Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Embu and Kilifi

For one person, living is cheaper in Embu: $517 a month against $634 in Kilifi, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kilifi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Embu
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Embu Living Index

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Embu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Kilifi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Embu and in Kilifi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $517 in Embu versus $634 in Kilifi.

Embu $517
Kilifi $634

Estimated couple costs with rent: $822 in Embu versus $1,049 in Kilifi.

Embu $822
Kilifi $1,049

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,127 in Embu versus $1,465 in Kilifi.

Embu $1,127
Kilifi $1,465

Living in Embu costs roughly 18% less than in Kilifi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Embu 62% lower, Kilifi 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.24 KES 809

$1.90 KES 246

228.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.87 KES 4,002

$49.32 KES 6,394

-37.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 KES 702

$2.29 KES 297

136.68%

Cappuccino

$2.35 KES 305

$1.99 KES 257

18.09%

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

$0.36 KES 46.68

$0.81 KES 105

-55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 KES 31.13

$0.74 KES 96.2

-67.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 KES 296

$1.52 KES 196

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 KES 341

Milk (1 liter)

$0.56 KES 72.9

$1.06 KES 137

-47.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 KES 66.8

$0.88 KES 114

-40.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 KES 124

$2.01 KES 260

-52.24%

Eggs

$1.71 KES 222

$1.94 KES 251

-11.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.89 KES 504

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 KES 416

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.20 KES 544

$7.89 KES 1,023

-46.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 KES 433

$2.28 KES 296

46.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$0.70 KES 90.9

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 KES 267

$1.79 KES 232

15.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.41 KES 53.0

$0.45 KES 57.7

-8.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 KES 81.5

$0.79 KES 103

-20.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 KES 118

$0.79 KES 103

15.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KES 95.8

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 KES 71.9

$0.22 KES 28.39

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 KES 473

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 KES 1,489

$12.67 KES 1,643

-9.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 KES 289

$1.72 KES 222

29.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 KES 350

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 KES 148

$0.74 KES 95.7

54.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.67 KES 3,457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 KES 196

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 KES 205

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 KES 382

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 KES 207

$1.32 KES 171

21.21%

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

$21.2K KES 2.7M

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

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

$57.1 KES 7,400

$15.65 KES 2,029

264.73%

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

$15.06 KES 1,952

$10.43 KES 1,353

44.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.48 KES 4,470

$25.11 KES 3,255

37.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.41 KES 2,257

$27.40 KES 3,552

-36.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 KES 555

$7.52 KES 974

-43.09%

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

$251 KES 32.5K

$160 KES 20.8K

56.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K KES 1.6M

$4,984 KES 646.1K

152.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.22 KES 1,196

$9.82 KES 1,273

-6.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.38 KES 3,809

$8.90 KES 1,154

230.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 KES 9,113

$15.50 KES 2,009

353.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$15.37 KES 1,993

$17.60 KES 2,282

-12.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.2 KES 9,876

$329 KES 42.7K

-76.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$53.1 KES 6,886

$303 KES 39.3K

-82.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 KES 35.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.6 KES 11.9K

$570 KES 73.9K

-83.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$272 KES 35.3K

$227 KES 29.4K

19.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

83.88%

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

Last update for Embu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kilifi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Embu

$148 28.6%

Kilifi

–

Eating Out

Embu

$113 22%

Kilifi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Embu

$107 20.6%

Kilifi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Embu

$56 10.8%

Kilifi

–

Accommodation & Living

Embu

$53 10.3%

Kilifi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Embu

$26 5%

Kilifi

–

Getting Around

Embu

$14 * 2.7%

Kilifi

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $76.2 in Embu and $329 in Kilifi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Embu pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Embu vs $49.00 in Kilifi. Groceries flip the comparison at $148 vs $124, with Kilifi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Embu

🇰🇪 Kilifi

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

Same time as Embu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,092

122,899

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Embu Kilifi 430 km

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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

Embu vs Kilifi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Embu and Kilifi differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($517 vs $634 including rent). Embu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Embu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $76.2 in Embu versus $329 in Kilifi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $251 in Embu versus $160 in Kilifi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Embu – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $49.00 in Kilifi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Embu 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.

Expats usually find Embu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Kilifi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.