Currency in Kenya: KES Send & Spend FX Guide
Resources for Expats, Travelers and Entrepreneurs Navigating Life and Trade in Kenya with the Kenyan shilling.
What's in this Kenya currency guide?
What currency is used in Kenya?
The official currency of Kenya (country code: KE) is the Kenyan shilling, with symbol KSh and currency code KES.
What is a good Kenyan shilling exchange rate?
The BestExchangeRates.com currency comparison table below helps you see the total cost of your currency transaction by showing the exchange rates offered by different providers. It also makes it easy to spot potential savings from market-leading FX services compared to bank rates.
To see a full list of rates, enter your transaction type, currencies and amount then click ‘GET RATES’:
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Frequently Asked Questions
What currency should I use in Kenya?
The domestic currency in Kenya is the Kenyan shilling.
What is the Kenyan shilling currency code and symbol?
The three letter currency code for the Kenyan shilling is KES — symbol is KSh.
What does the Kenyan shilling look like?
Here is an example Kenyan shilling banknote:
Which countries use the Kenyan shilling?
It is the domestic currency in Kenya.
Is the Kenyan shilling a closed currency?
No, the Kenyan shilling is freely available and convertible. See guide: What is a closed currency?
What are equivalent amounts of AUD and KES?
Here are some popular conversion amounts for AUD to KES (Australian dollar to Kenyan shilling)*.
| AUD | KES |
|---|---|
| A$ 1,000 | KSh 86,660 |
| A$ 5,000 | KSh 433,300 |
| A$ 20,000 | KSh 1,733,200 |
| A$ 100,000 | KSh 8,666,000 |
| AUD | KES |
|---|---|
| A$ 11.54 | KSh 1,000 |
| A$ 57.70 | KSh 5,000 |
| A$ 230.78 | KSh 20,000 |
| A$ 1,154 | KSh 100,000 |
More amounts
*Converted at the current AUDKES interbank exchange rate. Calculate actual payout amounts for Send Money and Travel Money exchange rates.
Travel money for Kenya
Using Wise for Kenyan shilling travel money is a smart choice for savvy travelers. With its competitive exchange rates and low fees, Wise allows you to convert and manage multiple currencies effortlessly.
Be careful when using your own bank's Debit/Credit Card, as your bank may also charge an extra 3% as an “Overseas Transaction Charge” plus “Overseas ATM” fees for withdrawing cash on top of the standard Visa/Mastercard 2.5% from market mid-rate.
For card purchases, if you are offered a choice of currencies always select to Pay in Kenyan shilling otherwise you will typically get much worst dynamic currency conversion (DCC) exchange rates.
If you really want Kenyan shilling cash before departure, you can save money by ordering online. You generally get better rates and can pick up the KES cash locally or even on travel day at the airport.
USD/KES Market Data
The below interactive chart displays the USD/KES change and UP📈 DOWN📉 trends over the past 1 Year.
Send Money to Kenya - Best Rates
To get a good (and fair) exchange rate when sending money to Kenya you need to find and compare exchange rates for International Money Transfers (IMTs).
The available FX rates for sending money abroad can be very different to the mid-market (wholesale) rate which you see reported online and in the News.
You should especially compare your own bank's exchange rates to those available from Money Transfer specialists to see how much you can save - we make that calculation easy in the below table.
Get a better deal for foreign transfers to Kenya
When sending money to Kenya it’s important to compare your bank’s rates & fees with those we have negotiated with our partner money transfer providers. To get a better deal you should follow these 4 simple steps :
- Open an account with a BER reviewed FX provider (id docs may be required)
- You specify the local or Kenyan shilling amount you want to transfer
- Make a local currency domestic transfer for the requested amount to the provider's bank account in your country
- Once your funds are received by the provider the converted KES amount will be transfered to the recipient account you specify in Kenya.
Use the above calculator to compare the exchange rates of FX specialist providers rates versus your bank's standard rates you can hopefully save around 5% and maybe more - end result is more Kenyan shilling deposited into the recipient bank account and less margins and fees kept by the banks!
