Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Embu and Malindi

For one person, living costs are similar in Embu and in Malindi: $517 and $520 a month, rent and utilities included.

25

Cost of Living Index in Embu
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Embu Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index

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Embu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Embu 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 Embu and in Malindi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $517 in Embu versus $520 in Malindi.

Embu $517
Malindi $520

Estimated couple costs with rent: $822 in Embu versus $806 in Malindi.

Embu $822
Malindi $806

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,127 in Embu versus $1,092 in Malindi.

Embu $1,127
Malindi $1,092

Living in Embu costs roughly 1% less than in Malindi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Embu 62% lower, Malindi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.24 KES 809

$2.06 KES 267

202.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.87 KES 4,002

$24.99 KES 3,241

23.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 KES 702

$10.58 KES 1,372

-48.77%

Cappuccino

$2.35 KES 305

$2.76 KES 358

-14.86%

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

$0.36 KES 46.68

$0.68 KES 88.8

-47.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 KES 31.13

$0.52 KES 67.2

-53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 KES 296

$2.35 KES 304

-2.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 KES 341

$3.31 KES 429

-20.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.56 KES 72.9

$0.90 KES 116

-37.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 KES 66.8

$0.54 KES 69.8

-3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 KES 124

$1.27 KES 164

-24.41%

Eggs

$1.71 KES 222

$1.79 KES 232

-4.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.89 KES 504

$11.74 KES 1,522

-66.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 KES 416

$4.81 KES 624

-33.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.20 KES 544

$4.99 KES 647

-15.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 KES 433

$2.08 KES 269

60.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$0.73 KES 94.7

43.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 KES 267

$1.82 KES 236

13.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.41 KES 53.0

$0.67 KES 87.2

-38.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 KES 81.5

$0.68 KES 87.6

-7.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 KES 118

$0.67 KES 87.5

35.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KES 95.8

$0.59 KES 76.6

25.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 KES 71.9

$0.43 KES 55.3

27.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 KES 473

$4.06 KES 526

-10.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 KES 1,489

$9.88 KES 1,281

16.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 KES 289

$1.95 KES 253

14.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 KES 350

$2.91 KES 377

-7.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 KES 148

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 KES 196

$3.03 KES 393

-50.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 KES 205

$1.70 KES 221

-7.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 KES 382

$4.66 KES 604

-36.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 KES 207

$1.43 KES 186

11.89%

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

$21.2K KES 2.7M

$12.3K KES 1.6M

72.81%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

2.91%

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

$57.1 KES 7,400

$77.9 KES 10.1K

-26.69%

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

$15.06 KES 1,952

$9.43 KES 1,223

59.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.48 KES 4,470

$31.35 KES 4,065

9.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.41 KES 2,257

$39.09 KES 5,069

-55.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 KES 555

$15.22 KES 1,974

-71.88%

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

$251 KES 32.5K

$87.5 KES 11.3K

186.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K KES 1.6M

$5,349 KES 693.5K

134.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.22 KES 1,196

$13.08 KES 1,696

-29.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.38 KES 3,809

$13.47 KES 1,746

118.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 KES 9,113

$23.22 KES 3,010

202.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$15.37 KES 1,993

$46.29 KES 6,002

-66.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.2 KES 9,876

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$53.1 KES 6,886

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 KES 49.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.6 KES 11.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$272 KES 35.3K

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 Embu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Malindi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Embu

$148 28.6%

Malindi

$172 33.2% 16.6% $25

Eating Out

Embu

$113 22%

Malindi

$105 20.1% 7.9% $9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Embu

$107 20.6%

Malindi

$119 22.8% 11.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Embu

$56 10.8%

Malindi

$43 8.3% 22.7% $13

Accommodation & Living

Embu

$53 10.3%

Malindi

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Embu

$26 5%

Malindi

$70 13.4% 168% $44

Getting Around

Embu

$14 * 2.7%

Malindi

$12 * 2.2% 17.4% $2.4

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $31.00 in Embu vs $25.00 in Malindi. Groceries flip the comparison at $148 vs $172, with Embu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Embu

🇰🇪 Malindi

🕒 Local time

20:22 8:22 PM

Same time as Embu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,092

117,735

💱 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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Between locations

Embu Malindi 420 km

From you

Embu
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

Embu vs Malindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Embu and Malindi differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($517 vs $520 including rent). Embu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $775 in Embu and $780 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.

Childcare runs $251 in Embu versus $87.5 in Malindi. 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 $25.00 in Malindi. 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 1% less than in Malindi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.