Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kilifi and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Kilifi: $647 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Kilifi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$647

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kilifi and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $647 per month in Kilifi vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Kilifi $647
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $1,054 per month in Kilifi vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Kilifi $1,054
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $1,461 per month in Kilifi vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Kilifi $1,461
Cape Town $3,307

Kilifi is about 59% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Kilifi sits 52% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 KES 247

$11.78 R 194

-83.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 KES 6,543

$46.55 R 768

8.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.24 KES 291

$5.96 R 98.4

-62.42%

Cappuccino

$1.89 KES 246

$2.47 R 40.80

-23.48%

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

$0.80 KES 104

$1.33 R 21.91

-39.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 KES 96.4

$1.03 R 16.99

-28.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 KES 205

$3.01 R 49.72

-47.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 KES 135

$1.39 R 22.96

-25.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 KES 115

$1.19 R 19.60

-26.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 KES 258

$2.11 R 34.84

-5.69%

Eggs

$1.98 KES 257

$3.01 R 49.58

-34.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.64 KES 991

$9.29 R 153

-17.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 KES 304

$1.83 R 30.13

28.42%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 KES 87.6

$1.90 R 31.31

-64.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 KES 225

$1.75 R 28.83

-1.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.45 KES 58.1

$2.09 R 34.41

-78.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 KES 98.3

$1.55 R 25.64

-50.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 KES 95.3

$1.49 R 24.53

-51.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 KES 31.22

$1.16 R 19.19

-79.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

Wine (Bottle)

$12.47 KES 1,618

$6.06 R 100

105.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 KES 222

$1.39 R 22.85

23.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 104

$1.51 R 24.98

-47.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.29 KES 3,540

$61.0 R 1,006

-55.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 KES 171

$1.58 R 26.08

-16.46%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

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

$15.59 KES 2,022

$116 R 1,920

-86.60%

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

$10.34 KES 1,341

$28.37 R 468

-63.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.07 KES 3,251

$40.69 R 671

-38.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.64 KES 3,584

$48.85 R 806

-43.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

Cinema Ticket

$7.63 KES 989

$8.83 R 146

-13.59%

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

$164 KES 21.3K

$261 R 4,314

-37.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,927 KES 639.0K

$6,702 R 110.6K

-26.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.82 KES 1,273

$55.4 R 914

-82.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.62 KES 1,118

$32.27 R 532

-73.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.27 KES 1,981

$118 R 1,939

-87.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$17.15 KES 2,225

$107 R 1,766

-83.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$322 KES 41.7K

$1,015 R 16.7K

-68.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$304 KES 39.4K

$715 R 11.8K

-57.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 KES 35.2K

$1,801 R 29.7K

-84.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$553 KES 71.7K

$1,330 R 22.0K

-58.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$228 KES 29.6K

$1,636 R 27.0K

-86.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

-27.07%

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

Last update for Kilifi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kilifi

–

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Groceries & Markets

Kilifi

–

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kilifi

–

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Eating Out

Kilifi

–

Cape Town

$174 11%

Clothing & Footwear

Kilifi

–

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Getting Around

Kilifi

–

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Kilifi

–

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $322 in Kilifi versus $1,015 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 617% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Kilifi versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $123 in Kilifi vs $222 in Cape Town – so Kilifi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kilifi

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

07:35 7:35 AM

1 h behind Kilifi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

122,899

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kilifi Cape Town 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kilifi
Cape Town

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

Kilifi vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 142% more than Kilifi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $971 per month in Kilifi and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kilifi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $647 in Kilifi and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 142%.

Public transport costs about 123% less in Kilifi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kilifi, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Kilifi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kilifi costs $647 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Kilifi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.