House help salary in Kenya 2026

A house help falls under the general worker row of the 2026 wage order: Ksh 18,047 a month in Nairobi if she lives in. Living out, the 15% housing allowance is owed on top, Ksh 20,755, which takes home Ksh 18,628.

Rules as of October 2026. Updated 17 October 2026.

Can you afford it?

Left at the end of the month−Ksh 10,724 to −7,724living in Umoja

This does not add up. Something has to give.

Take-home payAfter PAYE, SHIF, NSSF and the Housing Levy.	Ksh 16,197
Rent (bedsitter)The usual range in this estate.	Ksh 7,000 to 10,000
Power tokens	Ksh 1,258
Water	Ksh 500
Data and airtime	Ksh 1,300
Cooking gas	Ksh 1,235
FoodCooking at home, plus lunch at a kibanda on work days.	Ksh 6,996
Matatu faresTwo rides a work day at the rush-hour fare, about Ksh 128 a ride.	Ksh 5,632
Left over	−Ksh 10,724 to −7,724

On this pay nothing here fits once bills are paid. Sharing a room or living with family is how most people start.

One person, cooking at home. Rents are the usual range for the estate, not one listing.

Play a house help in Nairobi: Ksh 16,197 a month, an employer who pays late, a chama on Sundays. Free in GrindLife.

Play free GrindLife is a free life game on real Nairobi streets. Every job pays what its real scale pays.

House help pay scale 2026

Live-in help is housed and fed by the employer, which is why the housing allowance is not owed. A live-out help pays her own rent, so it is.

Ksh a month. Live-in and live-out are the legal floor in Nairobi; a trusted nanny or cook in a large home has no scale, so that row is an estimate under the KNBS average for household employers.

Grade	Published basic	Gross in Nairobi	Take-home	Gross is
House Help (live-in)	General worker: 18,047	18,047	16,197	from the scale
House Help (live-out)	18,047 plus 15% housing	20,755	18,628	from the scale
Nanny or Cook (large home)	-	30,000	26,194	from the scale

The payslip at each grade

Ksh a month at the first point of each grade, after NSSF, SHIF, the Housing Levy and PAYE. Union dues and loans are not taken off.

	Live-in	Live-out	Nanny or cook
Gross pay	18,047	20,755	30,000
NSSF Tier I	540	540	540
NSSF Tier II	543	705	1,260
SHIF	496	571	825
Housing Levy	271	311	450
PAYE	0	0	731
Take-home	16,197	18,628	26,194

How you move up

Most house helps are paid cash with no payslip, and many get far less than the floor. On paper, an employer should register her for NSSF and SHIF like any other worker.

House Help (live-in): Ksh 18,047 gross, Ksh 16,197 take-home. Needs Certificate of good conduct (1 months).
House Help (live-out): Ksh 20,755 gross, Ksh 18,628 take-home. Needs 1 years in the grade below.
Nanny or Cook (large home): Ksh 30,000 gross, Ksh 26,194 take-home. Needs 1 years in the grade below and Homecare and childcare short course (3 months).

What a House Help (live-in) can rent in Nairobi

On Ksh 16,197 take-home, after bills, food and matatu fares, the most that fits at the top of the rent range: nothing on its own; most people at this pay share a room or live with family.

A bedsitter in Umoja leaves −Ksh 10,724 to −Ksh 7,724 a month.

Questions people ask

What is the minimum wage for a house help in Nairobi?

Ksh 18,047 a month if she lives in, Ksh 20,755 if she lives out (the 15% housing allowance on top).

How much does a house help take home?

On Ksh 20,755 with NSSF, SHIF and the Housing Levy taken off: Ksh 18,628. Live-in on Ksh 18,047: Ksh 16,197.

How much does a House Help (live-in) take home?

Ksh 16,197 a month from Ksh 18,047 gross. Ksh 1,850 comes off for NSSF, SHIF, the Housing Levy and PAYE.