Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kisumu and Malindi

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $520 a month against $643 in Kisumu, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Kisumu
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Kisumu Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index

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Kisumu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$643

/mo nomad

Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $643 per month in Kisumu vs $520 in Malindi, rent included.

Kisumu $643
Malindi $520

A couple spends around $972 per month in Kisumu vs $806 in Malindi, rent included.

Kisumu $972
Malindi $806

A family of three spends $1,302 per month in Kisumu vs $1,092 in Malindi, rent included.

Kisumu $1,302
Malindi $1,092

Kisumu costs about 24% more than Malindi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Kisumu and Malindi are more affordable than the global median – Kisumu 52% lower, Malindi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.67 KES 606

$2.06 KES 267

126.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.63 KES 3,193

$24.99 KES 3,241

-1.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.54 KES 848

$10.58 KES 1,372

-38.19%

Cappuccino

$2.63 KES 342

$2.76 KES 358

-4.71%

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

$0.67 KES 86.8

$0.68 KES 88.8

-1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 KES 72.9

$0.52 KES 67.2

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 KES 254

$2.35 KES 304

-16.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 KES 353

$3.31 KES 429

-17.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.56 KES 72.1

$0.90 KES 116

-37.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 KES 67.0

$0.54 KES 69.8

-3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 KES 245

$1.27 KES 164

48.82%

Eggs

$1.64 KES 212

$1.79 KES 232

-8.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 KES 1,388

$11.74 KES 1,522

-8.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.28 KES 814

$4.81 KES 624

30.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.06 KES 656

$4.99 KES 647

1.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 KES 437

$2.08 KES 269

62.02%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 KES 115

$0.73 KES 94.7

21.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 KES 257

$1.82 KES 236

8.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 KES 144

$0.67 KES 87.2

65.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 KES 139

$0.68 KES 87.6

57.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 KES 117

$0.67 KES 87.5

34.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 KES 89.4

$0.59 KES 76.6

16.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 KES 95.6

$0.43 KES 55.3

72.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 KES 395

$4.06 KES 526

-24.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 KES 1,024

$9.88 KES 1,281

-20.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 KES 298

$1.95 KES 253

17.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 KES 306

$2.91 KES 377

-18.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 KES 96.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.05 KES 2,989

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 204

$3.03 KES 393

-48.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 KES 195

$1.70 KES 221

-11.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 KES 365

$4.66 KES 604

-39.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 KES 210

$1.43 KES 186

13.29%

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

$21.5K KES 2.8M

$12.3K KES 1.6M

75.31%

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

$20.6K KES 2.7M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

74.19%

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

$54.9 KES 7,119

$77.9 KES 10.1K

-29.48%

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

$15.40 KES 1,997

$9.43 KES 1,223

63.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.59 KES 4,614

$31.35 KES 4,065

13.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.87 KES 2,965

$39.09 KES 5,069

-41.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.70 KES 998

$15.22 KES 1,974

-49.41%

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

$115 KES 14.9K

$87.5 KES 11.3K

30.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K KES 1.6M

$5,349 KES 693.5K

128.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.41 KES 1,479

$13.08 KES 1,696

-12.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.63 KES 2,545

$13.47 KES 1,746

45.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.49 KES 2,008

$23.22 KES 3,010

-33.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$15.27 KES 1,979

$46.29 KES 6,002

-67.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$151 KES 19.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 KES 18.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$560 KES 72.6K

$378 KES 49.0K

48.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 KES 27.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$765 KES 99.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$779 KES 101.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

13.15%

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

Last update for Kisumu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Malindi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kisumu

$188 29.2%

Malindi

$172 33.2% 8.2% $15

Accommodation & Living

Kisumu

$139 21.6%

Malindi

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Kisumu

$109 16.9%

Malindi

$105 20.1% 3.9% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kisumu

$106 16.5%

Malindi

$119 22.8% 12% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Kisumu

$38 6%

Malindi

$70 13.4% 81.8% $31

Getting Around

Kisumu

$35 5.5%

Malindi

$12 * 2.2% 67.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Kisumu

$28 4.3%

Malindi

$43 8.3% 55.4% $15

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 $25.00 in Kisumu versus $25.00 in Malindi. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Kisumu vs $172 in Malindi – so Malindi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Kisumu

🇰🇪 Malindi

🕒 Local time

08:27 8:27 AM

Same time as Kisumu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,155,574

117,735

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kisumu Malindi 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kisumu
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

Kisumu vs Malindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kisumu costs about 24% more than Malindi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $964 per month in Kisumu and $780 in Malindi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $643 in Kisumu and $520 in Malindi. That's a gap of about 24%.

Kindergarten costs $115 per month in Kisumu and $87.5 in Malindi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $643 in Kisumu and $520 in Malindi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Malindi costs $520 versus $643 in Kisumu. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Malindi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kisumu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.