Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kilifi and Kiambu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kiambu: $503 a month against $645 in Kilifi, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 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 Kiambu
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Kiambu Living Index

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Kilifi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$645

/mo nomad

Kiambu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$503

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kilifi and in Kiambu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $645 in Kilifi versus $503 in Kiambu.

Kilifi $645
Kiambu $503

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,050 in Kilifi versus $823 in Kiambu.

Kilifi $1,050
Kiambu $823

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,454 in Kilifi versus $1,143 in Kiambu.

Kilifi $1,454
Kiambu $1,143

Living in Kilifi is roughly 28% more expensive than in Kiambu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kilifi 53% lower, Kiambu 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.89 KES 245

$6.41 KES 832

-70.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.35 KES 6,405

$34.12 KES 4,429

44.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.28 KES 296

$6.52 KES 847

-65.03%

Cappuccino

$1.97 KES 256

$2.60 KES 337

-24.23%

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

$0.75 KES 97.5

$0.64 KES 83.4

17.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 KES 95.5

$0.62 KES 81.0

19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 KES 202

$2.26 KES 293

-31.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 KES 340

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 KES 137

$0.54 KES 70.7

96.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 KES 114

$0.55 KES 71.5

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 KES 267

$1.83 KES 237

12.57%

Eggs

$1.98 KES 258

$1.37 KES 178

44.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 KES 1,390

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.67 KES 866

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.86 KES 1,020

$4.01 KES 520

96.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 KES 301

$3.50 KES 455

-33.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.66 KES 85.5

$1.04 KES 135

-36.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 KES 226

$0.75 KES 97.0

132.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.45 KES 58.3

$0.59 KES 77.0

-23.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 KES 95.2

$0.72 KES 93.7

1.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 KES 103

$0.71 KES 92.4

11.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 KES 38.51

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 KES 31.15

$0.37 KES 47.82

-35.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 KES 440

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 KES 1,670

$11.49 KES 1,492

12.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 KES 227

$2.27 KES 295

-22.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 KES 350

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 KES 105

$0.63 KES 81.3

28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 KES 3,540

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 KES 196

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 KES 47.31

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 KES 365

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 KES 177

$1.60 KES 208

-14.37%

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

$19.2K KES 2.5M

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

$21.6K KES 2.8M

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

$15.66 KES 2,033

$56.4 KES 7,317

-72.22%

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

$10.08 KES 1,308

$7.86 KES 1,020

28.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.96 KES 3,240

$35.13 KES 4,560

-28.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.67 KES 3,591

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 KES 1,010

$5.82 KES 755

33.68%

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

$164 KES 21.3K

$280 KES 36.4K

-41.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,922 KES 638.9K

$12.5K KES 1.6M

-60.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.88 KES 1,282

$27.56 KES 3,577

-64.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.02 KES 1,170

$29.19 KES 3,789

-69.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.60 KES 2,025

$70.1 KES 9,104

-77.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$17.37 KES 2,255

$57.5 KES 7,463

-69.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 KES 43.0K

$116 KES 15.0K

186.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 KES 40.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 KES 34.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 KES 72.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,175 KES 152.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$229 KES 29.7K

$125 KES 16.3K

82.62%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Kiambu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kilifi

–

Kiambu

$180 35.8%

Eating Out

Kilifi

–

Kiambu

$124 24.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kilifi

–

Kiambu

$99 19.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Kilifi

–

Kiambu

$83 16.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Kilifi

–

Kiambu

$12 * 2.3%

Getting Around

Kilifi

–

Kiambu

$5.8 * 1.2%

Accommodation & Living

Kilifi

–

Kiambu

- * 0%

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 $332 in Kilifi and $116 in Kiambu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kilifi pays 83% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Kilifi vs $34 in Kiambu. Groceries flip the comparison at $125 vs $180, with Kilifi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kilifi

🇰🇪 Kiambu

🕒 Local time

07:26 7:26 AM

Same time as Kilifi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

122,899

147,870

💱 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

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Kilifi Kiambu 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

Kilifi vs Kiambu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiambu is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 83% higher in Kilifi, 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: $332 in Kilifi versus $116 in Kiambu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Kilifi versus $280 in Kiambu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kiambu – a meal for two runs $34 versus $49 in Kilifi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Kiambu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

It comes down to priorities – Kiambu wins on affordability, Kilifi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.