Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Eldoret and Malindi

For one person, living costs are similar in Eldoret and in Malindi: $506 and $517 a month, rent and utilities included.

24

Cost of Living Index in Eldoret
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Eldoret Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index

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Eldoret

🇰🇪 Kenya

$506

/mo nomad

Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Eldoret and in Malindi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Eldoret and in Malindi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $506 in Eldoret versus $517 in Malindi.

Eldoret $506
Malindi $517

Estimated couple costs with rent: $870 in Eldoret versus $803 in Malindi.

Eldoret $870
Malindi $803

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,234 in Eldoret versus $1,090 in Malindi.

Eldoret $1,234
Malindi $1,090

Monthly costs are close between Eldoret and Malindi; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Eldoret 63% lower, Malindi 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.50 KES 195

$2.14 KES 277

-29.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.67 KES 4,500

$25.30 KES 3,284

37.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 KES 807

$10.44 KES 1,355

-40.52%

Cappuccino

$2.66 KES 346

$2.70 KES 351

-1.48%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 KES 38.35

$0.68 KES 88.5

-55.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 KES 51.0

$0.52 KES 67.1

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KES 304

$2.29 KES 298

2.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 KES 347

$3.23 KES 419

-17.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 KES 93.6

$0.90 KES 117

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 KES 58.9

$0.50 KES 64.3

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 KES 194

$1.25 KES 162

19.20%

Eggs

$1.50 KES 195

$1.83 KES 237

-18.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.91 KES 507

$11.40 KES 1,480

-65.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 KES 533

$4.98 KES 647

-17.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.13 KES 535

$4.89 KES 635

-15.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 KES 307

$2.07 KES 269

14.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$0.78 KES 101

35.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.0

$1.76 KES 228

-59.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.87 KES 113

$0.71 KES 91.7

22.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 KES 72.5

$0.72 KES 93.7

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 KES 56.8

$0.65 KES 84.0

-32.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 KES 97.5

$0.59 KES 77.1

27.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 KES 86.5

$0.45 KES 58.8

48.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 KES 439

$4.16 KES 540

-18.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 KES 732

$9.83 KES 1,276

-42.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 KES 274

$2.01 KES 261

4.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 KES 197

$2.96 KES 384

-48.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 KES 176

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 KES 201

$3.14 KES 408

-50.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 KES 203

$1.78 KES 231

-11.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 KES 369

$4.59 KES 596

-38.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 202

$1.37 KES 178

13.14%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.3K KES 2.5M

$12.0K KES 1.6M

59.84%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$22.1K KES 2.9M

$12.0K KES 1.6M

83.93%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$40.35 KES 5,237

$76.0 KES 9,870

-46.94%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.06 KES 1,955

$8.99 KES 1,166

67.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.77 KES 4,514

$30.23 KES 3,924

15.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.46 KES 4,992

$38.62 KES 5,013

-0.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 KES 976

$15.42 KES 2,002

-51.23%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$63.4 KES 8,224

$85.5 KES 11.1K

-25.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K KES 1.6M

$5,381 KES 698.4K

132.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.63 KES 1,509

$13.28 KES 1,723

-12.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 KES 3,832

$13.38 KES 1,737

120.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.48 KES 2,529

$23.49 KES 3,049

-17.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.36 KES 4,460

$46.81 KES 6,076

-26.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$91.8 KES 11.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.9 KES 11.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 KES 49.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 KES 35.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$604 KES 78.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

13.15%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Eldoret: October 24, 2026

Last update for Malindi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Eldoret

$132 26.1%

Malindi

$173 33.4% 30.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Eldoret

$90 17.8%

Malindi

$115 22.3% 27.8% $25

Accommodation & Living

Eldoret

$90 17.8%

Malindi

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Eldoret

$82 16.3%

Malindi

$104 20.1% 25.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Eldoret

$54 10.6%

Malindi

$69 13.5% 29.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Eldoret

$43 8.5%

Malindi

$44 8.5% 2.1% $0.9

Getting Around

Eldoret

$15 * 2.9%

Malindi

$12 * 2.3% 18.6% $2.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $35 in Eldoret vs $25 in Malindi. Groceries flip the comparison at $132 vs $173, with Eldoret cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Eldoret

🇰🇪 Malindi

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

Same time as Eldoret

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

193,830

117,735

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Eldoret Malindi 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Eldoret
Malindi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Eldoret vs Malindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $758 in Eldoret and $775 in Malindi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Malindi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Malindi – a meal for two runs $25 versus $35 in Eldoret. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Eldoret gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.