Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kilifi and Embu

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.

25

Cost of Living Index in Embu
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Embu Living Index

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Kilifi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$634

/mo nomad

Embu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kilifi and in Embu

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 Embu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Kilifi $634
Embu $517

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

Kilifi $1,049
Embu $822

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

Kilifi $1,465
Embu $1,127

Living in Kilifi is roughly 23% more expensive than in Embu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 KES 246

$6.24 KES 809

-69.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.32 KES 6,394

$30.87 KES 4,002

59.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.29 KES 297

$5.42 KES 702

-57.75%

Cappuccino

$1.99 KES 257

$2.35 KES 305

-15.32%

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

$0.81 KES 105

$0.36 KES 46.68

125.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 KES 96.2

$0.24 KES 31.13

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 KES 196

$2.28 KES 296

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 KES 341

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 KES 137

$0.56 KES 72.9

89.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 KES 114

$0.52 KES 66.8

69.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 KES 260

$0.96 KES 124

109.37%

Eggs

$1.94 KES 251

$1.71 KES 222

13.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.89 KES 504

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 KES 416

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.89 KES 1,023

$4.20 KES 544

87.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 KES 296

$3.34 KES 433

-31.74%

Banana (1kg)

$0.70 KES 90.9

$1.05 KES 136

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 KES 232

$2.06 KES 267

-13.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.45 KES 57.7

$0.41 KES 53.0

9.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 103

$0.63 KES 81.5

25.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 KES 103

$0.91 KES 118

-13.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KES 95.8

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 KES 28.39

$0.55 KES 71.9

-60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 KES 473

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 KES 1,643

$11.48 KES 1,489

10.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 KES 222

$2.23 KES 289

-22.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 KES 350

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 KES 95.7

$1.14 KES 148

-35.09%

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)

$1.32 KES 171

$1.60 KES 207

-17.50%

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)

$15.65 KES 2,029

$57.1 KES 7,400

-72.58%

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

$10.43 KES 1,353

$15.06 KES 1,952

-30.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.11 KES 3,255

$34.48 KES 4,470

-27.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.40 KES 3,552

$17.41 KES 2,257

57.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 KES 974

$4.28 KES 555

75.70%

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

$160 KES 20.8K

$251 KES 32.5K

-36.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,984 KES 646.1K

$12.6K KES 1.6M

-60.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.82 KES 1,273

$9.22 KES 1,196

6.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.90 KES 1,154

$29.38 KES 3,809

-69.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.50 KES 2,009

$70.3 KES 9,113

-77.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$17.60 KES 2,282

$15.37 KES 1,993

14.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 KES 42.7K

$76.2 KES 9,876

332.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 KES 39.3K

$53.1 KES 6,886

471.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 KES 35.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 KES 73.9K

$91.6 KES 11.9K

521.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$227 KES 29.4K

$272 KES 35.3K

-16.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

-45.62%

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

Last update for Kilifi: October 13, 2026

Last update for Embu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kilifi

–

Embu

$148 28.6%

Eating Out

Kilifi

–

Embu

$113 22%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kilifi

–

Embu

$107 20.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Kilifi

–

Embu

$56 10.8%

Accommodation & Living

Kilifi

–

Embu

$53 10.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Kilifi

–

Embu

$26 5%

Getting Around

Kilifi

–

Embu

$14 * 2.7%

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 $329 in Kilifi and $76.2 in Embu. 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: $49.00 in Kilifi vs $31.00 in Embu. Groceries flip the comparison at $124 vs $148, with Kilifi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kilifi

🇰🇪 Embu

🕒 Local time

20:55 8:55 PM

Same time as Kilifi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

122,899

41,092

💱 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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Kilifi Embu 430 km

From you

Kilifi
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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

Kilifi vs Embu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Embu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

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

Childcare runs $160 in Kilifi versus $251 in Embu. 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.