420 – $470 /m²
Premium: $470 – $600 /m²

Build cost in Kenya is reasoned per square metre of finished floor, because that is the only measure that survives a change of plan. The ranges below are the ones this tool applies to Nairobi, the country’s reference city, for a detached house in 2026. They cover the building itself: not the land, the taxes or the connections, which are listed further down.

Finish level	Price per m²	Basis
Economy (self-build)	32,000 KSh – 54,500 KSh ($250 – $420)	surveyed
Standard	54,500 KSh – 61,000 KSh ($420 – $470)	surveyed
Premium	61,000 KSh – 77,000 KSh ($470 – $600)	surveyed
Luxury	77,000 KSh – 120,000 KSh ($600 – $930)	derived

What that comes to on a 120 m² house

Finish level	Total for 120 m²
Economy (self-build)	3,836,000 KSh – 6,569,000 KSh ($29,500 – $51,000)
Standard	6,569,000 KSh – 7,330,000 KSh ($51,000 – $56,500)
Premium	7,330,000 KSh – 9,240,000 KSh ($56,500 – $71,500)
Luxury	9,240,000 KSh – 14,396,000 KSh ($71,500 – $111,000)

The town moves the number

The same drawing does not cost the same in two towns: hauling cement and steel, the price of labour and how many contractors are competing all move. Between Kisumu and Nairobi the spread applied here is 11%. The totals below are for a 120 m² house at standard finish.

City	Price per m² (standard)	Total for 120 m²
Kisumu	49,500 KSh – 55,000 KSh ($380 – $420)	5,912,000 KSh – 6,597,000 KSh ($45,500 – $51,000)
Mombasa	50,000 KSh – 55,500 KSh ($380 – $430)	5,978,000 KSh – 6,670,000 KSh ($46,000 – $51,500)
Nairobi	54,500 KSh – 61,000 KSh ($420 – $470)	6,569,000 KSh – 7,330,000 KSh ($51,000 – $56,500)

What the number leaves out

The land, its title and the transfer fees, which in a city often outweigh the structure.
VAT, 16% in Kenya, where you build through a firm that charges it.
The building permit and design fees, which are counted separately.
Water and power connections, priced by how far the network is from the plot.

Cost your own project

These ranges are averages. The estimator adapts them to your area, your city and your specification.