Nairobi Secures 5th Spot in Africa's Quality of Life Rankings

Numbeo, a prominent aggregator, has revealed that Kenya surpasses heavyweight contenders like Morocco, Egypt, and Nigeria in terms of providing a high quality of life for its residents.

Nairobi, the nation's capital, has clinched the fifth rank across Africa, coming in after the lead of four cities from South Africa namely Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban, and Johannesburg. Last year, Nairobi stood in sixth place trailing Casablanca in Morocco. On the contrary, the current rankings exclude Casablanca with Lagos in Nigeria and Cairo in Egypt taking up the sixth and seventh positions respectively.

When evaluating the standards of living, researchers consider several aspects, including buying power, climate conditions, general wellness, communal satisfaction, safety measures, and healthcare provisions. Furthermore, researchers rely on determinants like the cost of living, property price-to-income ratio, traffic commute time and pollution index. Nairobi speckles the chart with an outstanding performance in line with its climate initiatives. Its traffic commute time and healthcare registered commendable ratings.

When referring to purchasing power and cost of living indexes, the city fails to outrank its South African counterparts. The country's capital city shows moderate performance in safety and property-to-income ratio. No other East African city has made it to the top cities list, solidifying Nairobi's continued dominance in the region. In a recent survey conducted by the United States-based travel agency Lonely Planet, Nairobi was declared the top city to visit in the world in 2023.