Looking for American Expats in Nairobi?

Thinking about moving to Nairobi as an American? These pros and cons come from the InterNations Expat Insider 2024 survey, in which thousands of expats around the world share what they like and don't like about life abroad each year. The points below reflect what US American expats in Nairobi wrote in their own words, backed up by survey percentages from all expats living there.

• The climate and nature are a highlight. 91% of expats in Nairobi rate the climate and weather positively and 93% the natural environment, with greenery, wildlife, and endless scenery.

• Life is laid-back and cheaper. Americans describe a relaxed pace and lower costs for rent, food, and services than they're used to.

• People are warm and welcoming. 78% rate locals as friendly, 80% feel welcome, and 66% say making local friends is easy — well above the global average of 38%.

• It's culturally rich and easy in English. 88% rate culinary variety positively and 68% get by fine without the local language.

• Safety is a real concern. Just 46% of expats in Nairobi rate personal safety positively (vs. 80% globally), and security often depends on money.

• Corruption and traffic frustrate. Only 38% rate political stability positively, with corruption and intense traffic recurring themes.

• Bureaucracy and work visas are hard. Just 17% find dealing with authorities easy, and a sponsored work visa is difficult to obtain.

• Infrastructure has gaps. Only 42% rate the availability of public transportation positively, with unreliable electricity and patchy services.

For Americans, Nairobi offers a great climate, stunning nature, warm people, and a laid-back, English-friendly life at a lower cost. The trade-offs are safety, corruption, and infrastructure. It rewards those who come for the lifestyle and can manage the security realities.

To gain a better understanding of expat life in Nairobi, we asked our American members for their opinions. Let’s start with the positive ones first.

Now let's see some common negative topics that our American members had on their minds:

Every year, we publish one of the biggest global surveys for expats — Expat Insider — where we ask people living around the world about every aspect of expat life. We’ve rounded up key facts about the typical American expat: what motivated them to move to a new country, what they enjoy about life abroad, as well as what they struggle with the most.

• Browse our network of members to get to know American expats in Nairobi and connect with others.
• Take part in our expat forums to get firsthand tips and information from fellow Americans in Nairobi.
• Meet other American expats and global minds at 600 monthly official events and share your interests at more than 4,600 monthly activities in Nairobi and across the globe.

InterNations provides an easy, casual way to get to know expats from the USA and further afield in your local community. Sound good? Then let us welcome you into our Nairobi Community today!

Our community in Nairobi is also very active offline. Our InterNations Ambassadors organize regular events and various expat activities, e.g. a dinner in Nairobi’s hippest restaurant or an outing with other American expats to explore the Maasai Mara wildlife habitat. These activities are a casual way to get to know expats from the USA in your local community as well as Americans in Kenya nationwide. Interested? Simply become a member and we’ll be happy to welcome you among our Americans living in Nairobi!