Why your car is your most expensive lifestyle choice
By Dan Kauna, June 4, 2026Buying a car in Nairobi is always a proud moment. Friends congratulate you, and weekend road trips become much easier.
But once the initial excitement wears off, the real expenses begin to hit your wallet.
For most Kenyans, a personal car is the most expensive lifestyle choice they make, simply because they rarely calculate the true total cost of keeping it on the road.
The hidden daily drain on your wallet
The real expense of owning a vehicle goes far beyond the showroom price or your monthly loan repayment. In Nairobi, daily running costs eat into your salary faster than you think.
Fuel is the biggest money pit, especially when you are stuck in traffic for hours.
Peer-reviewed research highlights how much our local roads drain fuel. A study on Nairobi’s urban transport found that the fuel economy for “passenger cars… was found to be 2–3 times worse than in the countries these vehicles are imported from.”
When you add the daily Sh200 city parking fee, comprehensive insurance that costs about 4 per cent of the car’s value every year, and routine service every few months, the bill quickly escalates.
There is also depreciation, which means your vehicle loses value every single day it sits in a traffic jam on Mombasa Road or Thika Road.
Doing the maths on alternative transport
To see the financial impact clearly, you have to compare these total costs against alternative ways of getting around. If you spend Sh60,000 every month on car loans, fuel, insurance, and maintenance, you are paying a heavy premium just for personal convenience.
Choosing a mix of matatus for your morning commute and digital taxi apps for specific mid-day meetings can completely change your financial health. If you spend an average of Sh25,000 monthly on public transport and cabs, you save Sh35,000 every single month.
Investing that extra money into a regulated money market fund builds a serious financial cushion over time. A personal car gives you great freedom, but doing the actual maths shows exactly what that freedom is costing your long-term financial security.