Cost of Living Comparison Between Kilifi and Malindi Cost of Living Comparison Between Kilifi and Malindi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $630 per month in Kilifi vs $497 in Malindi, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,038 per month in Kilifi vs $779 in Malindi, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,446 per month in Kilifi vs $1,060 in Malindi, rent included.

Kilifi costs about 27% more than Malindi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Kilifi and Malindi are more affordable than the global median – Kilifi 54% lower, Malindi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 KES 254

$2.09 KES 270

-6.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.48 KES 6,402

$23.43 KES 3,032

111.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.37 KES 307

$10.38 KES 1,343

-77.17%

Cappuccino

$1.96 KES 254

$3.56 KES 460

-44.94%

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

$0.81 KES 104

$0.96 KES 124

-15.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 KES 96.7

$0.40 KES 51.7

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 KES 202

$2.36 KES 305

-33.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 KES 418

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 KES 141

$0.89 KES 115

22.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 KES 108

$0.52 KES 67.7

59.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 KES 267

$1.21 KES 156

70.25%

Eggs

$1.93 KES 250

$1.81 KES 235

6.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 KES 1,454

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.54 KES 717

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.95 KES 1,028

$5.06 KES 655

57.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 KES 303

$2.10 KES 271

11.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.2

$0.74 KES 96.3

-2.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 KES 223

$1.83 KES 236

-6.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 KES 61.7

$0.64 KES 82.8

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 KES 104

$0.72 KES 93.4

11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 KES 101

$0.71 KES 91.8

9.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 KES 73.0

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 KES 31.05

$0.46 KES 59.4

-47.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 KES 615

Wine (Bottle)

$12.50 KES 1,617

$7.82 KES 1,011

59.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 KES 223

$1.94 KES 251

-11.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 KES 368

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 KES 101

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.93 KES 3,485

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 KES 392

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 KES 228

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 KES 594

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 KES 178

$1.42 KES 184

-2.82%

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

$12.2K KES 1.6M

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

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

$15.34 KES 1,985

$54.7 KES 7,079

-71.96%

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

$10.23 KES 1,323

$13.00 KES 1,682

-21.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.09 KES 3,246

$31.03 KES 4,015

-19.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.14 KES 3,641

$39.19 KES 5,070

-28.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 KES 971

$10.91 KES 1,412

-31.16%

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

$161 KES 20.8K

$86.9 KES 11.2K

84.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,960 KES 641.7K

$5,368 KES 694.5K

-7.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.61 KES 1,243

$13.38 KES 1,731

-28.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.06 KES 1,172

$13.60 KES 1,759

-33.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.33 KES 1,983

$22.92 KES 2,965

-33.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$17.41 KES 2,252

$45.93 KES 5,943

-62.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 KES 42.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 KES 39.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 KES 35.4K

$387 KES 50.1K

-29.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 KES 72.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$228 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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Malindi: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Kilifi versus $23.00 in Malindi. Groceries tell a different story – $125 in Kilifi vs $171 in Malindi – so Kilifi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: $630 in Kilifi, $497 in Malindi – roughly 27% apart. Kilifi costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $944 per month in Kilifi and $746 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 $23.00 in Malindi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 37% 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 $630 in Kilifi and $497 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.