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Internet & Data Costs

Safaricom vs Airtel vs Telkom Data Bundles Kenya 2026

5 min read
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Easy Access Staff

Choosing the right mobile data provider can save or waste thousands of shillings monthly. Here’s an honest, updated comparison of Kenya’s three major networks for online workers.

Quick Summary (If You’re in a Hurry)

Best overall: Safaricom (coverage + reliability) Best value: Airtel (cheaper bundles) Best for unlimited: Telkom (affordable unlimited options) Best strategy: Dual SIM (Safaricom + Airtel/Telkom)

Daily Bundles Comparison

150MB Daily:

  • Safaricom: Ksh 20
  • Airtel: Ksh 20
  • Telkom: Ksh 20

300MB Daily:

  • Safaricom: Ksh 30
  • Airtel: Ksh 25
  • Telkom: Ksh 25

Winner: Airtel/Telkom (cheaper for 300MB)

Mobile data usage and smartphone internet

Weekly Bundles Comparison

1GB Weekly:

  • Safaricom: Ksh 100
  • Airtel: Ksh 70
  • Telkom: Ksh 70

1.5GB Weekly:

  • Safaricom: Ksh 150
  • Airtel: Ksh 100
  • Telkom: Ksh 100

2GB Weekly:

  • Safaricom: Ksh 200
  • Airtel: Ksh 150
  • Telkom: Ksh 150

Winner: Airtel/Telkom (30-35% cheaper)

Monthly Bundles Comparison

2GB Monthly:

  • Safaricom: Ksh 300
  • Airtel: Ksh 200
  • Telkom: Ksh 200

6GB Monthly:

  • Safaricom: Ksh 700
  • Airtel: Ksh 500
  • Telkom: Ksh 500

10GB Monthly:

  • Safaricom: Ksh 1,000
  • Airtel: Ksh 700
  • Telkom: Ksh 700

20GB Monthly:

  • Safaricom: Ksh 2,000
  • Airtel: Ksh 1,000
  • Telkom: Ksh 1,000

40GB Monthly:

  • Safaricom: Ksh 3,000
  • Airtel: Ksh 1,500
  • Telkom: Ksh 1,500

Winner: Airtel/Telkom (40-50% cheaper)

Unlimited Bundles

Safaricom:

  • Unlimited Daily: Ksh 50 (throttled after 1GB)
  • Unlimited Weekly: Ksh 250 (throttled after 5GB)
  • No true monthly unlimited

Airtel:

  • Unlimited Daily: Ksh 30 (throttled after 350MB)
  • Unlimited Weekly: Ksh 150 (throttled after 2GB)
  • Unlimited Monthly: Ksh 1,500 (throttled after 10GB)

Telkom:

  • Unlimited Daily: Ksh 50 (throttled after 2GB)
  • Unlimited Weekly: Ksh 250 (throttled after 5GB)
  • Unlimited Monthly: Ksh 1,499 (throttled after 20GB)

Winner: Telkom (best throttling thresholds)

Network Coverage Comparison

Safaricom:

  • Coverage: 96% of Kenya
  • 4G availability: Most urban and many rural areas
  • Speed: Consistent 10-30 Mbps in cities
  • Rural performance: Best of the three

Airtel:

  • Coverage: 85% of Kenya
  • 4G availability: Urban centers, major towns
  • Speed: 10-25 Mbps where available
  • Rural performance: Spotty in remote areas

Telkom:

  • Coverage: 75% of Kenya
  • 4G availability: Cities and major towns
  • Speed: 15-30 Mbps in coverage areas
  • Rural performance: Limited

Reality: Coverage maps lie. Test in YOUR specific location.

Speed Test Results (Real User Data)

Nairobi CBD:

  • Safaricom: 20-35 Mbps
  • Airtel: 18-30 Mbps
  • Telkom: 15-35 Mbps

Mombasa:

  • Safaricom: 15-28 Mbps
  • Airtel: 12-25 Mbps
  • Telkom: 10-25 Mbps

Kisumu:

  • Safaricom: 12-25 Mbps
  • Airtel: 10-22 Mbps
  • Telkom: 8-20 Mbps

Nakuru:

  • Safaricom: 15-28 Mbps
  • Airtel: 10-20 Mbps
  • Telkom: 8-18 Mbps

Rural areas:

  • Safaricom: 5-15 Mbps (sometimes 3G only)
  • Airtel: 3-10 Mbps (often 3G)
  • Telkom: Limited to no coverage

Best Use Cases

Choose Safaricom if:

  • You travel frequently across Kenya
  • You need reliable coverage everywhere
  • Video calls are critical (Zoom, Google Meet)
  • You work from rural/remote locations
  • Budget isn’t primary concern

Choose Airtel if:

  • You stay in urban areas
  • You want to save 30-40% on data costs
  • Coverage in your area is good
  • You do mostly text-based work
  • Budget is tight

Choose Telkom if:

  • You need lots of data cheaply
  • You stay in areas with Telkom 4G
  • You do heavy downloading
  • You want affordable unlimited option
  • You can use as secondary SIM

Hidden Costs & Tricks

Safaricom tricks:

  • Auto-renewal eats money - send “STOP” to 5555
  • Bonga points can buy bundles (check *126#)
  • Night bundles cheaper (11pm-6am): 1GB for Ksh 20

Airtel tricks:

  • Frequent bonus data promotions
  • Airtel Money transactions earn data
  • Night bundles: 1GB for Ksh 20 (12am-5am)
  • Double data offers regular customers

Telkom tricks:

  • T-Kash transactions give data bonuses
  • Loyalty rewards for consistent top-ups
  • Free Friday promotions (occasional)
  • Referral bonuses for bringing friends

Online Work Data Usage

Typical daily usage for different jobs:

Content writing: 500MB-1GB daily

  • Google Docs
  • Research
  • Email
  • Client communication

Virtual assistant: 1-2GB daily

  • Email management
  • Video calls
  • Document uploads
  • CRM access

Transcription: 300MB-800MB daily

  • Downloading audio files
  • Uploading transcripts
  • Platform access

Graphic design: 1-3GB daily

  • Downloading assets
  • Uploading designs
  • Client reviews
  • Software updates

Software development: 2-5GB daily

  • GitHub syncing
  • Package installations
  • Documentation
  • Video tutorials

Monthly Cost Scenarios

Light user (2-3GB/month):

  • Safaricom: Ksh 300-500
  • Airtel: Ksh 200-300
  • Telkom: Ksh 200-300
  • Savings with Airtel/Telkom: Ksh 100-200/month

Moderate user (10-15GB/month):

  • Safaricom: Ksh 1,500-2,000
  • Airtel: Ksh 1,000-1,200
  • Telkom: Ksh 1,000-1,200
  • Savings: Ksh 500-800/month

Heavy user (30-50GB/month):

  • Safaricom: Ksh 3,000-5,000
  • Airtel: Ksh 1,500-2,500
  • Telkom: Ksh 1,500-2,000
  • Savings: Ksh 1,500-3,000/month

The Dual SIM Strategy

Best combination:

  • Primary: Airtel or Telkom (data)
  • Backup: Safaricom (calls, emergency data, M-Pesa)

How it works:

  • Use cheaper provider for daily data
  • Switch to Safaricom when traveling or if primary fails
  • Keep Safaricom for M-Pesa, important calls
  • Total cost lower than Safaricom alone

Monthly savings: Ksh 500-2,000 depending on usage

Customer Service Comparison

Safaricom:

  • Response time: Fast
  • Helpfulness: Generally good
  • Channels: Call center, Twitter, shops
  • Rating: 7/10

Airtel:

  • Response time: Moderate
  • Helpfulness: Variable
  • Channels: Call center, Twitter, shops
  • Rating: 6/10

Telkom:

  • Response time: Slow
  • Helpfulness: Inconsistent
  • Channels: Limited
  • Rating: 5/10

Special Offers & Promotions

Safaricom:

  • Maisha Bundle (data + voice): Ksh 10 daily
  • Bonga points redemption
  • Sambaza data to family

Airtel:

  • Frequent double data promotions
  • Airtel Money rewards
  • Airtel Unliminet packages

Telkom:

  • Penda campaigns (extra GB)
  • T-Kash bonuses
  • Weekend data deals

Tip: Join network Facebook groups to hear about promotions first.

Testing Before Committing

Before switching networks:

  1. Borrow friend’s SIM, test at your location
  2. Buy smallest bundle, use for 3 days
  3. Test at different times (morning, afternoon, evening)
  4. Check coverage in places you frequent
  5. Run speed tests (Fast.com, Speedtest.net)

Don’t assume: Coverage maps and ads exaggerate. Real-world testing is essential.

When to Reconsider Your Provider

Switch if:

  • Paying 2x what others charge
  • Frequent connectivity issues
  • Poor customer service experiences
  • Coverage bad in your area
  • New provider has better infrastructure now

Stay if:

  • Current provider works reliably
  • Switching causes hassle
  • Coverage elsewhere is worse
  • You’re in a Safaricom-only area

Final Recommendations

For most online workers in cities: Airtel or Telkom (save money)

For travelers and rural workers: Safaricom (reliability)

For heavy users: Telkom unlimited + Safaricom backup

For budget-conscious: Airtel (best price/value ratio)

For maximum savings: Dual SIM strategy

The “best” network is the one that works reliably where YOU are, at a price YOU can afford. Test, compare, and choose based on your reality, not marketing promises.