Machakos vs Molo

Machakos is a cheap place to live, with a 1-bedroom in the center at $92/mo and a budget tier of $206/mo, but the local average net salary of $385/mo means most residents are not the ones renting those apartments. The expat scores are wildly uneven: 82/100 for FIRE and 80/100 overall, yet 51/100 for digital nomads and 54/100 for retirees, which tells you this town rewards people who already have money and need nothing from the local economy. There is no expat community to speak of, English proficiency is limited, and the digital nomad visa demands $4,583/mo, so come for the low costs and the 1,710 m elevation, not for the company.

Molo is a small highland town of 40 thousand people where a one-bedroom in the city center runs about $259/mo and a cappuccino costs $3, so your money stretches further than in Nairobi. The catch is earning it: the average monthly net salary is $385/mo, and the Kenya Digital Nomad Visa demands $4,583/mo, which prices out most remote workers despite the $35/mo internet that only delivers 10 Mbps. Retirees on a Class K ordinary residents visa need $2,000/mo and get a fair healthcare system, a 62/100 retiree score, and clean-ish air at 45 AQI, but a 52 crime index and limited English proficiency mean daily life takes some adjusting. Come for the cheap rent and Mediterranean climate at 2540 m, not for the digital nomad scene, which scores a weak 42/100.