Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kilifi and Malindi

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $520 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 Malindi
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Malindi Living Index

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Kilifi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$634

/mo nomad

Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $634 per month in Kilifi vs $520 in Malindi, rent included.

Kilifi $634
Malindi $520

A couple spends around $1,049 per month in Kilifi vs $806 in Malindi, rent included.

Kilifi $1,049
Malindi $806

A family of three spends $1,465 per month in Kilifi vs $1,092 in Malindi, rent included.

Kilifi $1,465
Malindi $1,092

Kilifi costs about 22% more than Malindi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kilifi and Malindi are more affordable than the global median – Kilifi 53% lower, Malindi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 KES 246

$2.06 KES 267

-7.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.32 KES 6,394

$24.99 KES 3,241

97.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.29 KES 297

$10.58 KES 1,372

-78.36%

Cappuccino

$1.99 KES 257

$2.76 KES 358

-27.90%

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

$0.81 KES 105

$0.68 KES 88.8

19.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 KES 96.2

$0.52 KES 67.2

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 KES 196

$2.35 KES 304

-35.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 KES 429

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 KES 137

$0.90 KES 116

17.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 KES 114

$0.54 KES 69.8

62.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 KES 260

$1.27 KES 164

58.27%

Eggs

$1.94 KES 251

$1.79 KES 232

8.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 KES 1,522

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 KES 624

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.89 KES 1,023

$4.99 KES 647

58.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 KES 296

$2.08 KES 269

9.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.70 KES 90.9

$0.73 KES 94.7

-4.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 KES 232

$1.82 KES 236

-1.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.45 KES 57.7

$0.67 KES 87.2

-32.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 103

$0.68 KES 87.6

16.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 KES 103

$0.67 KES 87.5

17.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 76.6

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 KES 28.39

$0.43 KES 55.3

-48.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 KES 526

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 KES 1,643

$9.88 KES 1,281

28.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 KES 222

$1.95 KES 253

-11.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 KES 377

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 KES 95.7

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.67 KES 3,457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 KES 393

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 KES 221

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 KES 604

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 KES 171

$1.43 KES 186

-7.69%

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

$12.3K KES 1.6M

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

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

$15.65 KES 2,029

$77.9 KES 10.1K

-79.90%

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

$10.43 KES 1,353

$9.43 KES 1,223

10.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.11 KES 3,255

$31.35 KES 4,065

-19.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.40 KES 3,552

$39.09 KES 5,069

-29.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 KES 974

$15.22 KES 1,974

-50.59%

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

$160 KES 20.8K

$87.5 KES 11.3K

83.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,984 KES 646.1K

$5,349 KES 693.5K

-6.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.82 KES 1,273

$13.08 KES 1,696

-24.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.90 KES 1,154

$13.47 KES 1,746

-33.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.50 KES 2,009

$23.22 KES 3,010

-33.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$17.60 KES 2,282

$46.29 KES 6,002

-61.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 KES 42.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 KES 39.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 KES 35.4K

$378 KES 49.0K

-27.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 KES 73.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$227 KES 29.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-38.46%

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

Last update for Kilifi: October 13, 2026

Last update for Malindi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kilifi

–

Malindi

$172 33.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kilifi

–

Malindi

$119 22.8%

Eating Out

Kilifi

–

Malindi

$105 20.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Kilifi

–

Malindi

$70 13.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Kilifi

–

Malindi

$43 8.3%

Getting Around

Kilifi

–

Malindi

$12 * 2.2%

Accommodation & Living

Kilifi

–

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 $49.00 in Kilifi versus $25.00 in Malindi. Groceries tell a different story – $124 in Kilifi vs $172 in Malindi – so Kilifi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kilifi

🇰🇪 Malindi

🕒 Local time

22:00 10:00 PM

Same time as Kilifi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

122,899

117,735

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kilifi Malindi 55 km

From you

Kilifi
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

Kilifi vs Malindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $634 in Kilifi, $520 in Malindi – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $951 per month in Kilifi and $780 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 $49.00 in Kilifi and $25.00 in Malindi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 39% cheaper in Kilifi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $634 in Kilifi and $520 in Malindi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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