Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kilifi and Meru

For one person, living is cheaper in Meru: $520 a month against $637 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 Meru
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Meru Living Index

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Kilifi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$637

/mo nomad

Meru

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kilifi and in Meru

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

A single person spends $637 per month in Kilifi vs $520 in Meru, rent included.

Kilifi $637
Meru $520

A couple spends around $1,050 per month in Kilifi vs $853 in Meru, rent included.

Kilifi $1,050
Meru $853

A family of three spends $1,463 per month in Kilifi vs $1,185 in Meru, rent included.

Kilifi $1,463
Meru $1,185

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.89 KES 246

$6.43 KES 835

-70.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.85 KES 6,472

$34.99 KES 4,542

42.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.26 KES 293

$6.24 KES 810

-63.78%

Cappuccino

$1.97 KES 255

$2.59 KES 336

-23.94%

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

$0.80 KES 103

$0.66 KES 85.6

21.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 KES 105

$0.66 KES 86.0

22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 KES 194

$2.35 KES 305

-36.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 KES 355

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 KES 137

$0.82 KES 106

28.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 KES 112

$0.40 KES 51.4

115.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 KES 260

$1.11 KES 144

80.18%

Eggs

$1.94 KES 252

$1.46 KES 190

32.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 KES 1,389

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 KES 867

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.62 KES 989

$5.12 KES 665

48.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 KES 293

$3.35 KES 434

-32.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.71 KES 91.9

$0.80 KES 104

-11.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 KES 223

$0.75 KES 98.0

129.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.44 KES 57.6

$0.80 KES 103

-45.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$1.16 KES 150

-31.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 KES 103

$1.01 KES 132

-21.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.24 KES 31.32

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 KES 31.25

$0.40 KES 51.9

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 KES 439

Wine (Bottle)

$12.47 KES 1,618

$11.69 KES 1,518

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 KES 220

$2.29 KES 297

-26.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 KES 347

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 KES 97.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.63 KES 3,458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 204

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 198

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 KES 370

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 KES 175

$1.60 KES 208

-15.63%

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

$19.5K KES 2.5M

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

$21.9K KES 2.8M

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

$15.41 KES 2,001

$57.0 KES 7,393

-72.94%

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

$10.19 KES 1,323

$15.21 KES 1,975

-33.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.06 KES 3,253

$34.48 KES 4,477

-27.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.23 KES 3,665

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 KES 1,018

$7.51 KES 976

4.39%

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

$161 KES 20.8K

$281 KES 36.4K

-42.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,014 KES 651.0K

$12.1K KES 1.6M

-58.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.36 KES 1,216

$27.89 KES 3,621

-66.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.78 KES 1,140

$28.49 KES 3,699

-69.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.19 KES 1,973

$69.5 KES 9,026

-78.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$17.57 KES 2,281

$57.8 KES 7,501

-69.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 KES 43.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 KES 40.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 KES 35.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 KES 73.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$233 KES 30.3K

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Meru: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kilifi

–

Meru

$183 35.2%

Eating Out

Kilifi

–

Meru

$124 23.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kilifi

–

Meru

$107 20.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Kilifi

–

Meru

$83 15.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Kilifi

–

Meru

$15 * 2.9%

Getting Around

Kilifi

–

Meru

$9.2 * 1.8%

Accommodation & Living

Kilifi

–

Meru

- * 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 $50 in Kilifi versus $35 in Meru. Groceries tell a different story – $123 in Kilifi vs $183 in Meru – so Kilifi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kilifi

🇰🇪 Meru

🕒 Local time

09:06 9:06 AM

Same time as Kilifi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

122,899

1,833,000

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.84 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.84 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kilifi Meru 480 km

From you

Kilifi
Meru

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 Meru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $637 in Kilifi, $520 in Meru – Meru comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $956 per month in Kilifi and $781 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 $50 in Kilifi and $35 in Meru. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 33% cheaper in Kilifi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $637 in Kilifi and $520 in Meru, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Kilifi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $520 in Meru to $637 in Kilifi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.