Addis Ababa or Nairobi: which is better?
World city: head-to-head comparison
Addis Ababa wins on more indicators: 1 of 1 against 0.
- Climate and risks: Addis Ababa 1:0
All indicators weigh the same. This is a score based on data, not advice on where to live: different people have different circumstances.
Addis Ababa
Indicator
Nairobi
Population
no winnerCity population
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
2,757,729 people
GeoNames snapshot (all-the-cities 3.1.0 package, 2022), exact date not stated
2,750,547 people
GeoNames snapshot (all-the-cities 3.1.0 package, 2022), exact date not stated
Urban centre population
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
7,280,463 people
2025
6,646,257 people
2025
Urban centre area
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
465 km²
2025
598 km²
2025
Urban centre density
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
15,657 people per km²
2025
11,114 people per km²
2025
Urban centre population growth, 2015–2025
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
58.8 %
2015–2025
41.2 %
2015–2025
Climate and risks
Better: Addis Ababa (1 : 0)Daylight on December 21
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
11.6 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
12.2 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
Daylight on June 21
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
12.7 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
12.1 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
Distance to the sea
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
499 km
2006-2025
410 km
2006-2025
Earthquakes M4.5+ within 100 km
lower is better
✓0.00 per year
2006-2025
✗0.05 per year
2006-2025
Strongest earthquake in the period
no data for one of the places
no data
4.6 magnitude
2006-2025
A winner is named only for indicators with a known “better / worse” direction. Population and other neutral indicators are shown without a winner. Outdated and missing values are not counted. Details for each place: Addis Ababa, Nairobi.