The Kenyan shilling (KES) is the only currency used for everyday payments in Nairobi. Hotels and safari companies may quote in US dollars, but shops, restaurants and taxis want shillings or M-Pesa.
Your options
- ATMs - usually the best rate for visitors with a bank card, with your home bank’s fees on top. Use ATMs inside banks and malls.
- Licensed forex bureaus - in malls and the city centre, often with better rates than banks for cash. They must be licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya.
- Banks - reliable for larger amounts and account holders, but often slower and with weaker cash rates.
- At the airport - convenient, but rates are usually poorer. Change only what you need for the first day.
- Money transfer apps - for residents, sending from a foreign account to M-Pesa or a Kenyan bank is often cheaper than carrying cash. See Sending money to Kenya.
Comparing rates
Compare the buying rate (what they pay for your dollars, euros or pounds) with the mid-market rate on a currency site. The smaller the gap, the better. Ask whether there is a commission on top.
Notes
- Bring clean, undamaged notes. Torn, marked or very worn notes are often refused.
- Older US dollar notes (typically those printed before 2006) are refused by many bureaus, and large notes ($50 and $100) often get a better rate than small ones.
- Keep receipts from bureaus in case you want to change shillings back.
Changing shillings back
Change leftover shillings back before you leave - they are hard to exchange outside East Africa. Bureaus at JKIA will do it, at a poorer rate.
Avoiding scams
- Never change money on the street - it is illegal and a common scam.
- Count your money at the counter before you leave.
- Use licensed bureaus, and don’t flash cash in public.