Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kilifi and Thika

For one person, living is cheaper in Thika: $518 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 Thika
Learn more

Thika Living Index

Jump to prices

Kilifi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$645

/mo nomad

Thika

🇰🇪 Kenya

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kilifi and in Thika

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

A single person spends $645 per month in Kilifi vs $518 in Thika, rent included.

Kilifi $645
Thika $518

A couple spends around $1,050 per month in Kilifi vs $883 in Thika, rent included.

Kilifi $1,050
Thika $883

A family of three spends $1,454 per month in Kilifi vs $1,248 in Thika, rent included.

Kilifi $1,454
Thika $1,248

Kilifi costs about 25% more than Thika, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.89 KES 245

$3.52 KES 457

-46.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.35 KES 6,408

$34.12 KES 4,431

44.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.28 KES 296

$6.31 KES 819

-63.87%

Cappuccino

$1.97 KES 256

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

$0.75 KES 97.6

$0.32 KES 41.83

134.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 KES 95.5

$0.67 KES 87.2

10.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 KES 202

$1.89 KES 246

-17.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 KES 273

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 KES 137

$0.74 KES 96.4

43.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 KES 114

$0.45 KES 58.2

95.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 KES 267

$1.15 KES 149

79.13%

Eggs

$1.98 KES 258

$1.37 KES 177

44.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.98 KES 1,426

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 KES 877

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.86 KES 1,020

$4.01 KES 521

96.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 KES 302

$1.51 KES 196

53.64%

Banana (1kg)

$0.66 KES 85.5

$0.60 KES 77.5

10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 KES 226

$0.78 KES 102

123.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.45 KES 58.3

$1.14 KES 148

-60.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 KES 95.3

$0.36 KES 47.22

102.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 KES 103

$0.48 KES 62.7

64.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 KES 95.0

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 KES 31.17

$0.37 KES 47.60

-35.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 KES 364

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 KES 1,671

$5.72 KES 743

125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 KES 227

$1.77 KES 230

-1.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 KES 253

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 KES 105

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 KES 3,541

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 KES 197

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 KES 118

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 KES 383

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 KES 177

$1.36 KES 177

0.74%

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

$19.0K KES 2.5M

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

$21.4K KES 2.8M

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

$15.66 KES 2,034

$34.61 KES 4,494

-54.75%

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

$10.08 KES 1,309

$15.36 KES 1,994

-34.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.96 KES 3,242

$34.47 KES 4,477

-27.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.67 KES 3,593

$46.97 KES 6,100

-41.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 KES 1,010

$7.68 KES 997

1.30%

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

$164 KES 21.3K

$53.3 KES 6,921

207.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,922 KES 639.2K

$3,489 KES 453.1K

41.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.88 KES 1,283

$28.59 KES 3,713

-65.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.02 KES 1,171

$29.22 KES 3,795

-69.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.60 KES 2,025

$68.7 KES 8,921

-77.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$17.37 KES 2,256

$19.35 KES 2,513

-10.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 KES 43.1K

$101 KES 13.2K

226.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 KES 40.7K

$56.9 KES 7,384

450.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 KES 34.4K

$268 KES 34.8K

-1.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 KES 72.2K

$175 KES 22.7K

218.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$623 KES 80.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$229 KES 29.7K

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 Thika: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kilifi

–

Thika

$154 29.8%

Eating Out

Kilifi

–

Thika

$88 17.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kilifi

–

Thika

$84 16.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Kilifi

–

Thika

$66 12.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Kilifi

–

Thika

$62 12%

Accommodation & Living

Kilifi

–

Thika

$57 11%

Getting Around

Kilifi

–

Thika

$6.1 * 1.2%

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 $101 in Thika. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Kilifi versus $34 in Thika. Groceries tell a different story – $125 in Kilifi vs $154 in Thika – so Kilifi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kilifi

🇰🇪 Thika

🕒 Local time

01:37 1:37 AM

Same time as Kilifi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

122,899

83,000

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kilifi Thika 420 km

From you

Kilifi
Thika

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 Thika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $645 in Kilifi, $518 in Thika – Thika comes out roughly 20% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $968 per month in Kilifi and $777 in Thika. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Thika, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $101 there versus $332 in Kilifi.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Kilifi and $34 in Thika. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Kilifi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $645 in Kilifi and $518 in Thika, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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