Cost of Living Comparison Between Kilifi and Meru Cost of Living Comparison Between Kilifi and Meru

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $433 per month in Kilifi vs $489 in Meru, rent included.

A couple spends around $769 per month in Kilifi vs $822 in Meru, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,105 per month in Kilifi vs $1,155 in Meru, rent included.

Kilifi is about 11% cheaper than Meru, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Kilifi and Meru are more affordable than the global median – Kilifi 67% lower, Meru 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.38 KES 308

$5.55 KES 717

-57.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.6 KES 6,545

$38.95 KES 5,034

29.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.37 KES 306

$6.70 KES 866

-64.63%

Cappuccino

$1.88 KES 243

$2.49 KES 322

-24.50%

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

$0.78 KES 101

$0.70 KES 91.0

11.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 KES 101

$0.53 KES 68.6

47.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 KES 257

$2.28 KES 295

-13.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 KES 366

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 KES 117

$0.84 KES 108

8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 KES 96.2

$0.41 KES 52.6

80.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 KES 252

$1.06 KES 137

83.96%

Eggs

$1.87 KES 242

$1.41 KES 182

32.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 KES 1,528

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 KES 873

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.88 KES 631

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 KES 304

$3.09 KES 399

-23.95%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 KES 114

$0.75 KES 97.4

17.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 227

$0.79 KES 102

122.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.3

$0.75 KES 97.6

-13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 KES 81.9

$1.06 KES 137

-40.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 KES 76.8

$0.99 KES 128

-40.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 KES 28.36

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 KES 31.21

$0.44 KES 57.1

-45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 KES 397

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 KES 1,673

$11.46 KES 1,481

12.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 256

$2.30 KES 298

-13.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 KES 361

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 KES 94.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 KES 3,540

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 203

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 KES 97.6

$1.52 KES 196

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 KES 369

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 KES 169

$1.03 KES 134

27.18%

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

$21.6K KES 2.8M

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

$20.1K KES 2.6M

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

$15.64 KES 2,021

$34.33 KES 4,437

-54.44%

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

$10.15 KES 1,312

$16.69 KES 2,157

-39.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.82 KES 3,208

$39.11 KES 5,055

-36.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.43 KES 3,545

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 KES 1,014

$6.14 KES 794

27.69%

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

$161 KES 20.9K

$201 KES 26.0K

-19.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,004 KES 646.7K

$8,069 KES 1.0M

-37.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.41 KES 1,216

$18.42 KES 2,380

-48.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.04 KES 1,169

$23.74 KES 3,068

-61.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.65 KES 2,023

$65.0 KES 8,402

-75.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$17.33 KES 2,240

$57.1 KES 7,385

-69.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$177 KES 22.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 KES 14.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 KES 35.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 KES 33.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$230 KES 29.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.84

-46.09%

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

Last update for Kilifi: July 27, 2026

Last update for Meru: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Kilifi versus $39.00 in Meru. Groceries tell a different story – $101 in Kilifi vs $184 in Meru – 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 Meru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $433 in Kilifi, $489 in Meru – roughly 13% apart. Meru costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $650 per month in Kilifi and $734 in Meru. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Kilifi and $39.00 in Meru. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 83% more in Meru, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $433 in Kilifi and $489 in Meru, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kilifi – 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 Kilifi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Meru makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.