Best Place to Exchange Money in Nairobi

Where to change money in Nairobi

The Central Bank of Kenya's directory of licensed foreign exchange bureaux (February 2026 edition) lists 90 nationwide, with the biggest groups in central Nairobi, Westlands and Kilimani. Check a bureau against it before you change money. None is named here, as no single bureau had backing from two separate sources: compare quotes at two or three counters and keep the receipt.

• Central Nairobi: Kaunda Street and Kenyatta Avenue - Kaunda Street alone has about a dozen listed bureaux, with more on Standard, Mama Ngina and Kimathi streets, so rates can be compared within a few minutes' walk. The FCDO counts the central business district among the city's higher-risk areas for crime, so carry only what you plan to change.
• Westlands and Kilimani - The next biggest clusters, mostly in malls and office blocks: handy if you are staying in these suburbs.
• Gigiri, Village Market and Upper Hill - Two listed bureaux are at Gigiri, near the UN complex, one at Village Market and one in Upper Hill; check the address first.

Changing money at the airport

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) has seven bureaux in the CBK directory, in Terminal 1 and the arrival units. Kenya Airports Authority pages could not be opened, so their hours, the airport's cash machines and what they charge are unconfirmed. Swap only what covers the trip into town and a day or so.

Business Daily reported in February 2026 that Uber and Bolt lead Kenya's taxi-hailing market, and that private cars would for a time be kept away from the main terminal during expansion works, so your pick-up point may be a short walk off. For the drive into town the FCDO recommends the Mombasa Road or the Expressway, and flags a higher carjacking risk on the old airport road and on Jogoo Road.

ATMs and cards in Nairobi

No Kenyan bank tariff checked for this guide shows a clear charge for a card issued abroad, so treat the cost as unknown until the screen shows it, cancel if it looks high, and allow for your UK bank's fee. Where a machine or terminal lets you pick shillings or pounds, take shillings; Which? says that in pounds the rate is set by the seller, usually a worse one. Withdraw modest sums as you go rather than carrying a lot.

Safaricom sells Jambo Tourist Bundles to visitors in their first 90 days on its network, through *444#, paid with airtime or M-Pesa. Whether a visitor can open an M-Pesa wallet with a passport is not stated on the pages opened, so ask in a Safaricom shop. For parks you book yourself, the Kenya Wildlife Service uses its KWSPay portal (M-Pesa, a Visa card or a transfer to KCB, Absa or Equity); package tours normally include entry.

Paying for transport in Nairobi

Matatus, the minibuses on most Nairobi routes, are cash-first. Magical Kenya, the tourist board, says to agree the fare before boarding and pay the exact amount or close to it, as change can be short; mobile money is often taken, but not on every vehicle.

Uber and Bolt are the easiest choice for most visitors, with the price shown before you book. The Madaraka Express (SGR) to Mombasa stopped taking cash in early 2023, Business Daily reported, and Kenya Railways' FAQ says it does not take credit or debit cards at present, so book online or by *639# with M-Pesa. Carry your passport: original ID is needed at the counter and on board.

Good to know

• British visitors need an eTA, applied for online before travel. Kenya's official eTA site gives fees from $30, plus $100 for immediate processing, and says most applications are decided within three working days; the FCDO relays the local advice to apply two weeks ahead.
• Your passport must be valid for six months beyond your arrival date and have two blank pages (FCDO).
• The FCDO advises leaving showy watches and jewellery at home, not carrying large sums, and watching your bag at stations and airports, where snatching is common.