Sending money from Kenya to Tanzania
Every provider, ranked at KSh 18,000
| Provider | Type | Fee | FX margin | Total cost | % of transfer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-Pesa | Mobile Operator | KSh 350.00 | KSh 7.20 | KSh 357.20 | 1.98% |
| Western Union | Money Transfer Operator | KSh 207.00 | KSh 325.80 | KSh 532.80 | 2.96% |
| MoneyGram | Money Transfer Operator | KSh 403.00 | KSh 379.80 | KSh 782.80 | 4.35% |
| EcoBank Rapid Transfer | Bank | KSh 517.50 | KSh 333.00 | KSh 850.50 | 4.73% |
| UBA Africash | Bank | KSh 656.00 | KSh 318.60 | KSh 974.60 | 5.41% |
| GT Bank | Bank | KSh 1,800.00 | KSh 318.60 | KSh 2,118.60 | 11.77% |
| ABC Bank | Bank | KSh 1,800.00 | KSh 333.00 | KSh 2,133.00 | 11.85% |
| KCB Bank | Bank | KSh 2,400.00 | KSh 50.40 | KSh 2,450.40 | 13.61% |
| Development Bank of Kenya | Bank | KSh 2,454.00 | KSh 1,029.60 | KSh 3,483.60 | 19.35% |
| United Bank for Africa (UBA) | Bank | KSh 3,168.00 | KSh 318.60 | KSh 3,486.60 | 19.37% |
| Ecobank | Bank | KSh 6,078.90 | KSh 284.40 | KSh 6,363.30 | 35.35% |
Banks, transfer operators and mobile money
Who you send with matters more than anything else about the transfer. Median cost by provider type, on KSh 18,000:
- Bank — 12.73%
- Mobile Operator — 1.98%
- Money Transfer Operator — 3.65%
How to read these numbers
The cost of a transfer is the fee plus the margin the provider takes on the exchange rate. The margin is invisible at the counter: you are quoted a rate, not the difference between that rate and the interbank one, so a "free" transfer can quietly cost more than one with a fee attached. Both are separated in the table above.
Percentages fall as the amount rises wherever a provider charges a flat fee, which is why the same provider can be the cheapest at one amount and not at another. That is exactly what the calculator is for — the ranking above is computed at your amount, not at a fixed one.
