Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kilifi and Machakos

For one person, living is cheaper in Machakos: $520 a month against $645 in Kilifi, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kilifi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

25

Cost of Living Index in Machakos
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Machakos Living Index

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Kilifi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$645

/mo nomad

Machakos

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kilifi and in Machakos

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

A single person spends $645 per month in Kilifi vs $520 in Machakos, rent included.

Kilifi $645
Machakos $520

A couple spends around $1,050 per month in Kilifi vs $802 in Machakos, rent included.

Kilifi $1,050
Machakos $802

A family of three spends $1,454 per month in Kilifi vs $1,084 in Machakos, rent included.

Kilifi $1,454
Machakos $1,084

Kilifi costs about 24% more than Machakos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Kilifi and Machakos are more affordable than the global median – Kilifi 53% lower, Machakos 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.89 KES 245

$2.99 KES 389

-36.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.35 KES 6,405

$19.26 KES 2,500

156.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.28 KES 296

$6.26 KES 812

-63.58%

Cappuccino

$1.97 KES 256

$1.97 KES 255

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

$0.75 KES 97.5

$0.66 KES 85.4

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 KES 95.5

$0.54 KES 69.6

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 KES 202

$2.16 KES 281

-28.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 KES 346

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 KES 137

$0.39 KES 50.9

171.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 KES 114

$0.48 KES 62.7

83.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 KES 267

$0.80 KES 104

157.50%

Eggs

$1.98 KES 258

$1.36 KES 177

45.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 KES 1,413

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 KES 826

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.86 KES 1,020

$4.71 KES 612

66.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 KES 301

$1.50 KES 195

54.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.66 KES 85.5

$0.81 KES 105

-18.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 KES 226

$0.37 KES 47.49

370.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.45 KES 58.3

$0.40 KES 51.6

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 KES 95.2

$0.79 KES 102

-7.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 KES 103

$0.76 KES 98.6

3.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 KES 97.6

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 KES 31.15

$0.39 KES 51.1

-38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 KES 455

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 KES 1,670

$11.31 KES 1,468

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 KES 227

$1.91 KES 248

-8.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 KES 351

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 KES 105

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 KES 3,540

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 KES 96.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 KES 97.8

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 KES 371

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 KES 177

$1.50 KES 195

-8.67%

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

$19.1K KES 2.5M

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

$21.7K KES 2.8M

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

$15.66 KES 2,033

$57.0 KES 7,396

-72.52%

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

$10.08 KES 1,308

$7.83 KES 1,017

28.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.96 KES 3,240

$11.58 KES 1,503

115.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.67 KES 3,591

$38.98 KES 5,060

-29.01%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 KES 1,010

$7.66 KES 994

1.57%

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

$164 KES 21.3K

$45.51 KES 5,907

260.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,922 KES 638.9K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-60.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.88 KES 1,282

$11.62 KES 1,509

-14.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.02 KES 1,170

$28.49 KES 3,698

-68.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.60 KES 2,025

$68.8 KES 8,923

-77.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$17.37 KES 2,255

$38.19 KES 4,956

-54.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 KES 43.0K

$94.2 KES 12.2K

252.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 KES 40.6K

$70.4 KES 9,132

344.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 KES 34.3K

$155 KES 20.1K

70.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 KES 72.2K

$116 KES 15.1K

377.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$229 KES 29.7K

$385 KES 50.0K

-40.54%

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 Machakos: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kilifi

–

Machakos

$161 31%

Eating Out

Kilifi

–

Machakos

$87 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kilifi

–

Machakos

$76 14.7%

Accommodation & Living

Kilifi

–

Machakos

$70 13.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Kilifi

–

Machakos

$66 12.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Kilifi

–

Machakos

$54 10.4%

Getting Around

Kilifi

–

Machakos

$4.5 * 0.9%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $332 in Kilifi versus $94 in Machakos. 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 68% higher in Machakos, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Kilifi versus $19 in Machakos. Groceries tell a different story – $125 in Kilifi vs $161 in Machakos – so Kilifi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kilifi

🇰🇪 Machakos

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

Same time as Kilifi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

122,899

114,109

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kilifi Machakos 370 km

From you

Kilifi
Machakos

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 Machakos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $645 in Kilifi, $520 in Machakos – Machakos comes out roughly 19% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $968 per month in Kilifi and $780 in Machakos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Machakos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $94 there versus $332 in Kilifi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Kilifi and $19 in Machakos. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 22% cheaper in Kilifi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $645 in Kilifi and $520 in Machakos, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Machakos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.