Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kisii and Malindi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kisii: $304 a month against $518 in Malindi, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index

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Kisii

🇰🇪 Kenya

$304

/mo nomad

Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $304 in Kisii versus $518 in Malindi.

Kisii $304
Malindi $518

Estimated couple costs with rent: $444 in Kisii versus $804 in Malindi.

Kisii $444
Malindi $804

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $585 in Kisii versus $1,090 in Malindi.

Kisii $585
Malindi $1,090

Living in Kisii costs roughly 41% less than in Malindi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kisii 78% lower, Malindi 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 KES 358

$2.09 KES 271

31.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.46 KES 3,306

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 KES 1,364

Cappuccino

$1.37 KES 178

$2.69 KES 349

-49.07%

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

$0.87 KES 113

$0.70 KES 90.2

24.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 KES 28.46

$0.48 KES 61.7

-54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 KES 237

$2.30 KES 298

-20.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 KES 293

$3.35 KES 434

-32.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 KES 122

$0.97 KES 126

-3.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 KES 62.0

$0.50 KES 64.7

-4.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 KES 294

$1.20 KES 156

88.33%

Eggs

$1.81 KES 236

$1.75 KES 227

3.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 KES 1,496

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 KES 621

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.67 KES 606

$5.12 KES 664

-8.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 KES 270

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.6

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 KES 231

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 KES 85.9

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.8

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.7

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 KES 73.6

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KES 58.6

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 KES 514

Wine (Bottle)

$9.40 KES 1,220

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 KES 256

$1.99 KES 258

-1.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 KES 384

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 KES 47.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.58 KES 2,022

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 KES 98.6

$3.00 KES 390

-74.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 KES 229

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 KES 593

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 KES 190

$1.37 KES 178

7.30%

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

$11.9K KES 1.5M

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

$11.7K KES 1.5M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

-1.50%

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

$78.4 KES 10.2K

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

$16.21 KES 2,105

$9.34 KES 1,213

73.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.51 KES 6,169

$31.01 KES 4,026

53.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.98 KES 5,061

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 KES 1,962

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

$37.99 KES 4,932

$87.1 KES 11.3K

-56.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,436 KES 705.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.44 KES 1,486

$12.86 KES 1,670

-11.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.57 KES 1,762

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.57 KES 5,007

$23.27 KES 3,022

65.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.24 KES 3,926

$46.24 KES 6,003

-34.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.5 KES 9,801

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 KES 50.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$155 KES 20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Kisii: October 31, 2026

Last update for Malindi: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kisii

–

Malindi

$171 33.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kisii

–

Malindi

$119 22.9%

Eating Out

Kisii

–

Malindi

$103 20%

Sport & Entertainment

Kisii

–

Malindi

$69 13.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Kisii

–

Malindi

$43 8.3%

Getting Around

Kisii

–

Malindi

$12 * 2.3%

Accommodation & Living

Kisii

–

Malindi

- * 0%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kisii

🇰🇪 Malindi

🕒 Local time

01:49 1:49 AM

Same time as Kisii

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,000

117,735

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Kisii Malindi 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kisii
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

Kisii vs Malindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kisii wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Malindi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kisii the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $456 in Kisii and $776 in Malindi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you’ll spend $304 per month in Kisii versus $518 in Malindi – Kisii is about 41% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 215% higher in Malindi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Kisii gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.