In Africa, expats live more comfortably than in Europe. The English, Germans, and French are interested in Kenya because many of the company’s expenses are covered. There are corporate programs: payment for school, car, housing.
If a family of foreigners who work for Siemens or Procter & Gamble comes, they rent a large house with a swimming pool, which costs $3,500 per month. And in Europe, for example, they live in small apartments.
I have not seen Russians who would come to Kenya just to live. In addition to IT, geology, and engineering, compatriots work for the United Nations (UN). Kenya has a very large complex of regional offices that are part of the UN (humanitarian missions, NGOs).
I have also met Russians who are employed by international corporations such as General Electric, Coca Cola, Unilever. They are sent to work in Nairobi as part of corporate rotation. The experience of the 1990s and early 2000s, when the market economy was just starting to develop in Russia, is considered useful and interesting in international companies in relation to East Africa. And Nairobi is the capital of an entire region.
There are also Russian women who married Kenyans. They, as a rule, are engaged in tutoring or small-scale entrepreneurship: they teach children to draw, weave beads, and so on.
The income level of employees of international corporations in Nairobi is the same as in Moscow – minus living expenses. If we talk about entrepreneurs, things are not so clear-cut. Everyone decides for themselves what expenses and level of comfort they can afford. For example, Australian entrepreneurs rent an apartment for $1,000 and live with very low costs.
The Kenyans themselves are divided into two large groups. Some do not have a permanent job, they get temporary vacancies for $2-3 a day. There are about 50% of the population. Those who have a permanent job receive an order of magnitude higher. Income of office workers: about $500 per month, managers – $1000-2000, executives, heads of offices, departments – about $5000.