Net salary of Ksh 15,000 in Kenya

A gross salary of Ksh 15,000 a month takes home Ksh 13,463, or Ksh 161,550 a year. NSSF takes Ksh 900, SHIF Ksh 413, the Housing Levy Ksh 225 and PAYE Ksh 0: Ksh 1,538 in all, 10% of your pay. No PAYE: personal relief covers all the tax at this pay.

Rules as of October 2026. Updated 17 October 2026.

Can you afford it?

Left at the end of the month−Ksh 13,458 to −10,458living in Umoja

This does not add up. Something has to give.

Take-home payAfter PAYE, SHIF, NSSF and the Housing Levy.	Ksh 13,463
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 13,458 to −10,458

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.

See what Ksh 13,463 really buys: rent in Umoja or Kilimani, matatu fares, food. Live a month on it in GrindLife Nairobi.

Play free GrindLife is a free life game on real Nairobi streets. Your payslip in the game is worked out the same way.

Your payslip at Ksh 15,000

Ksh, for an employee with no other pension, insurance or mortgage.

	A month	A year
Gross pay	15,000	180,000
NSSF Tier I	540	6,480
NSSF Tier II	360	4,320
SHIF	413	4,950
Housing Levy	225	2,700
Take-home	13,463	161,550

How the PAYE was worked out

	Ksh
Taxable pay	13,463
Tax charged	1,346
Personal relief	2,400

What your employer pays on top

Your employer matches NSSF and the Housing Levy, so you cost them Ksh 16,125 a month.

	Ksh a month
Employer NSSF	900
Employer Housing Levy	225
Your gross	15,000
Total cost to the employer	16,125

What Ksh 13,463 rents in Nairobi

After bills, food and matatu fares, this take-home covers 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 13,458 to −Ksh 10,458 a month. A one-bedroom in Kilimani leaves −Ksh 51,181 to −Ksh 31,181.

How Ksh 15,000 compares

83% of the legal minimum for a general worker in Nairobi (Ksh 18,047 a month before the housing allowance).
18% of the KNBS average for formal jobs, Ksh 82,348 a month in 2025. That average is pulled up by senior pay, so most people earn less.

Questions people ask

How much tax do I pay on Ksh 15,000 in Kenya?

PAYE is Ksh 0 a month. With NSSF, SHIF and the Housing Levy, Ksh 1,538 comes off and you take home Ksh 13,463.

Is Ksh 15,000 a good salary in Nairobi?

Not on its own. Even a bedsitter in Umoja leaves −Ksh 13,458 to −Ksh 10,458 after rent, bills, food and fares. At this pay most people share a room, rent a single room in a plot, or live with family.

How much does an employer pay for a Ksh 15,000 salary?

Ksh 16,125 a month: your gross plus their own NSSF and Housing Levy.