Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Garissa and Malindi

For one person, living is cheaper in Garissa: $381 a month against $517 in Malindi, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index

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Garissa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$381

/mo nomad

Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $381 per month in Garissa vs $517 in Malindi, rent included.

Garissa $381
Malindi $517

A couple spends around $666 per month in Garissa vs $803 in Malindi, rent included.

Garissa $666
Malindi $803

A family of three spends $950 per month in Garissa vs $1,090 in Malindi, rent included.

Garissa $950
Malindi $1,090

Garissa is about 26% cheaper than Malindi.

Both Garissa and Malindi are more affordable than the global median – Garissa 72% lower, Malindi 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.75 KES 1,526

$2.14 KES 278

449.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.77 KES 2,957

$25.30 KES 3,285

-10.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 KES 1,355

Cappuccino

$7.66 KES 994

$2.70 KES 351

183.70%

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

$1.97 KES 255

$0.68 KES 88.5

189.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 KES 146

$0.52 KES 67.1

117.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 298

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 KES 419

Milk (1 liter)

$0.51 KES 66.6

$0.90 KES 117

-43.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 KES 77.5

$0.50 KES 64.3

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 KES 193

$1.25 KES 162

19.20%

Eggs

$1.89 KES 245

$1.83 KES 237

3.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 KES 1,481

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 KES 813

$4.98 KES 647

25.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.34 KES 694

$4.89 KES 635

9.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 KES 491

$2.07 KES 269

82.61%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 KES 410

$0.78 KES 102

305.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 KES 584

$1.76 KES 228

155.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 103

$0.71 KES 91.8

11.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 KES 163

$0.72 KES 93.8

75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 KES 195

$0.65 KES 84.0

130.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 KES 301

$0.59 KES 77.1

293.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 KES 72.9

$0.45 KES 58.8

24.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 KES 540

Wine (Bottle)

$5.87 KES 762

$9.83 KES 1,277

-40.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 KES 224

$2.01 KES 262

-13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 KES 507

$2.96 KES 384

32.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 KES 408

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 KES 231

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 KES 596

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 KES 178

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

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

$76.0 KES 9,875

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

$8.99 KES 1,167

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.23 KES 3,926

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 KES 5,015

Cinema Ticket

$15.42 KES 2,003

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

$85.5 KES 11.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,381 KES 698.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.28 KES 1,724

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.38 KES 1,738

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.49 KES 3,050

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.81 KES 6,079

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 KES 49.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$129 KES 16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Garissa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Malindi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Garissa

–

Malindi

$173 33.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Garissa

–

Malindi

$115 22.3%

Eating Out

Garissa

–

Malindi

$104 20.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Garissa

–

Malindi

$69 13.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Garissa

–

Malindi

$44 8.5%

Getting Around

Garissa

–

Malindi

$12 * 2.3%

Accommodation & Living

Garissa

–

Malindi

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Garissa versus $25 in Malindi. Groceries tell a different story – $183 in Garissa vs $173 in Malindi – so Malindi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Garissa

🇰🇪 Malindi

🕒 Local time

02:45 2:45 AM

Same time as Garissa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,696

117,735

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Garissa Malindi 310 km

From you

Garissa
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

Garissa vs Malindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malindi costs about 36% more than Garissa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $571 per month in Garissa and $775 in Malindi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Garissa and $25 in Malindi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $381 in Garissa and $517 in Malindi. That makes Garissa about 26% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $381 in Garissa and $517 in Malindi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Malindi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $381 in Garissa to $517 in Malindi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.